The Italian Teacher

By: Tom Rachman

Narrated by: Sam Alexander

“An exotic touch of intrigue arises in THE ITALIAN TEACHER . . . deliciously ironic and deeply affectionate.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

A masterful novel about the son of a great painter striving to create his own legacy, by the bestselling author of The Imperfectionists.

Conceived while his father, Bear, cavorted around Rome in the 1950s, Pinch learns quickly that Bear's genius trumps all. After Bear abandons his family, Pinch strives to make himself worthy of his father's attention--first trying to be a painter himself; then resolving to write his father's biography; eventually settling, disillusioned, into a job as an Italian teacher in London. But when Bear dies, Pinch hatches a scheme to secure his father's legacy--and make his own mark on the world.

With his signature humanity and humor, Tom Rachman examines a life lived in the shadow of greatness, cementing his place among his generation's most exciting literary voices.

Kept waiting for depth. ..

... finally obtained in final 1/3. Ending was satisfactory and left me sated. Content overall.

Is Art the show or is the show the artist?

What makes an artist? "The Italian Teacher" displays an understanding of twentieth-century art and its demons. Is the desire to create art just an illusion, fantasy, dream, or a figment of one's imagination? Is art the show or is the artist the art?
In this book, the writer achieves a portrait of extreme vulnerability and realism: talent made irrelevant by the personality of the artist. Stripped of egotism, authenticity or genius, the artist's son forces us to face the deeply held fear of a life lived in vain.
Who cares? Now I'm depressed.

Great story. Dreadful fake American accent.

The characters and story were marvelous. The novel explores what it's like to be a narcissist and to love one, and for an introverted, artistic soul to look for human connection. The description of the contemporary art scene is scathing and hilarious. But, oh dear, the narrator's fake American accent was grating, which diminished my enjoyment. He could use the help of a dialect coach.

I need to sympathize with a character

I struggled. I may have missed the point. I kept waiting for the lesson, the love it was there but felt such a hidden afterthought. The one sympathetic character was left in the background. overlooked by the story and everyone in it.

Very entertaining story narrated to perfection

The narrator enacted all sorts of voices for the various characters. In particular, I loved his rendition/interpretation of Pinch, the under-confident, angst ridden main character who devoted much of his life to trying to achieve approval from his self-important father. The world of professional artists, art galleries, etc. provides additional color to this delightful book.