Good, but not perfect

The Imperfectionists

I HAD high expectations of this. This debut, based on the goings on at a newspaper in Rome, had already won spectacular reviews.

The author, himself a journalist in Rome, clearly knew his material.

Ranchman has taken 11 characters; all of whom work for, or are connected with the paper and gives each their own chapter.

Independent, as short stories, they interweave to become a novel.

Ranchman starts with the Paris stringer, Lloyd Burco. A once competent freelancer, the ageing lothario is down on his luck. His latest wife is living across the courtyard with her lover. His grown children shun him, and his career is in its death throes.

The Rome paper is his last client, but he hasn’t written a story for them in weeks. In desperation he concocts a sensational banking saga on the back of a dodgy leak. He fabricates expert sources, and almost gets away with it.

Next up is Arthur Gopal, the work shy obituary writer who is sent to Geneva for an interview. After a family tragedy he changes; a workaholic emerges, and one who is ruthless in the pursuit of his goals.

There are other strong stories. I loved reading about Herbert Cohen; the brilliant, if obsessive corrections editor. His story centres on his relationship with a friend he has always looked up to.

The chapter on Kathleen Solson, the ball-breaking editor who is tempted by an old love, was compulsive too.

And the exploits of the put-upon Cairo stringer makes for many a laugh.

Had I written my review when I was half way through this book, it would have been a rave one. But Rachman seems to run out of steam. Too many of the latter stories fail to reach their target.

News editor Craig Menzies was an engaging guy; I looked forward to hearing more about his work, but frustratingly, his story focuses on his younger girlfriend. And it’s horribly contrived. As for Ruby Zaga; the useless copy editor, as much a failure in her personal life as at work; it was hard to engage with her at all.

The last three stories veer towards the bizarre. We meet an elderly reader who, though she follows the paper each day, is reading copies that are many years out of date.

A weak story follows. A sacked American extracts revenge on the chief financial officer. Finally, we focus on Oliver Ott; the paper’s weird dog-loving owner, who’s considering pulling the plug.

By then, fed up with twist endings that don’t convince, I was happy to wave the paper goodbye.