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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
I shouldn't have liked Tom Rachman's The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. It's literary fiction. There isn't much plot to summarize. I've spent years ragging on literary fiction to anyone willing to talk books with me. (Because literary fiction tends to be very, very dull, for the most part.) But I pi...
What drew me to this novel was the unfolding of the mystery that is Tooly Zylberberg's life. Who were these mysterious people who raised her around the world and what would ultimately become of her? While the writing itself is lovely and the characters engaging, I have to admit that there were many ...
Amazing!
I think maybe I didn't get it, as far as this book goes. Anyone who loved this book, who happens to read this review and sees that I didn't get it, might think - well, that's because you are an idiot. Maybe so. But anyway.The book centers around Tooly Zylberberg, the 30-ish owner of a tiny booksh...
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