Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday: The Imperfectionists

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


In his zinger of a debut, Rachman deftly applies his experience as foreign correspondent and editor to chart the goings-on at a scrappy English-language newspaper in Rome. Chapters read like exquisite short stories, turning out the intersecting lives of the men and women who produce the paper—and one woman who reads it religiously, if belatedly. In the opening chapter, aging, dissolute Paris correspondent Lloyd Burko pressures his estranged son to leak information from the French Foreign Ministry, and in the process unearths startling family fare that won't sell a single edition. Obit writer Arthur Gopal, whose overarching goal at the paper is indolence, encounters personal tragedy and, with it, unexpected career ambition. Late in the book, as the paper buckles, recently laid-off copyeditor Dave Belling seduces the CFO who fired him. Throughout, the founding publisher's progeny stagger under a heritage they don't understand. As the ragtag staff faces down the implications of the paper's tilt into oblivion, there are more than enough sublime moments, unexpected turns and sheer inky wretchedness to warrant putting this on the shelf next to other great newspaper novels.
This title will be released on April 6, 2010.

What are you waiting on this week? Leave your link here.

~Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.~

11 comments:

Jan von Harz said...

I like the premise of this one and the setting sounds like it might be fun too. Good Choice.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Sounds like this should be good.

Here is my WOW pick:

http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2010/03/waiting-on-wednesday-language-of-sand.html

Anonymous said...

It seems like there's a good mix of humor and truth here--a lot of papers are facing dilemmas right now (though I haven't yet heard of a copyeditor seducing the CFO...).

My WoW pick is over at bookwanderer.

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Sounds like an run, entertaining novel. Great pick!

Mary (Bookfan) said...

That would be fun, not run : )

Alayne said...

Great pick, I am excited for this as well. My WOW is at The Crowded Leaf.

Lori said...

Sounds like it will be a fun read.I hope that you will enjoy it. Here's mine

Nina said...

Interesting choice. Hope you enjoy the book when it comes out.

Zibilee said...

This sounds like something I will have to add to the ever growing list. It looks like a very interesting read. Thanks for the heads up!

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

This one looks interesting! I haven't heard of it before!

Veens said...

I actually like that cover!

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