Rushdie depicts contemporary New York City as the epicenter of globalization and all of its tragic flaws.

At first he escapes from his academic life by immersing himself in the world of miniatures (after becoming enamored with the miniature houses on display at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam), eventually creating a puppet called "Little Brain" and leaving the academy for television.

However, dissatisfaction with the rising popularity of "Little Brain" serves to ignite deeper demons within Solanka's life, resulting in the narrowly avoided murder of his wife and child.

To further escape, Solanka travels to New York, hopeful he can lose himself and his demons in America, only to find that he is forced to confront himself.

[3][4] The Guardian gave the novel an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 based on reviews from multiple British newspapers.