Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman's wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it - and themselves - afloat.
Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff's personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family's quirky newspaper.
As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions.
Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.
Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff's personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family's quirky newspaper.
As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions.
Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.
Eine Zeitung, der es nicht gut geht. Kein Wunder in Zeiten des Internets, in denen sich Leserinnen und Leser Informationen im Netz kostenlos zusammensuchen können. Tom Rachman, einst selbst Korrespondent der Nachrichtenagentur AP in Rom, dann Redakteur der International Herald Tribune in Paris, erzählt in „Die Unperfekten“ (dtv, 396 Seiten, 11 Euro) aus dem Innenleben einer panischen Redaktion. Einer Redaktion, die mit der Angst lebt, ihr seltsamer Verleger – noch nicht mal 30, in einer Villa lebend, an Kunst und seinem Hund interessiert, aber nicht an der Zeitung – könne das Blatt von einem Tag auf den anderen schließen. Rachman sucht sich Typen zusammen: Ein freier, abgehalfterter Mitarbeiter bietet eine erfundene Geschichte an, fliegt jedoch auf. Die Chefredakteurin, privat schwer mit Liebesdingen beschäftigt, soll Leute feuern, statt in den dringend nötigen Ausbau der Website zu investieren. Ein Redakteur, gerade entlassen, beginnt eine Affäre mit der Finanzchefin des Verlags, um sich an ihr zu rächen. Nach dem Flirt lässt er sie nackt auf dem Bett im Hotelzimmer liegen. Der Roman blickt in den Kosmos des alltäglichen Wahnsinns einer Redaktion, mit Ironie und Sympathie für die Schwächen von Journalisten.
WOLFGANG KRACH
Chefredakteur
DIZdigital: Alle Rechte vorbehalten – Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH, München
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