The Rise & Fall of Great Powers : A Novel

from brenzi

Ok I'm scratching my head about this one. I was probably expecting too much. I was head over heels in love with The Imperfectionists. But the things I loved in that book were almost completely absent in Rachman's latest book. The fresh audacity of the debut novel with energy in spades gave way to...

from Donna828

Tom Rachman's second book opens in a bookstore in Wales; unfortunately, it is off the beaten path so it is not a very prosperous investment for young Matilda (Tooly) Zylberberg. But no matter, she is content listening to the ramblings of her young assistant, Fogg, who came with the store along wi...

from rondoctor

Because of a strong review, I suggested this book to my wife. She hated it. Dropped it after reading 30 pages or so. I picked it up. The book actually was an intriguing read. The story line jumps back and forth between 3 time periods, following the life of a young girl-woman and those around her....

from Bellettres

Tooly Zylberberg is the owner of a small, floundering bookstore in Wales in 2011. When she learns that Humphrey (a man whom she has known since childhood) is seriously ill, she returns to New York City in an attempt to piece together her past. We are invited into three important periods in her li...

from GarySeverance

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers is the second novel by Tom Rachman. His first novel, The The Imperfectionists: A Novel, was a New York Times bestseller and I enjoyed reading it very much. This book is organized in self-contained blocks of time that have an intricate but seamless structure. The ti...