The Imposters

The Imposters is the first novel by Tom Rachman since his international bestseller The Imperfectionists. It is set during a crisis in democracy, a society in lockdown linked digitally but convulsed by a social media frenzy, and is told by a little-known, little-read Dutch novelist named Dora Frenhofer. Dora spins stories to fend off the evil day, conjuring connections from her past to give meaning to the present. Rachman is at his inimitable best, a writer whose formal ingenuity and flamboyant technique is matched by his humanity and generosity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 27 April 2023
Publisher: Quercus Publishing

The Imposters, the first novel in a series written by Tom Rachman since his international bestseller The Imperfectionists, is an astonishing achievement that will win Rachman the readership he deserves. The novel is set during a crisis in democracy, a society in lockdown linked digitally but convulsed by a social media frenzy. The story is told by a little-known, little-read Dutch novelist named Dora Frenhofer, who has decided that her life as an old woman in this post-truth pandemic world has become too much.

However, like a twenty-first-century Scheherazade, Dora spins stories to fend off the evil day, conjuring connections from her past to give meaning to the present. She imagines the fate of her missing brother, lost on the hippie trail in India in the sixties; the loneliness of her estranged daughter Beck, whose career writing stand-up shows for Netflix dramatizes the culture wars; Danny, an almost equally unfashionable writer she meets at a festival; the tortured history of the van driver who takes her unwanted books away; the nonchalant courier who nearly ran her over in the rain; her former lover, the sophisticated food critic; her last remaining friend.

And finally, Dora's own last chapter. The Imposters is Rachman at his inimitable best, a writer whose formal ingenuity and flamboyant technique is matched by his humanity and generosity. The novel is a testament to Rachman's talent as a storyteller and his ability to create complex, flawed characters that are both relatable and unforgettable. It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates fine literature and is looking for a novel that will leave a lasting impression.

Weight: 566g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529425819