The Imperfectionist by Tom Rachman : 我們不完美！

Tom Rachman 

Mr. Rachman’s transition from journalism to fiction writing is nothing short of spectacular. “The Imperfectionists” is a splendid original, filled with wit and structured so ingeniously that figuring out where the author is headed is half the reader’s fun. The other half comes from his sparkling descriptions not only of newspaper office denizens but of the tricks of their trade, presented in language that is smartly satirical yet brimming with affection. --New York Times

In the case of The Imperfectionists, written during six-month sabbaticals from the Herald Tribune, structure is fundamental to the architecture of the storytelling. Individual chapters are told from different points of view, from the paper’s correspondents and stringers to its editor, publisher and financial officer.

“I felt that if I represented the whole enterprise with each of the jobs, it would help to make the whole project coherent,” says Rachman.

“I also liked the idea of combining two forms of fiction I loved into one book. I had ideas for stories and I thought that if I could tie them together with a common thread, then perhaps I could combine the slightly longer-term experience of reading a novel with the episodic experience of the short story.”

THE IMPERFECTIONISTS

By Tom Rachman 272 pages. 

Related

Books of The Times: ‘The Imperfectionists’ by Tom Rachman(May 6, 2010)

• Excerpt: ‘The Imperfectionists’(May 2, 2010)

Tom Rachman’s Web Site

• Sunday Book Review: ‘The Imperfectionists’ by Tom Rachman(May 2, 2010)