Beneath the swagger of Koel Purie Rinchet’s impressive debut novel lies a serious story
Clearly Invisible in Paris By Koel Purie Rinchet; Rupa; Rs 495; 336 pages
ISSUE DATE: Aug 21, 2023 | UPDATED: Aug 11, 2023 14:29 IST
Koel Purie Rinchet’s debut novel Clearly Invisible in Paris begins on a supremely confident note, introducing us to its four principal characters via ‘point-of-view’ chapters, the literary equivalent of a ‘split-screen’ device in cinema. Teenaged Russian model Dasha cannot stop herself from showing the finger to the exploitative overlords of the fashion world, even if it stops her march to the big leagues. Filipina housekeeper (and later, nanny) Rosel is desperate to be reunited with her infant son, but her passport and documents have been confiscated by her conniving ex-employers. Senegalese trans woman Violet struggles with her job as a burlesque dancer, her memories of pre-transition life, and her feelings for Raphael, a handsome beggar she finds herself drawn to. And finally, beautiful, ennui-riddled columnist Neera, married to a handsome, older French filmmaker-producer, burying herself in plumes of marijuana smoke and ill-advised trysts with strangers.