Most Popular Books by Tom Rachman

From the author of the international bestseller The Imperfectionists, the story of a chameleonic writer, and the indelible characters in her orbit, in a novel about love, the power of art and what we leave behind. Dora Frenhofer, a once successful but now aging and embittered novelist, knows her mind is going. She is determined, however, to finish her final book, and reverse her fortunes, before time runs out. Alone in her London home during the pandemic, she creates, and is in turn created by, the fascinating real characters from her own life. Like a twenty-first-century Scheherazade, Dora spins stories to ward off her end. From New Delhi to New York, Copenhagen to Los Angeles, Australia to Syria to Paris, Dora''s chapters trot the globe, inhabiting the perspectives of her missing brother, her estranged daughter, her erstwhile lover, and her last remaining friend, among others in her orbit. As her own life comes into ever sharper focus, so do the signal events that have made her who she is, leaving us in Dora''s thrall until, with an unforeseen twist, she snaps the final piece of the puzzle into place. The Imposters is Tom Rachman at his inimitable best. With his trademark style—at once "deliciously ironic and deeply affectionate" (The Washington Post)—he has delivered a novel whose formal ingenuity and flamboyant technique are matched only by its humanity and generosity.

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.

“An exotic touch of intrigue arises in THE ITALIAN TEACHER . . . deliciously ironic and deeply affectionate.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post A masterful novel about the son of a great painter striving to create his own legacy, by the bestselling author of The Imperfectionists. Conceived while his father, Bear, cavorted around Rome in the 1950s, Pinch learns quickly that Bear''s genius trumps all. After Bear abandons his family, Pinch strives to make himself worthy of his father''s attention--first trying to be a painter himself; then resolving to write his father''s biography; eventually settling, disillusioned, into a job as an Italian teacher in London. But when Bear dies, Pinch hatches a scheme to secure his father''s legacy--and make his own mark on the world. With his signature humanity and humor, Tom Rachman examines a life lived in the shadow of greatness, cementing his place among his generation''s most exciting literary voices.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The Seattle Times • The Globe and Mail • Kirkus Reviews • Daily Mail • The Vancouver Sun From the author of The Italian Teacher and The Imperfectionists comes a brilliant, intricately woven novel about a young woman who travels the world to make sense of her puzzling past. Look in the back of the book for a conversation between Tom Rachman and J. R. Moehringer Following one of the most critically acclaimed fiction debuts in years, New York Times bestselling author Tom Rachman returns with a brilliant, intricately woven novel about a young woman who travels the world to make sense of her puzzling past. Tooly Zylberberg, the American owner of an isolated bookshop in the Welsh countryside, conducts a life full of reading, but with few human beings. Books are safer than people, who might ask awkward questions about her life. She prefers never to mention the strange events of her youth, which mystify and worry her still. Taken from home as a girl, Tooly found herself spirited away by a group of seductive outsiders, implicated in capers from Asia to Europe to the United States. But who were her abductors? Why did they take her? What did they really want? There was Humphrey, the curmudgeonly Russian with a passion for reading; there was the charming but tempestuous Sarah, who sowed chaos in her wake; and there was Venn, the charismatic leader whose worldview transformed Tooly forever. Until, quite suddenly, he disappeared. Years later, Tooly believes she will never understand the true story of her own life. Then startling news arrives from a long-lost boyfriend in New York, raising old mysteries and propelling her on a quest around the world in search of answers. Tom Rachman—an author celebrated for humanity, humor, and wonderful characters—has produced a stunning novel that reveals the tale not just of one woman but of the past quarter-century as well, from the end of the Cold War to the dominance of American empire to the digital revolution of today. Leaping between decades, and from Bangkok to Brooklyn, this is a breathtaking novel about long-buried secrets and how we must choose to make our own place in the world. It will confirm Rachman’s reputation as one of the most exciting young writers we have. Praise for The Rise & Fall of Great Powers “Ingenious . . . Rachman needs only a few well-drawn characters to fill a large canvas and an impressive swath of history.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “A superb follow-up to 2010’s The Imperfectionists . . . ambitious and engaging.”—The Seattle Times “Engaging and inventive . . . full of wonderfully quirky, deeply flawed, but lovable characters . . . On the spectrum of interesting literary childhoods, Tooly Zylberberg—the protagonist of Tom Rachman’s second novel—would rank somewhere in the vicinity of Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist.”—San Francisco Chronicle “I found it impossible not to fall in love with shape-shifting Tooly. As an adult, she sports an ironical sense of humor and an attraction to dusty old books. As a child, her straight-faced mirth and wordplay are break-your-heart irresistible.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post “[A] read-it-all-in-one-weekend book.”—The New Republic “A compelling page-turner . . . intricate, sprawling, and almost Dickensian.”—USA Today

Stark, brooding, and enormously controversial when first published in 1905, this astonishing novel juxtaposes impressions of fin–de–siècle Stockholm against the psychological landscape of a man besieged by obsession. Lonely and introspective, Doctor Glas has long felt an instinctive hostility toward the odious local minister. So when the minister''s beautiful wife complains of her husband''s oppressive sexual attentions, Doctor Glas finds himself contemplating murder. A masterpiece of enduring power, Doctor Glas confronts a chilling moral quandary with gripping intensity.

