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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is basically a novel of short stories that are connected. Rachman brilliantly tied the staff and their individual dramas together. I really felt the energy (or lack thereof) of the newsroom and its quirky employees. A couple of stories and the ending felt a bit forced. Other than, I really enjoyed it.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Would have been 3.5 stars, if possible.
After a bit of a slow start, the mingling and interwoven stories (along dual time axis) pick up speed, and end up being quite engaging by the end. While the common setting is an english language newspaper in Rome, that backdrop only plays a minor role. Much more about our interrelations and our imperfections. Each vignette could almost be a story unto itself, which contributes to the quickening pace - once the structure became clear, I grew more and more interested to see how he might pull it off.
After a bit of a slow start, the mingling and interwoven stories (along dual time axis) pick up speed, and end up being quite engaging by the end. While the common setting is an english language newspaper in Rome, that backdrop only plays a minor role. Much more about our interrelations and our imperfections. Each vignette could almost be a story unto itself, which contributes to the quickening pace - once the structure became clear, I grew more and more interested to see how he might pull it off.
I first heard of this book in a podcast this fall of 2021, then just a few days later one of my neighbours had put it in our “little free library” in the stairwell. Small world, huh.
The book consists of several short stories following different characters working at an English language newspaper in Rome, and the stories intertwine with one another, painting a full picture of life at the newspaper. We meet Lloyd Burko who desperately seeks his next headline and is willing to hurt loved ones in the process, we meet Hardy Benjamin who falls in love with an irish slacker who ridicule her in his lousy stand up show and Abbey Pinnola who on a cross atlantic flights end up next to someone she just fired. Between each chapter we follow the story from the founding of the newspaper in the fifties to its decline in the present time.
The stories are diverse and we meet our characters in some moment of crisis - it’s often both painful, heartmoving and funny. They don’t always make the best decisions - they are in fact very imperfect. My only reservation is that the author had not done a good enough job at distinguishing between the different characters - everyone has the exact same way of speaking.
I really enjoyed this book and will probably remember it for a long time. I also really think that Wes Anderson must have gotten some inspiration for The French Dispatch from this book, since there are many similarities.
The book consists of several short stories following different characters working at an English language newspaper in Rome, and the stories intertwine with one another, painting a full picture of life at the newspaper. We meet Lloyd Burko who desperately seeks his next headline and is willing to hurt loved ones in the process, we meet Hardy Benjamin who falls in love with an irish slacker who ridicule her in his lousy stand up show and Abbey Pinnola who on a cross atlantic flights end up next to someone she just fired. Between each chapter we follow the story from the founding of the newspaper in the fifties to its decline in the present time.
The stories are diverse and we meet our characters in some moment of crisis - it’s often both painful, heartmoving and funny. They don’t always make the best decisions - they are in fact very imperfect. My only reservation is that the author had not done a good enough job at distinguishing between the different characters - everyone has the exact same way of speaking.
I really enjoyed this book and will probably remember it for a long time. I also really think that Wes Anderson must have gotten some inspiration for The French Dispatch from this book, since there are many similarities.
I read this book while I was in Rome. Although it's not specifically about the city, it serves as the backdrop for a story about a failing international newspaper -- clearly based on Rachman's own experience working for Associated Press and the International Herald Tribune. Each chapter is written like a freestanding short story, focusing on a different character related to the office. It was an easy read, well done.
I found this book to be an incredibly engaging read from start to finish. Each of the chapters could read as a short story, but one of things I found the most enjoyable was the way Rachman weaved the lives of the characters into each other's stories. His character development is realistic and not overwrought. I am already looking forward to the next book he comes out with!
I really liked the way the book intertwined and gave short stories about each person. The reason I gave 3 stars was because of the unfortunate fate of the dog 3 pages from the end of the book. I hate it when animals are killed off in tragic ways.
