The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (Random House, 2010)
This engaging, fast-reading, debut novel centers on an English-speaking newspaper opened in Rome by American Cyrus Ott in 1954 and reveals the characters – primarily the editors and writers – who work there. These distinctive characters are skillfully interconnected, and their many foibles overlap and affect one another. The compelling and original structure of the novel strings together this collection of textured character profiles, unveiling each character’s “motives, resentments and disappointments” while also charting the de-evolution of the newspaper itself in such a way that the reader is fully invested in novel’s conclusive fate. Tom Rachman is certainly an emerging writer to watch! (9/10)
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