Erste Sätze, letzte Worte und all die Geschichten dazwischen Die Bücher der Schriftstellerin Dora Frenhofer werden schon lange nicht mehr gelesen. Trotzdem beschließt sie mit dreiundsiebzig Jahren, einen allerletzten Roman zu verfassen. Während ihre soziale Isolation in London immer mehr zunimmt, reist sie in ihrer Fantasie über den ganzen Globus und schlüpft in die Köpfe des verschollenen Bruders, der entfremdeten Tochter, des einstigen Liebhabers und anderer Menschen, die ihren Lebensweg gekreuzt haben. Gleich einer modernen Scheherazade verwebt Dora die verschiedenen Einzelschicksale zu einem großen Gegenwartspanorama – und einem ungewöhnlichen Selbstporträt. Ironisch wie warmherzig führt Tom Rachman uns in ›Die Hochstapler‹ die Bedeutung und Kraft der Erzählkunst vor Augen.

En este espectacular debut, uno de los libros m&ás importantes de la feria de Frankfurt de 2008 y una obra celebrada por la cr&ítica norteamericana incluso antes de su publicaci&ón, Tom Rachman nos cuenta la historia de un peri&ódico de Roma en sus horas bajas que se publica en ingl&és y cuyos periodistas y jefes son, en su mayor&ía, estadounidenses expatriados. Con la mordacidad de The Office pero con una ternura y una calidez que le son propias, Rachman nos habla de personas atrapadas en una cultura que les resulta pintoresca, extra&ña y ligeramente hostil, y que terminan refugi&ándose en sus propias mentiras e historias. Desde el acabado corresponsal extranjero que se inventa las noticias hasta el empleado que seduce a la jefa de personal responsable de su despido, estos imperfeccionistas encuentran, en sus propios e imperfectos mundos, una conmovedora, aunque insuficiente, redenci&ón personal.

Ein zutiefst menschlicher Roman über eine liebenswerte Truppe von Lebens- und Überlebenskünstlern Was, wenn ein Zeitungserbe seinem Basset mehr Interesse entgegenbringt als dem Schicksal seines Blattes? Was wird aus der unglückseligen Ruby (alleinstehend, immer auf der Suche nach dem Mann fürs Leben)? Aus Ed, der gefeuert wird und sich an der zuständigen Sachbearbeiterin (alleinerziehend, drei Kinder und keine Zeit für die Liebe) rächt? Aus der Chefredakteurin Kathleen (verheiratet mit einem Weichei und verliebt in einen anderen)? Und aus Lloyd, der, einsam wie ein Straßenhund, aus Not eine Story erfindet und auffliegt? Rachmans wunderbar hintergründiger, ernst-komischer Gesellschaftsroman über eine internationale Tageszeitung und ihre Macher in Rom ist von bezwingender Leichtigkeit und ein Panoptikum unserer Zeit. »Dieser Roman von Tom Rachman ist so gut, dass ich ihn zweimal lesen musste – einfach, um zu begreifen, wie er das hingekriegt hat, wie einer, der gerade mal fünfunddreißig ist, ein derartiges Gespür für Menschen und ihre Schwächen haben kann.« Christopher Buckley, The New York Times Book Review

