Holy Cow and Lost in Transmission

sam371 · Jul 10th, 2006, 03:57

Hello fellow IMers,

As I was finishing Lost in Transmission, I realized that the author of Lost in Transmission, Jonathan Harley is married to the author of Holy Cow, Sarah McDonald. And that both books are their personal interpretations of the time they spent in India. This definitely came as a surprise as both authors mention each other in their respective books (first names only) and I just came to realize it.

Has anyone else read these 2 books?

batistuta · Jul 10th, 2006, 11:40

I have not read lost in transmission ,but holy cow is hilarious to say the least .It was an eye opener for me how a few foreigners can perceive Indian gods and other customs. Funny book.

gautam · Jul 10th, 2006, 11:48

would have to get hold of holy cow
what kind of book is lost in transmisison ?

New-South-Welshman · Jul 10th, 2006, 12:17

Holy Cow is a great book in my opinion. Alot of people find the book offensive, but I find it funny. Now that I know her husband wrote Lost in Transmission, I'll have to go and get myself a copy of that book. Can't wait for the read.

mridula · Jul 10th, 2006, 14:50

I have not read Lost in Transmission but I found Holy Cow extremely cliched. Ranted about it in more detail here:

http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfr...oody-hell.html

sam371 · Jul 10th, 2006, 22:05

Hello fellow readers,

I found Holy Cow to be hillarious even if slightly cliched. I agree Sarah McDonald went over all the tried and tested issues/topics, but I couldn't help laugh at her witty writing.

Lost in transmission is written by Jonathan Harley who moved to India for ABC (Australian radio/tv channel) and was the only Australian reported in Afghanistan on Sept 11th. Sarah moved to India for Jonathan (she mentions in Holy Cow). The books are about their individual experiences in India although they do mention each other fairly in their respective books. It was only at the end did I realize they were married. Trust me, I am in no way ruining the gist or the ending of either book for you. If anything, both books would have been more enjoyable had I known that they were married before I finished reading them.

Enjoy!

New-South-Welshman · Jul 9th, 2007, 13:26

***SPOLIERS***

I finished reading Lost in Transmission on my way to Queensland last week, a whole year after I posted on this thread that I'd go and buy the book.

I was reading the end where Jonathan said that he lost another friend to suicide when his friend Malakai walked out of his house during dawn, and never to return. I don't know whether it's me, but I can't remember reading anything about a Malakai in the book. Can someone explain who Malakai was in the book, or even if he was in the book? Thanks.

iwanttogoback · Jul 9th, 2007, 15:11

i don't think he was mentioned previously, i think jonathon was reflecting more on life back in australia and that this was not the first suicide of a friend rather than on the friend (if that makes sense...)

did you enjoy it? i would thoroughly recommend it.

New-South-Welshman · Jul 9th, 2007, 16:43

I did enjoy it alot. Especially the chapter on Jonathan at Eden Gardens, Calcutta during the 2nd India V Aussie Test. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't that much on India itself, but it was still a great read.

argy39 · Jul 9th, 2007, 16:52

I too have read them and really enjoyed them both. I especially like to read of different peoples perceptions and experiences in India. I can usually find someone or something to relate too somewhere amongst the various stories!!

invidious · Jul 13th, 2007, 13:10

Initially, I found Holy Cow! to be quite offensive. But, as the pages flipped, I found that quite often, I find myself a bit alien outside of Bombay and I could see her point. But it is strictly from a non-Indian's perspective. If anyone is interested in reading a book from an urban India's perspective about life in India, I recommend

"English, August" and its sequel "Mammaries of a Welfare State" both by Upamanyu Chatterjee.

capt_mahajan · Jul 13th, 2007, 13:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by invidious

If anyone is interested in reading a book from an urban India's perspective about life in India, I recommend
"English, August" and its sequel "Mammaries of a Welfare State" both by Upamanyu Chatterjee.

If I may amend that a little bit, English, August is a book of an urban Indian's persepective of life in non-urban India.

