The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
Since the paper was started by an enigmatic millionaire fifty years ago, a lot has changed, and now, amidst the faded carpeting and drab office furnishings, the staff’s personal dramas appear far more significant than the daily headlines. Arthur, the slothful obituary writer, is changed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the struggling finance officer, learns that her job losses and her love life are connected in a most unexpected way; and Kathleen, the bossy editor-in-chief, is still smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage. While a fresh Cairo stringer is cruelly manipulated by an obnoxious war correspondent with an enormous ego, an experienced Paris freelancer goes to extreme lengths for his next byline.
And lurking in the shadows is the lonely young publisher who gives Schopenhauer, his treasured basset hound, more thought than the future of his eccentric family’s newspaper. The complex history of the daily is revealed, including the unexpected truth about its founder’s goals, as the age of print news gives way to the Internet age and this unreliable team stumbles toward an uncertain future.
The Imperfectionists, a spirited, heartfelt, and incredibly inventive book will make Tom Rachman one of our most astute and confident writers.
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
230 used from $0.99
Free shipping
Amazon.com
This book was written by a journalist, Tom Rachman. It tells the tale of a newspaper that was established in Rome in the 1950s, and we get a glimpse into the lives of 11 different staff members. It’s simply amazing. Not a single word is incorrect. You never make a sentencing error. It’s an American publication, and I’m not familiar with the Herald Tribune’s history, but it sounds like a circumstance that Rachman and his coworkers would have encountered. The reason it’s set in Rome is a part of the plot I won’t discuss here, but it makes the story possible. It’s totally captivating and has excellent character development. You are eager to learn more about each individual.
While in reality, they are blasé and lazy and quite humorous, the fictitious journalists are incredibly serious and sort of bravely searching for the truth. We are immediately drawn into the happenings of an English newspaper in Rome as Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists gets underway. Cyrus Ott, a wealthy millionaire from Atlanta, founded the newspaper with the intention of improving many people’s lives, especially those of his former lovers. The work weaves between humorous passages and heartbreaking accounts of defeat. All of the characters had the chance to share their memories and emotions, from the lost journalist Oliver Ott to the freelance writer Lloyd Burko, who refuses to acknowledge that he has lost his touch.
