The Imposters

The Imposters by Tom Rachman
6/27/23; 352 pages
Little, Brown and Company

The Imposters by Tom Rachman is a recommended literary novel told in stories.

Dora Frenhofer is an aging author with a failing memory. She wants to finish one more novel but she also knows her mind is going. It's the pandemic, she's in lock down and writing chapters about characters who are based on interesting individuals from her life. She invents stories that are likely based on her real life. Taken together, the stories the individuals chapter tell work together to create a whole picture.

This novel may, perhaps, not be one that everyone will generality enjoy. Many will appreciate the skillful, elegant writing but not everyone is going to like the literary device where the individual stories make up the totality of the novel. There were parts of the novel that I enjoyed very much, but not the entirety.

Normally, I appreciate character studies and novels that focus on character development, however, I felt very disconnected from this novel. I found it very difficult to immerse myself in the stories and care about the overall theme. What is clearly present is a depressing tone.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley.