logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
The Rise & Fall of Great Powers: A Novel - Tom Rachman
The Rise & Fall of Great Powers: A Novel
by: (author)
4.00 75
For fans of Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, and Donna Tartt—the brilliant, intricately woven new novel by Tom Rachman, author of The Imperfectionists  Following one of the most critically acclaimed fiction debuts in years, New York Times bestselling author Tom Rachman returns with a brilliant,... show more
For fans of Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, and Donna Tartt—the brilliant, intricately woven new novel by Tom Rachman, author of The Imperfectionists  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 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
show less
Format: hardcover
ISBN: 9780679643654 (0679643656)
ASIN: 0679643656
Publisher: The Dial Press
Pages no: 400
Edition language: English
Bookstores:
Community Reviews
Irresponsible Reader
Irresponsible Reader rated it
4.5 Very Good, and Very Difficult to Describe
He raised his menu. She consulted hers. "You don't like sweet-and-sour, do you." "No," he confirmed. "I want food that can make up its mind." I had a real difficult time connecting to the people, the story, this book -- but early on, I came upon this exchange between a man and a young girl ...
Blah, Blah, Blah, Book Blog
Blah, Blah, Blah, Book Blog rated it
4.0 The Rise and Fall of Great Powers
When NetGalley offered this book I immediately requested it, because Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists was one of the first books I read on my kindle, and I loved it. That story, about a quirky cast of characters trying to keep a newspaper afloat was a little different than this one. Actually, thei...
Steeped in Science, Submersed in Story
Steeped in Science, Submersed in Story rated it
4.0 The Rise & Fall of Great Powers: A Novel
When I finished this book, I felt like someone had taken ahold of my insides and wrung me out like a soggy dishrag. I didn't cry, but I was emotionally exhausted. So that's two tricks the author pulled: getting me to care so much, and then making the characters disappoint me so badly. That seems...
Url Phantomhive
Url Phantomhive rated it
3.5 The Rise And Fall Of Great Powers
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! I hadn't read Tom Rachman's first book, The Imperfectionists, but after I found out this book was about a woman owning a book shop, I wanted to read this. Just don't get your hopes up ...
Memories From Books on Booklikes
Memories From Books on Booklikes rated it
3.0 The Rise and Fall of Great Powers
In The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman, we meet Tooly Zylberberg at three points in her life. In 2011, Tooly is a thirty-something bookseller. In 1999, Tooly is a young-adult in New York City. In 1988, Tooly is a young girl moving from place to place. The book is a bit like putting togeth...
On shelves
Share this Book
Need help?