Tuesday, 15 September 2015

Transmission – Hari Kunzru



The third Kunzru novel I’ve read, something considerably more light-hearted than My Revolutions but still really enjoyable. Both in literally and touristic terms, I’ve never really felt the pull of the Indian subcontinent with its charm and its mysteries – yet this book, split between India, the US and the UK, made me reconsider that.

Arjun, the novel’s main character, is so adorably ill-equipped to face the world that you just want to reach out to him through the pages and hug him. Most people who have left home to find work have probably faced some similar misadventures (I surely have) – but probably very few have had so many. The ease with which Kunzru portrays the challenges of life in India, in the UK, and in the USA are probably a reflection of his own life experiences between the three countries (and continents)

Many have tried to write modern love stories in the internet age, but very few have done it with the light touch of Kunzru, who in many ways also preceded the writers of The Big Bang Theory (seriously, some traits of Arjun’s personality really remind of Raj).

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