Booking It: The Imperfectionists

The Imperfectionists, the bold debut novel from Tom Rachman, appears to be a story about a failing English language newspaper in Rome, destined to fade away like so many other print publications in the 21st century.

At second glance, it becomes apparent that the work is really about people, and as the title suggests, flawed people.

The novel is actually a collection of 11 short stories, linked through the newspaper, but also capable of standing on their own as distinct pieces of short fiction. Rachman had no lack of inspiration, working for newspapers in eight countries around the world before beginning his fiction career.

The Imperfectionists is steeped with commentaries on staff hierarchies, struggles to obtain proper funding and the pressure reporters face to consistently find compelling and marketable content.

One freelance writer discovers that the paper no longer requests quality in stories, but shock factor. “You know our money problems, Lloyd. We’re only buying freelance stuff that’s jaw-dropping these days.  Terrorism, nuclear Iran, resurgent Russia — that kind of thing. Anything else we basically take from the wires. It’s a money thing, not about you.”

Exploring the complicated world of newspaper production in modern times, Rachman allows the reader to watch the slow decline of the publication through the perspectives of characters from every area of the staff, and this is where the power of the novel lies.

The characters are charming, frustrating and incredibly real.

From the young publisher who is only capable of having a conversation with his dog, to the reporter so desperate for a story that he blatantly copies from other papers, to the reader who insists on reading every daily edition of the paper cover to cover, the quirks and struggles of the characters involved with the newspaper are what make the novel shine.

They manipulate, make mistakes and are sometimes blind to reality, much like people we all know.

There is something of everyone in at least one of the characters, whether the reader likes to admit it or not.

Frequently, the characters make decisions so disgusting that they are tattooed in the reader’s mind for days.

Are these shocking behaviors simply effective fictional plot developments to lure the reader, or brilliant portrayals of real human characteristics?

Readers are forced to realize that people have imperfections, little cracks in carefully crafted facades that may never be seen by the outside world.

Some of the stories are weak and may have been better left out, like the stereotypical editor-in-chief who has neglected her personal life for work, or the old, single copy editor who is still the lowest copy editor at the paper because of her painful insecurities.

These scenarios have been portrayed countless times before and offer no original ideas about human nature.

Much preferred is the story about the business reporter who is so desperate for love that she allows a robber into her life, permitting him to live in her apartment and proud of herself for finally having a “boyfriend,” never mind that her possessions seem to frequently go missing.

This originality is what really captures the desperations of the characters, who are all fundamentally longing for something, whether it is love, success or a new start.

Rachman’s prose is extremely readable, with a simplistic, no frills style that drags in readers.  “If history has taught us anything,” Arthur muses, “it is that men with mustaches must never achieve positions of power.”

The novel is filled with the kind of sentences that beg to be read repeatedly and marveled at for sheer individual power, like “They had holes to fill on every page and jammed in any vaguely newsworthy string of words provided it didn’t include expletives, which they were apparently saving for their own use around the office.”

Darkly humorous and insightful, each word is necessary and carefully chosen.  The work is so technically flawless, with prose, structure and human analysis perfectly interlocking, that it is hard to believe the author is only 35.

The Imperfectionists is a novel about individual lives, and how one small newspaper influences so many.

It makes fun of the modern media, the way we treat each other and how often we don’t see the things that are right in front of us.

Though some of the stories are more worthy than others, it is still an eye-opening journey to trace the history of a small paper through a prism of views.

A film version of The Imperfectionists is expected in theaters in late 2013, produced by Brad Pitt.

Since the original publication of the novel in 2010, Rachman has written multiple short stories, and a new novel is expected in the spring of 2014.

Recommendation: If you need action or a fast-moving plot in a novel, this is not for you, but if you’re willing to delve into characters, read The Imperfectionists now.