AUFSTIEG UND FALL GROSSER MACH - RACHMAN TOM - DTV

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
NPR • The Seattle Times • The Globe and Mail • Kirkus Reviews • Daily Mail • The Vancouver Sun

For fans of Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, and Donna Tartt—the brilliant, intricately woven new novel by Tom Rachman, author ofThe Imperfectionists

Look in the back of the book for a conversation between Tom Rachman and J. R. Moehringer

Following one of the most critically acclaimed fiction debuts in years, New York Times bestselling author Tom Rachman returns with a brilliant, intricately woven novel about a young woman who travels the world to make sense of her puzzling past.

Tooly Zylberberg, the American owner of an isolated bookshop in the Welsh countryside, conducts a life full of reading, but with few human beings. Books are safer than people, who might ask awkward questions about her life. She prefers never to mention the strange events of her youth, which mystify and worry her still.

Taken from home as a girl, Tooly found herself spirited away by a group of seductive outsiders, implicated in capers from Asia to Europe to the United States. But who were her abductors? Why did they take her? What did they really want? There was Humphrey, the curmudgeonly Russian with a passion for reading; there was the charming but tempestuous Sarah, who sowed chaos in her wake; and there was Venn, the charismatic leader whose worldview transformed Tooly forever. Until, quite suddenly, he disappeared.

Years later, Tooly believes she will never understand the true story of her own life. Then startling news arrives from a long-lost boyfriend in New York, raising old mysteries and propelling her on a quest around the world in search of answers.

Tom Rachman—an author celebrated for humanity, humor, and wonderful characters—has produced a stunning novel that reveals the tale not just of one woman but of the past quarter-century as well, from the end of the Cold War to the dominance of American empire to the digital revolution of today. Leaping between decades, and from Bangkok to Brooklyn, this is a breathtaking novel about long-buried secrets and how we must choose to make our own place in the world. It will confirm Rachman’s reputation as one of the most exciting young writers we have.

Praise for The Rise & Fall of Great Powers

“Ingenious . . . Rachman needs only a few well-drawn characters to fill a large canvas and an impressive swath of history.”—Janet Maslin,The New York Times

“A superb follow-up to 2010’s The Imperfectionists . . . ambitious and engaging.”—The Seattle Times

“Engaging and inventive . . . full of wonderfully quirky, deeply flawed, but lovable characters . . . On the spectrum of interesting literary childhoods, Tooly Zylberberg—the protagonist of Tom Rachman’s second novel—would rank somewhere in the vicinity of Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“I found it impossible not to fall in love with shape-shifting Tooly. As an adult, she sports an ironical sense of humor and an attraction to dusty old books. As a child, her straight-faced mirth and wordplay are break-your-heart irresistible.”—Ron Charles,The Washington Post

“[A] read-it-all-in-one-weekend book.”—The New Republic

“A compelling page-turner . . . intricate, sprawling, and almost Dickensian.”—USA Today

THE RISE AND FALL OF GREAT POW - RACHMAN TOM - Coronet

In una polverosa libreria in un paesino remoto del Galles, Tooly Zylberberg sta cercando di leggere una biografia mentre Fogg, il suo giovane assistente, non la smette di blaterare. La sua vita è fatta di questo, passeggiate romantiche nella brughiera, libri, il piccolo pub dove nessuno sa niente di lei. Una sera però il computer si illumina: una richiesta d'amicizia su Facebook. Tooly legge quel nome, lo riconosce, una vertigine le fa chiudere subito lo schermo. Poi riapre la pagina di Facebook, trova il messaggio: 'Possiamo parlare di tuo padre?'. Già, ma la domanda di Tooly è: 'Quale padre?'. Il passato torna come un'onda gigantesca e strappa Tooly dal suo tranquillo approdo. Cosa nasconde? Qual è la storia della sua vita? Se c'è una storia, tra le mille lette, che proprio non ha senso quella è la sua. Tooly cresce in Asia, poi in Europa, poi negli Stati Uniti. E chi bada a lei mentre viene sballottata da un continente all'altro? Suo padre, all'inizio, sconclusionato genio dell'informatica che l'adora ma non sa bene come star dietro a una bambina nel caos di Bangkok. Poi arriva Humphrey, il bisbetico scacchista russo. La riporta a New York facendole conoscere sua madre, Sarah, affascinante e tempestosa attrice. E infine c'è Venn, il suo secondo padre, colui che la terrà in pugno con il suo grande carisma, per poi, all'improvviso, scomparire.

For fans of Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, and Donna Tartt—the brilliant, intricately woven new novel by Tom Rachman, author of The Imperfectionists, one of the most critically acclaimed fiction debuts in years

Following one of the most critically acclaimed fiction debuts in years, New York Times bestselling author Tom Rachman returns with a brilliant, intricately woven novel about a young woman trying to piece together the puzzle of her mysterious childhood.

Tooly Zylberberg, the American owner of an isolated bookshop in the Welsh countryside, conducts a life full of reading, but with few human beings. Books are safer than people, who might ask awkward questions about her life. She prefers never to mention the strange events of her youth, which mystify and worry her still.

Taken from home as a girl, Tooly found herself spirited away by a group of seductive outsiders, implicated in capers from Asia to Europe to the United States. But who were her abductors? Why did they take her? What did they really want? There was Humphrey, the curmudgeonly Russian with a passion for books; there was the charming but tempestuous Sarah; and there was Venn, the charismatic leader whose worldview transformed Tooly forever. Until, quite suddenly, he vanished.

Years later, Tooly believes she will never know the true story of her own life. Then startling news arrives from a long-lost boyfriend, raising old mysteries and propelling her on a quest around the world in search for answers.

Tom Rachman—an author celebrated for humanity, humor, and wonderful characters—has produced a stunning novel that reveals the tale not just of one woman but of the past quarter-century as well, from the end of the Cold War to the dominance of American empire to the digital revolution of today. Leaping between decades, from Bangkok to Brooklyn, this breathtaking book will confirm Rachman’s reputation as one of the most exciting young writers we have.

Praise for The Imperfectionists

“So good I had to read it twice simply to figure out how he pulled it off . . . The novel is alternately hilarious and heart-wrenching, and it’s assembled like a Rubik’s Cube.”—Christopher Buckley, The New York Times Book Review

“Marvelous . . . a rich, thrilling book . . . a splendid original, filled with wit and structured so ingeniously that figuring out where the author is headed is half the fun.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Each chapter is so finely wrought that it could stand alone as a memorable short story. Slowly, the separate strands become entwined. . . . Funny, poignant, occasionally breathtaking.”—Financial Times

“[A] beguiling first novel . . . Rachman is a fine observer and a funny writer—and a writer who knows how to be funny in character.”—The Washington Post

“Deftly written and sharply observed . . . a delight . . . It’s impossible not to like—this is masterful stuff.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer


From the Hardcover edition.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman’s wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it—and themselves—afloat.

Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff’s personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family’s quirky newspaper.

As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper’s rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder’s intentions.

Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.


From the Hardcover edition.