The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman

"The Imperfectionists" by Tom Rachman tells the story of an English-language newspaper based in Rome, from the point of view of its employees. Each chapter is fashioned like a short story, yet the reader experiences the continuity of a novel. I loved the way one character might be in the background of one of the chapters, mentioned in passing - but then reader has the opportunity to get to the know that same character more deeply in another chapter. It's almost as though the author is giving the characters another chance to re-shape their first impressions on the reader.

The stories range from comical to tragic - all eliciting the readers' compassion for the vulnerability and insecurities displayed by the various protagonists. Each vignette is punctuated by a glimpse into the past - how the paper was established by the whim of an American tycoon in the early 1950's and how the paper has varying degrees of success in the decades to follow. The book is timely because it captures the sense of helplessness felt by the newspaper industry, which isn't able to handle the ever shrinking attention span of a fickle consumer, not to mention the stiff competition from 24-hour cable news channels and the internet.

Readers will find themselves laughing as well as moved as they journey through the lives of the journalists, interns, editors and others whose careers have been touched by "the paper". The book is a stunning debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson

Right after finishing the book, I wanted to give it a 3 star rating because I felt as though a light had been abruptly switched off, and I was left in the darkness, with more questions than answers. I just wanted to continue reading and have a sense of closure. However, when I had a chance to reflect on the author's writing style, the unforgettable imagery that he (and the translator) brought to my mind, and my own emotions as I was drawn into the protagonist's life - I have to, in all fairness, give the book at least a 4 star rating, which it richly deserves. The prose is sparse, yet potent.. you have to re-read many sentences just to grasp the hidden meaning behind the text. There is a poignant beauty in the wilderness of Norway, which is described so gracefully in this book. The protagonist (Trond) is living the rest of his years as an elderly widower in a small village in Norway, in a rustic cabin not unlike the one he shared with his father during one fateful summer in 1948, when he was a teenager. We are given glimpses of his memories of that time, and his almost dream-like current state where he copes with the death of his wife. The pace of the book is surprisingly quick and you learn (as does Trond), that his father's past involved more than just leading a bucolic existence in a remote part of Norway. So an extremely interesting plot line develops, but you are left with this very unsatisfied feeling at the end of the book. Perhaps that was the author's goal - to make the reader mull over the tragedy of lost youth, coming to terms with unfulfilled promises made by a parent, and the experience of recalling long forgotten memories as a result of the self imposed isolation that is almost inevitable after losing loved ones.



"Out Stealing Horses" is a combination of meditative prose and quietly powerful narrative that is a refreshing reading experience. I think it might be even more enjoyable to the reader if they keep in mind that every word is to be relished, instead of waiting for the proverbial "beginning", "middle" and the "end".

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Rebecca Skloot writes compellingly on the scientific research around cell culturing, DNA engineering, ethical and cultural debates surrounding the commercialization of human tissues / genes. Moreover, she never lets the reader forget that behind all this research was a woman who suffered immeasurable pain, and in the wake of her death left behind a family who would be kept in the dark for more than twenty years about her contributions to science. Through her meticulous research, Skloot brings to light the reality of segregation in health care for African Americans in the 1950's, as well as the tug-of-war between a patient's ownership rights of their tissues and the advancement of medical science. Whatever your opinion of some members of the Lacks family - you can't help but be moved by the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and poor health that this family suffers from - even as there is a multi-billion dollar industry which came into existence as a direct result of Henrietta's affliction.

This book reminded me of the movie "Wit", in which Emma Thompson portrays a woman with terminal cancer, and who is treated by her physicians more like an interesting lab specimen than a woman who is undergoing immense emotional and physical pain. As with the movie, the reader of this book will feel a strong emotional connection to the central theme of the narrative, which is the dignity of human life.