The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

This book was named "One of the Best Novels of the Year" by several newspapers in 2010; I think 2010 must have been a slow year for novels, then.

It's not a poorly written book, but it is not at all outstanding, either in plot or in freshness of expression. Actually, I would not call it a novel, but rather a series of connected short stories. Each one gives a tidbit from the life of a staffer of an English-language newspaper in Rome. Short between-chapter passages trace the history of the newspaper from its founding through its demise. And strangely enough, most of the stories concern loneliness and love and the misadventures that can create love or destroy it. So it is essentially not about the newspaper business at all, as I had expected from the Barnes & Noble blurb that tempted me to buy it.

Actually, I can see why it came to be a bestseller--its characters are interesting, the plots are sometimes funny and sometimes a little sad, and it reads very quickly. It just seems so surface somehow and so forgettable. For those looking for fast entertainment, it would probably be an enjoyable way to pass the time. But I don't think many would be tempted to read it again; I know I won't.

My review is vastly different from those found on the back of the book. They all praise it, with words such as "hilarious," "heart-wrenching," "thrilling," "superb," and "breathtaking." I would be interested in hearing the opinion of anyone out there who has read this. I could be wrong in my assessment. (Though I don't think so.)