This is a very unusual novel -- I picked it up because of an incredibly glowing review in The New York Times, even though the subject matter didn't seem that interesting to me.

It’s the story of a small international paper that’s based in Rome. Each chapter follows a different person who’s involved in the paper somehow, and there are interstitials that tell the story of the paper through the decades.

Doesn’t sound like much, does it?

And yet it was a very enjoyable read to me – the characters were all interesting and varied; the paper was weird and undistinguished enough to make you wonder at motivations of everyone; and the prose and dialog was really tight and thoughtful.

Definitely recommended, even if it’s a bit outside of your normal read.