This novel by Tom Rachman is full of great characters. They are, generally, interesting people living interesting lives. However, it all is a bit random.
The book is written as a series of chapters, each about a different person. The thread connecting them is they all work for an struggling independent English-language newspaper based in Rome. In each vignette, we see an in-depth portrait of that individual-the copy editor, the stringer, etc. There is, however, little interaction between the characters. We know they work together, and some have for years. And yet there is little of the inter-office rivalries and camaraderie that you’d expect to exist.
I did enjoy The Imperfectionists, but it does feel incomplete and unsatisfying. It is, however, a very popular book and I do recommend it, but not highly.
In USA:
Published in hardcover-Dial Press-2010
Softcover edition-Dial Press-2011
Tom Rachman’sThe Imperfectionists(The Imperfectionists: A Novel) (Hardcover)(2010)
La Bibliofille 