{"product_id":"villa-coco","title":"Villa Coco","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tANDREW SEAN GREER is the bestselling author of seven previous works of fiction, including the Pulitzer Prize winner \n\u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e and its companion, \n\u003ci\u003eLess Is Lost\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in San Francisco and Venice, Italy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"[Greer] captures the allure of la dolce vita--Renaissance paintings and books, bottles of Lambrusco wine and gelato--all bathed in a buttery Tuscan light.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTIME\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Feel[s] like a vacation.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eVogue \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Witty [and] stylish . . . \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is all but frescoed with figurative language, and Greer's seemingly effortless storytelling belies the careful craft of his metaphors and similes. . . . This is a fundamentally pleasant book for unpleasant times, the kind of novel in which a car breaks down and that turns out to be exactly what should have happened. As Greer ultimately suggests, true charm is something you have to try on as you might a dead man's suit, until what feels counterfeit becomes truly your own. It often begins in fraud and grows into a funny story--sometimes passing, fleetingly, through sorrow on the way. In that regard, the relentlessly charming \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is its own proof of concept.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--The Atlantic \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[ \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is] packed with warmth, wit, and charm [and a] steady supply of humor. . . . [A] perfect summer cocktail [of a novel].\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"What a strange thing. A smart, fizzy novel about how right life can be. In Tuscany! With olive groves! . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e's] easygoing warmth gathers into a smile of a coming-of-age tale.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Chicago Tribune\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] charming escape . . . The luminous setting and message about living life to the fullest make this story read like a balm for the soul.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Real Simple \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Andrew Sean Greer's \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e will bring the flavor of an Italian idyll to your summer reading.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e--Vogue.com\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A most delightful and unlikely romantic comedy . . . If you think 'charming' is a dismissive, diminutive compliment, wait till you see that term restored to its original enchantment. \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e isn't mere ice cream; it's stracciatella gelato served in one of the most beautiful places on earth. . . . A faint aroma of Alice in Wonderland wafts through these pages, reinforced by Greer's elegant felicity with non sequiturs. . . . In addition to the gorgeous setting, there's also a delicious cast of quirky servants, relatives, and neighbors who must be making Masterpiece Theatre producers salivate.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Ron Charles\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"A smart, sweetly wistful comedy . . . Goes down like fine olive oil.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e--NPR\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e has the summery, entertaining feel of someone writing whatever he feels like writing. [Pulitzer Prize winner Greer has] earned the right to have fun. . . . 266 pages of pure pleasure . . . Greer has such a light, nimble touch -- the color of a dress or the studied messiness of a room conveys a lot -- that \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e reads like a grand adventure, not a lesson. Long story short: I have no notes, other than that I wish it were longer.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Minnesota Star Tribune \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"[Greer says he] intended to write a 'charm novel, ' and he has succeeded, con sprezzatura.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Travel to Italy without leaving your reading chair with the Pulitzer Prize winner's latest.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePeople \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Greer's latest hilarious, heartwarming novel is a sun-soaked coming-of-age story.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Marie Claire \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] warm, witty escape, this time with olive oil and mild chaos.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A bawdy, sun-soaked romp about finding your true self at any age.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"If you take one book to the beach with you this summer, let it be \n\u003ci\u003e Villa Coco\u003c\/i\u003e. . . . As charming as Greer's Pulitzer-prize winning \n\u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e . . . \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e, laced with wistful, playful nostalgia, reads like youth itself.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Electric Lit\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"As honest, hilarious and heartbreaking as life itself.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--NPR\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"About as close as you can get to the Italian countryside without booking a flight. . . . It's witty, a little soapy, and positively sun-soaked - all qualities you look for [in] a beach read.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThem\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This charming coming-of-age novel is like a little vacation to Italy.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eSouthern Living\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"A breezy confection of fish-out-of-water wit, insecurity and self-discovery set in an Italian paradise . . . [Greer] deliver[s] an enchantment threaded through with hope.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--The Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Charming . . . Feels like a vacation that'll leave you certain of what it really means to live la dolce vita.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A madcap adventure . . . John Waters should adapt this immediately.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"No one understands the summer reads assignment better than Andrew Sean Greer. . . . A sun-drenched romp . . . It's the ultimate reading escape, the perfect balance between charming and substantial.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003etheSkimm\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--David Sedaris, author of \u003ci\u003eHappy-Go-Lucky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Not only [is Greer] the funniest of writers, but he has a wonderful way with conjuring an image. . . . \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is such a \n\u003ci\u003esunny\u003c\/i\u003e book.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Kate Atkinson, author of \u003ci\u003eShrines of Gaiety\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An absolute delight.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Elif Batuman, author of \u003ci\u003eEither\/Or\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"What, at first, appears to be a gloriously bonkers escapade amidst the Tuscan landscape gradually transforms into the most beautiful paean to youth, to age and to the fulfilment of love. Absolute joy.