Hari Kunzru - Transmission

Yet another Cosmopolitan novel assigned for class, Hari Kunzru's Transmission follows Arjun Mehta, a gifted programmer from India who is hired by a sketchy company who ships Indian programmers to America to work as cheap immigrant labor.

After experiencing many disappointments in the U.S., which didn't match up at all to his vision of the American Dream that was promised by his new employers, Arjun is hired by a big data company. However, budget cuts force Arjun, as a non-American citizen, to be one of the first programmers to be let go. In desperation to keep his job and not have to return home in disgrace to India, Arjun creates a very sophisticated virus that quickly mutates out of control, causing a global crisis that turns him into a wanted cyber terrorist.

Along with Arjun's story, the novel follows Guy Swift, a young English entrepreneur, his girlfriend Gabriella, and Leela Zahir, Bollywood star and unknowing face of Arjun's virus.

There is a lot of humor in the novel and I found all of the characters and their plot lines to be compelling and interesting! One of my favorite parts is after Guy's company has been hit by Arjun's virus and his suave controlled life is spiraling out of control. He's having a bit of a breakdown and has sort of fired his only technical support, who is unfazed at losing his job and "would be in the pub if Guy changed his mind."

As the reasons for Caedmon's nonchalance started to dawn, sitting down no longer seemed appropriate. For a while Guy flounced around the building with his phone pressed to his ear. Then he noticed he was flouncing and made an effort to stride with masculine purpose. It made no difference. No one would listen. No one would help. Like many business people he had a quasi-theological view of computers. They were important and mysteriously beneficial, but it was the job of the priesthood to engage with them. Finding himself with no technical support was like standing naked before the judgement of God. He had no idea how to proceed, no way of even gauging the seriousness of his predicament.

At this point he realized he was vocalizing. And that his staff was staring at him. 

I could really visualize this scene with Guy, who you see very quickly in the novel is kind of smarmy and full of hot air (which is expected given his youngest billionaire in the world status), having a good freak out, pacing around and talking to himself. Maybe not even talking, but "vocalizing." Maybe you need to read more about Guy's character to get the humor of the scene, but it cracks me up every time! I really enjoyed Transmission and I'm definitely interested in reading some of Kunzru's other work.