Jul 10th, 2006, 03:57	#1
sam371 Dreaming of India... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 372	Holy Cow and Lost in Transmission Hello fellow IMers, As I was finishing Lost in Transmission, I realized that the author of Lost in Transmission, Jonathan Harley is married to the author of Holy Cow, Sarah McDonald. And that both books are their personal interpretations of the time they spent in India. This definitely came as a surprise as both authors mention each other in their respective books (first names only) and I just came to realize it. Has anyone else read these 2 books?

Jul 10th, 2006, 11:48	#3
gautam Super Mode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Chandigarh - Blore NON-STOP Posts: 708	would have to get hold of holy cow what kind of book is lost in transmisison ? __________________ "Your thoughts could be your prison" My pics on flickr Kerela backwaters - by beach

Jul 10th, 2006, 12:17	#4
New-South-Welshman Drunk Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 1,313	Holy Cow is a great book in my opinion. Alot of people find the book offensive, but I find it funny. Now that I know her husband wrote Lost in Transmission, I'll have to go and get myself a copy of that book. Can't wait for the read. __________________ Mr. Burns "Non-violence never solved anything!"

Jul 10th, 2006, 14:50	#5
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 1,251	I have not read Lost in Transmission but I found Holy Cow extremely cliched. Ranted about it in more detail here: http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfr...oody-hell.html __________________ mridula http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

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Jul 10th, 2006, 11:40	#2
batistuta Neti-Neti Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,724	I have not read lost in transmission ,but holy cow is hilarious to say the least .It was an eye opener for me how a few foreigners can perceive Indian gods and other customs. Funny book.

Jul 10th, 2006, 22:05	#6
sam371 Dreaming of India... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York Posts: 372	Hello fellow readers, I found Holy Cow to be hillarious even if slightly cliched. I agree Sarah McDonald went over all the tried and tested issues/topics, but I couldn't help laugh at her witty writing. Lost in transmission is written by Jonathan Harley who moved to India for ABC (Australian radio/tv channel) and was the only Australian reported in Afghanistan on Sept 11th. Sarah moved to India for Jonathan (she mentions in Holy Cow). The books are about their individual experiences in India although they do mention each other fairly in their respective books. It was only at the end did I realize they were married. Trust me, I am in no way ruining the gist or the ending of either book for you. If anything, both books would have been more enjoyable had I known that they were married before I finished reading them. Enjoy!

Jul 9th, 2007, 13:26	#7
New-South-Welshman Drunk Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 1,313	*SPOLIERS* I finished reading Lost in Transmission on my way to Queensland last week, a whole year after I posted on this thread that I'd go and buy the book. I was reading the end where Jonathan said that he lost another friend to suicide when his friend Malakai walked out of his house during dawn, and never to return. I don't know whether it's me, but I can't remember reading anything about a Malakai in the book. Can someone explain who Malakai was in the book, or even if he was in the book? Thanks.

Jul 9th, 2007, 15:11	#8
iwanttogoback is sorry Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: perth Posts: 1,535	i don't think he was mentioned previously, i think jonathon was reflecting more on life back in australia and that this was not the first suicide of a friend rather than on the friend (if that makes sense...) did you enjoy it? i would thoroughly recommend it.

Jul 9th, 2007, 16:43	#9
New-South-Welshman Drunk Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 1,313	I did enjoy it alot. Especially the chapter on Jonathan at Eden Gardens, Calcutta during the 2nd India V Aussie Test. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't that much on India itself, but it was still a great read.

Jul 9th, 2007, 16:52	#10
argy39 Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 35	I too have read them and really enjoyed them both. I especially like to read of different peoples perceptions and experiences in India. I can usually find someone or something to relate too somewhere amongst the various stories!!

Jul 13th, 2007, 13:10	#11
invidious Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 121	Initially, I found Holy Cow! to be quite offensive. But, as the pages flipped, I found that quite often, I find myself a bit alien outside of Bombay and I could see her point. But it is strictly from a non-Indian's perspective. If anyone is interested in reading a book from an urban India's perspective about life in India, I recommend "English, August" and its sequel "Mammaries of a Welfare State" both by Upamanyu Chatterjee.

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