The Imperfectionists: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

ISBN: 0385343671

Author: Rachman, Tom

Condition: New

From the author of The Italian Teacher, this acclaimed debut novel set in Rome follows the topsy-turvy lives of the denizens of an English language newspaper.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYJanet Maslin, The New York Times The Economist NPR Slate The Christian Science Monitor Financial Times The Plain Dealer Minneapolis Star Tribune St. Louis Post-Dispatch The Kansas City Star The Globe and Mail Publishers WeeklyLook in the back of the book for a conversation between Tom Rachman and Malcolm GladwellFifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staffs personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his familys quirky newspaper.As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the papers rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founders intentions.Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.