THE IMPERFECTIONISTS

At the heart of Rachman's debut novel is the story of an English-language newspaper—from its founding in Rome in 1954 to the present. The interlinked chapters, each of which could stand on its own, are not laid out chronologically; instead each one focuses on a different newspaper employee at a moment of crisis or conflict. This literary device can be tricky in audio, but the blend of well-crafted stories and narrator Christopher Welch's thoughtful narration makes it work. In particular, Welch’s character portrayals—marked by changes in vocalization and timbre—keep listeners oriented in place and time. Although the characters can be painfully flawed or naïve, Welch concentrates on creating personalities, not drama, allowing listeners to make their own emotional connections and judgments. The buzz created by this novel is well deserved. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2010]