Printing presses whirr, ashtrays smolder, and the endearing complexity of humanity plays out in Tom Rachman's debut novel, The Imperfectionists. Set against the backdrop of a fictional English-language newspaper based in Rome, it begins as a celebration of the beloved and endangered role of newspapers and the original 24/7 news cycle. Yet Rachman pushes beyond nostalgia by crafting an apologue that better resembles a modern-day Dubliners than a Mad Men - Amazon.comWorking for a news organization, I was very curious by the premise of this book. I was pleasantly surprised by Rachman's witty writing and tongue-in-cheek approach to the different "staff" members at the newspaper. Rachman also interconnected the stories of each character similar to Colum McCann in Let the Great World Spin. The background on how the paper was started and grew was spread out throughout the book in small snippets at the end of each chapter.
This book is an entertaining read and really doesn't need much description. The reader can "escape" to Rome and other places as they meet the newsroom staff who are just trying to keep the paper running.
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