Politics of print media laid bare

The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman, Text, $38

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TOM RACHMAN concocts a cast of abrasive and cantankerous characters in his debut novel The Imperfectionists.

Created with an episodic structure, the chapters in the novel are vignettes of the characters' lacklustre lives. Set at a nearly defunct newspaper in Rome, Rachman's story delves into the fractious states of human emotions when they are pushed to breaking point.

Among the people we meet are the editor-in-chief, desperate to return to a past relationship but resigned to the fact she is married to her job, and the newspaper's most dedicated reader who has yellow hair and a tragic secret.

Rachman taps into his past career as a journalist and this book reads like an autobiography of sorts. His history of writing in America and Europe influences the novel with ongoing references to these places peppered throughout. I wouldn't be surprised if the characters themselves are tongue-in-cheek representations of real people he has encountered in his journalistic career – see the corrections editor whose fondness for sausages almost equals that for spelling. The original prose could stand for a bit more refinement. Many of the stories of certain characters are cut off just when things get interesting and we are plunged into a new dramatic storyline. However, the intertwining of some of the characters' lives is clever and restores our memories of them once their chapter has gone cold.

Refreshingly honest, The Imperfectionists provides a brash insight into the reasoning of the human mind and all the pretention and malarkey that goes along with it. A light-hearted yet intelligent read, I'll be lining up for Rachman's second.

Kate Mead is a graduate of film and media studies from the University of Auckland.

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