THE IMPERFECTIONISTS (Tom Rachman)

A "perfectionist" is one who demands perfection in all aspects of life and in all people that they encounter.  Nothing less will do.  An "imperfectionist," then, must be one who not only tolerates, but embraces, lack of perfection, in this case with dark humor and all too human shortcomings.  Rachman's novel is a compendium of the stories of employees of a Rome-based English-language international newspaper who almost seem to delight in being flawed.  The newspaper is the common thread running through the novel, which spans decades and generations.  The players range from the newpaper's founder, Cyrus Ott, who furnishes a mansion with art to please his lover, to aspiring Cairo correspondent Winston Cheung, who fails miserably in his quest to find a story worth reporting.  Each chapter features an outrageous headline (how DO they connect to the characters?) and treats the reader to insights into one character's dreams, tragedies, and disillusions.  Rachman has succeeded in creating a literary work worth reading, laced with humor and a gritty, realistic ambience.