Důmyslný román o mladé ženě, která cestuje po světě, aby pochopila svou záhadnou minulost. Tooly Zylberbergová je Američanka a majitelka malého knihkupectví na velšském venkově. Neustále čte, neboť mezi knihami se cítí bezpečněji než mezi lidmi, kteří by se jí mohli vyptávat na její život. Ona sama by se o jistých událostech, jež prožila v dětství, totiž raději vůbec nezmiňovala. V devíti letech ji unesla podivná skupina lidí s kriminálním pozadím, s nimiž procestovala Asii, Evropu i Spojené státy. Ale kdo byli její únosci? Proč vzali právě ji? O co jim doopravdy šlo? K únoscům patřil ruský skrblík a vášnivý čtenář Humphrey; půvabná, ale výbušná a nestálá Sarah a samozřejmě Venn, charismatický vůdce celé skupiny, jehož pohled na svět zanechal v Tooly nesmazatelnou stopu. Jednoho dne jí však Venn svázal tkaničky u tenisek a zmizel. O několik let později už Tooly nevěří, že by někdy zjistila pravdu o svém životě. Avšak když se jí jednou z New Yorku po letech ozve bývalý přítel, dozví se překvapivé zprávy o tajemné minulosti a vydá se na cestu kolem světa, aby našla odpovědi na své otázky. Nejlepší kniha roku 2014 podle: The Daily Mail, National Public Radio, The Globe and Mail, Kirkus Reviews, The Vancouver Sun, The Seattle Times ----- Tohle je kniha pro knihomoly a milovníky skvělé prózy, kniha, kterou zhltnete za jediný víkend. - THE NEW REPUBLIC Rachmanův druhý román je skvělá skládačka, překlenující čtvrt století, jejíž dílky jsou roztroušené po celém světě.- The Guardian Stejně jako v románu Imperfekcionisté si Rachman vystačí s několika dobře vykreslenými postavami, kolem nichž se rozvíjí celý příběh, a s působivým výřezem historie. - New York Times Vzestup a pád mocností má všechno, co má klasika mít — zajímavé a jedinečné postavy, přesvědčivý příběh a laserově ostrý pohled na lidstvo. - The Vancouver Sun

Tooly Zylberberg, propriétaire d’une petite librairie dans la campagne galloise, passe le plus clair de ses journées à lire. Mais un récit essentiel continue à lui échapper, tapi dans l’obscurité : celui de sa propre vie. Enfant, elle a été arrachée à son foyer, puis trimballée en Asie, en Europe et aux États-Unis. Mais pourquoi l’enlever – et l’élever – si c’était pour ensuite l’abandonner ? Aussi, quand un message au sujet de « son père » lui parvient soudain, c’est sans hésiter que Tooly se lance dans une course-poursuite à la recherche de la vérité. En route, elle percera les secrets de Paul, l’inforu00admaticien errant qui préfère les oiseaux aux humains ; d’Humphrey, ce vieux grincheux qui lui a transmis l’amour des livres dont nul n’est le héros ; et de Sarah, flamboyante bohème aux humeurs changeantes... mais surtout de Venn. Venn, meneur charismatique qui a modelé Tooly à son image et lui a fait vivre les plus folles aventures. Jusqu’à ce que, sans crier gare, il disparaisse.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL PRIZE Almost-true stories for a post-truth world Wrong! Not Nice! Sad! A Manhattan party on election night. Liberal media types gather with big grins and high-end canapés to watch the Trump-Clinton results come in, expecting a smooth victory for Hillary. As the outcome shifts and they descend into panic, the host stands abruptly before her guests, confessing a shocking crime of years before. What follows is a series of witty, cutting, addictive tales of Trump times, portraying Democrats and Republicans in a divided America, from powerful to powerless, angry to thwarted, from a Starbucks barista who dreams of making it on the stage, to a couple whose online date goes bitterly awry, to a charmingly wicked U.S. businessman living undercover in rural Italy. Basket of Deplorables is a timely take on the craziness of today: almost-true fiction for a post-truth world.

De ufuldkomne er en fascinerende, original og rørende historie, der strækker sig over mere end halvtreds år, om en engelsksproget avis, der blev grundlagt i Rom af en amerikansk millionær efter 2. verdenskrig. Rachman portrætterer tidens hengivne journalister, avisens excentriske ejere og en meget loyal læser.

Gli imperfezionisti, il romanzo d''esordio di Tom Rachman, ci catapulta nella redazione di un giornale internazionale con sede a Roma. È popolata da eccentrici personaggi: dallo scrittore di necrologi che fa qualunque cosa pur di evitare di lavorare, al giovane freelance sfruttato da un egocentrico corrispondente di guerra, fino all''editore più interessato al suo magnifico bassotto Schopenhauer che ai problemi del giornale. Sullo sfondo delle guerre in Afghanistan e Iraq, del clima di tensione internazionale e della caccia a Bin Laden, il giornale avrebbe infinito materiale con cui riempire le proprie pagine, ma le vere storie da prima pagina sono le vite professionali e private dei personaggi che in quel giornale lavorano, si scontrano, arrancano. Con ironia e disincanto Tom Rachman racconta il mondo della carta stampata: l''approssimazione, la sciatteria e le bassezze che ormai contraddistinguono il giornalismo. Una realtà che lui conosce bene, avendo lavorato dal 2002 come corrispondente da Roma dell''Associated Press di New York.