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Sarah Winman, author of \u003ci\u003eStill Life \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Eccentric, funny, touching: I adored it.\" \n\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e--Nina Stibbe, author of \u003ci\u003eLove, Nina \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"In prose as expert and precise as the steps of a Balinese dancer, Andrew Sean Greer has written a tale of a young American man who spends a season in Tuscany working as an archivist for an endlessly demanding, supremely disorganized, and very charismatic Baronessa. It's a lyrical and witty reminder that the most meaningful life--and certainly the one with the best stories--can emerge from the deepest chaos. Villa Coco, the Baronessa's crumbling mansion, is referred to by all as 'a great treasure.' \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco, \u003c\/i\u003e the novel, is one, too.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Katherine Heiny, author of \u003ci\u003eGames and Rituals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"What a beautiful book: an absolutely engrossing world full of golden sunlight and strange little secrets and anchovies and art. I feel like I'd recognize its glorious haphazard villa and determined Baronessa on sight.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Holly Gramazio, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Husbands \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Outrageously good fun. The intricacies unspool, the characters fizz, the chaos ensures. Sheer, riotous, unmitigated joy.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Mercies\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAlmost Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This book is absolute magic. It is so rare to find a novel today that is both so sophisticated and warm-hearted, so erudite and yet absolutely unpretentious, so terrifically page-by-page funny and yet so full of hidden sadnesses. Also, it features one of the greatest characters in modern fiction, the unflappable and unforgettable Baronessa. Get ready for the literary treat of the year!\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Gary Shteyngart, author of \u003ci\u003eVera, or Faith\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"From the first delightful sentence of this novel to its unconventional and satisfying conclusion, Greer takes readers on a charming Italian sojourn in which nothing is precisely what it seems. . . . While the twists and turns of the plot will keep readers smiling, a deeper theme emerges about finding one's place in the world. . . . Disguised as a frothy, farcical romp, Greer's novel is a heartfelt and poignant tribute to the mysterious process of growing up.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A [charming] love letter to Italy . . . Greer breathes life into the Baronessa and her world and captures its appeal to [the narrator], fashioning the novel into a box of treasures. This light and airy bildungsroman is great fun.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Part caper, part coming-of-age story, Greer's latest comic examination of life entertains and edifies--not an easy balancing act. . . . [Told] in Greer's trademark style of observational humor, keen descriptions, and affectionate exposition of his characters' foibles . . . A delightful distraction from the mundane.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Richly descriptive, wonderfully written . . . Greer's meditative, beautiful prose brings the gleaming olive groves and superb characters to life in uproarious detail, while the many silly capers are fantastically entertaining. Splendidly paced, this bildungsroman is, in keeping with Greer's signature qualities, funny, moving, and quietly profound from start to finish.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Greer has created a delightfully eccentric tale filled with colorful characters and unusual developments. . . . To catalog the items in a villa is one thing. To classify the mysteries of the human heart requires a completely different inventory system, as Greer demonstrates in this seductive work.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Charming from start to finish . . . Seductively entertaining . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e] feels itself like a proverbial box of chocolates--a treasure chest of surprises waiting to be sampled. . . . Greer's novel is a Tuscan romp that overflows with sunshine and surprises while providing a deep meditation on growing up, growing old and navigating the many crossroads in between.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--BookPage (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Reads like a long, delightful afternoon you never want to end.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Prof Off Duty\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER \u003ci\u003e- \u003c\/i\u003eAndrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u003ci\u003eLess, \u003c\/i\u003e showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOprah Daily, Lit Hub, Seattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings.\" --David Sedaris, author of \u003ci\u003eHappy-Go-Lucky\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An absolute delight.\"--Elif Batuman, author of \u003ci\u003eEither\/Or\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Such a \u003ci\u003esunny\u003c\/i\u003e book.\"--Kate Atkinson, author of \u003ci\u003eShrines of Gaiety\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn aspiring archivist determined to begin a \"serious\" life after an undistinguished undergraduate career takes up residence in the Italian countryside. Here, he becomes the all-purpose assistant to the Baronessa, known to her friends as Coco, a defiantly youthful and naturally flamboyant woman of ninety-two. Amid a chaotic and colorful milieu of gin-swilling princesses, incomprehensible handymen, roaming boarhunters, nuns, and other local wildlife, our young man does his best to catalog the villa's extensive collection of art and antiques--although he notices that things seem to go missing from right under his nose. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDespite himself, he tumbles into an affair with a married man, complicating his future plans considerably. And when the Baronessa loses someone close to her, he becomes an unwitting accomplice in the acceleration of Coco's great and final plan: to locate the love of her life and be reunited before it's too late. Told with the signature wit, charm, and humanity that made \n\u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e an international phenomenon, \n\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is a dazzling, sun-soaked ode to life itself, a meditation on how seriously we ought to take ourselves, and a bawdy Mediterranean ballad about becoming who we've always wanted to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 pg. 65 (EAN 9780385551977, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/06\/2026 (EAN 9780385551977, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780385551977, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/30\/0001 (EAN 9780385551977, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/15\/2026 (EAN 9780385551977, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Doubleday Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496291598614,"sku":"9780385551977","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780385551977.jpg?v=1783059163","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/villa-coco","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}