The Italian Teacher

By Tom Rachman

Conceived while his larger-than-life father, Bear Bavinsky, cavorted around Rome in the 1950s, the young Pinch learns that his father’s genius trumps everything else. After Bear abandons his family, Pinch strives to make himself worthy—first as a painter, and then as his father’s biographer, before settling, disillusioned, into a job teaching Italian in London.

And when Bear dies, Pinch hatches a scheme to secure his father’s legacy.
What makes an artist? With his signature compassion and humour, Tom Rachman conjures a life lived in the shadow of greatness. The Italian Teacher is a masterly novel about a son striving to make his own mark on the world.

Born in London and raised in Vancouver, Tom Rachman studied cinema at the University of Toronto and journalism at Columbia University in New York. His novels, all published by Text, include the bestselling The Imperfectionists, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers and Basket of Deplorables. He lives in London.

‘The Italian Teacher is a marvel—an entertaining, heartbreaking novel about art, family, loyalty and authenticity. Tom Rachman is an enormously talented writer—this book is alive, from the first page to the last.’ Tom Perrotta

‘One of Mr Rachman’s gifts is his ability to evoke a time and place in a few deft strokes, whether that is the seedy charm of post-war Rome or the New York art scene of the late 1960s…For all his faults, Pinch is gifted with wisdom, as is the author of this sad, funny and moving novel.’ Economist
‘Rachman has terrific fun skewering the hyperbole and hypocrisies of the art world. While it is hardly virgin territory, he brings a shrewd eye and a knack for aphorism that lend his observations a satisfyingly sharp edge.’ Guardian

‘A poignant, touching tale about living in the shadow of brazen artistic genius ... Reading Rachman is simply de rigueur if you appreciate literary fiction’s brightest, newest voices.’ USA Today

‘Wickedly funny ... and also deeply touching ... I confess this was the first of Rachman’s novels I’d read but I was so swept away by it that I raced out to buy the other three.’ Daily Telegraph

‘The Italian Teacher confirms Rachman’s reputation as a shepherd of lost souls. ... His comedy is tempered by a kind of gentleness that’s a salve in these mean times.” Washington Post

‘Tom Rachman is a relentlessly entertaining writer, mixing high-wire ideas with effervescent prose.’ Daily Mail

‘Tom Rachman’s fiction is a distinctive blend of narrative zest and emotional subtlety. ... Rachman’s new novel, The Italian Teacher, may well be his most impressive yet.’ Financial Times

‘Rachman’s ensemble of art-world characters here is luminescent; their dialogue is intelligent and so entertaining. And while I had fears that I could see how everything would play out, Rachman manages a truly dazzling ending.’ Minnesota Star Tribune

‘Rachman wrestles with … age-old questions: What is the purpose of art? How do we judge excellence? Does fame matter?... The Italian Teacher delivers in spades.’ San Francisco Chronicle

‘The Italian Teacher finds a lovely and unexpected grace note, a left-field redemption made even sweeter by its long and winding path.’ Entertainment Weekly

‘This rich novel is both an intriguing examination of authenticity in art and the moving story of misplaced filial love, with an immensely satisfying denouement.’ Mail on Sunday

‘An artful page-turner…A fine fictionalization of how crafting an identity independent of one’s parents can be a lifelong, worthwhile project.’ Publishers Weekly, starred review

‘A momentous drama of a volatile relationship and the fundamental will to survive.’ Booklist, starred review

‘Rachman’s novel can be heart-wrenching…He subtly weaves a thread of hopefulness and discovery throughout a life.’ Arkansas Traveller

‘Engaging and subtle…The Italian Teacher is a psychologically nuanced pleasure.’ New York Times

‘Rachman’s new novel, The Italian Teacher, is one to stir a normally austere reviewer to gush. Embarrassing. However, restraint and discip&#173;line are required to review this subtle, tender, profound, beautiful, funny, perfection of a book that kept me so absorbed, I read it in two (bed) sittings. Is that restrained enough?’ Australian

‘If there was ever an author who had the ability to paint a picture with his prose, it’s Tom Rachman. In his latest novel, The Italian Teacher, Rachman puts together a complex and often lyrical study of a man who has grown up in the shadows of his artist father’s genius. The result is a heart-wrenching examination of modern art and its true costs…It’s moving stuff.’ AU Review

‘Wonderfully unpredictable…This darkly comic book morphs into a psychological thriller that sends up the arse-licking art world. More, please.’  North &amp; South

By Tom Rachman

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