La redacció d''aquest diari anglès amb seu a Roma està poblada, com totes les redaccions, d''uns personatges estrafolaris, a vegades exasperants però sempre entranyables: la Kathleen, la redactora en cap, es recupera d''una traïció dins del seu matrimoni; l''Arthur, el redactor de necrològiques, pateix una tragèdia personal que li canviarà la vida; l''Abbey, la cap de finances, veu com la seva vida laboral i amorosa s''entrecreuen de la manera més inesperada; i fora d''aquelles quatre parets, un freelance veterà que viu a París fa mans i mànigues per veure publicat el seu article, mentre que el nou corresponsal al Caire pateix les manipulacions despietades d''un reporterde guerra estrafolari amb un ego desmesurat. I ocult a l''ombra, trobem el nou director del diari, a qui preocupa més el Schopenhauer, el seu gos de raça, que no pas el destí del rotatiu.Amb les guerres d''Irak i d''Afganistan com a teló de fons, el canvi climàtic i Bin Laden encara amagat en algun lloc del món, el diari té molt material per omplir les seves columnes, però per al personal de la redacció, les històries de primera plana són les seves vides privades.Mentre l''era de les notícies impreses dóna pas a l''època d''Internet i la imperfecta tripulació del diari avança amb dificultats cap a un futur incert, a poc a poc anirem descobrint la fèrtil història del diari i la veritat sorprenent sobre les intencions del fundador milionari.

Der übermächtige Schatten eines großen Künstlers – eine ergreifende Vater-Sohn-Beziehung Mit einer einzigen beiläufigen Bemerkung wischt Bear Bavinsky (gefeierter Maler, zahlreiche Ex-Frauen, siebzehn Kinder) jede Hoffnung seines Lieblingssohnes Pinch beiseite, auch nur halb so viel Talent zu haben wie er. Desillusioniert zieht es Pinch raus in die Welt, in Kanada versucht er sich an einer Biografie über Bear, als Italienischlehrer in London hat er es fast geschafft zu vergessen, dass auch er einmal Großes vorhatte. Seine wahre Begabung findet er schließlich doch noch, und er schmiedet einen schier unmöglichen Plan, nicht nur sein eigenes Leuchten zu entfalten, sondern auch das Andenken seines Vaters zu retten.

Niemand weet precies hoe Tooly Zylberberg eigenaar is geworden van het noodlijdende boekwinkeltje World’s End in de heuvels van Wales. De Russische immigrant Humphrey leert haar schaken, maar is dat zijn enige rol? Hoe zit het met Sarah, die uit het niets opduikt in Tooly’s leven, en net zo snel weer verdwijnt? En wie is Venn, de obscure maar charismatische man die iedereen een stapje voor lijkt te zijn? Met De opkomst en ondergang van grootmachten schaart Tom Rachman zich tussen de allergrootste auteurs van dit moment en zet hij een fenomenale literaire puzzeltocht neer die drie decennia en diverse continenten omspant en langs alle excentrieke personages voert die ooit hebben bijgedragen aan de opvoeding van Tooly Zylberberg.

Tooly Zylberberg, owner of a bookshop in the Welsh countryside, spends most of her life reading. Yet there''s one tale that never made sense: her own life. In childhood she was spirited away from home, then raised in Asia, Europe and the United States. But who were the people who brought her up? And what happened to them? There was Humphrey, a curmudgeon from Russia; there was the charming but tempestuous Sarah, who hailed from Kenya; and there was Venn, the charismatic leader who transformed Tooly forever - until, quite suddenly, he vanished. Years later, as the old mysteries resurface, Tooly embarks upon a journey that spans continents and decades: from Wales to Bangkok to New York to Italy, and from the end of the Cold War to the digital revolution of today.

Ils sont pathétiques, incompétents ... mais irrésistibles. Éternels abonnés à l''infortune, les onze «imperfectionnistes» de ce roman choral se croisent tous les jours, sans presque rien savoir les uns des autres, dans la salle de rédaction d''un anonyme quotidien international basé à Rome. Parmi eux, un très incapable directeur de la publication ; un correspondant à Paris au bout du rouleau; un préposé aux nécrologies frappé par une tragédie aux conséquences inattendues ; un pigiste débutant au Caire... Exubérant de vitalité et saisissant de vérité, ce premier roman, en narrant les mésaventures de ces «chiens écrasés» de l''existence, embrasse un demi-sièce de vie de la presse écrite.Une satire acide, à la Tom Wolfe, des vanités humaines. Baptiste Liger, L’Express.