My grateful thanks to Louise Court at Hodder for sending me a surprise copy of Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.
Villa Coco is published by Sceptre on 9th June 2926 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
Villa Coco
A coming-of-age novel, a love story and a tale of life-enhancing friendship: Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer showcases his wit and warmth in this magical tale set amidst the Tuscan hills.
Broke and directionless, our young protagonist takes a job in the Italian countryside as the assistant to Lisabetta – better known to her friends as Coco – a strong-willed, wealthy aristocrat of great local renown.
Trained as an archivist, he thinks he’s been hired to catalogue the contents of the beautiful, crumbling mansion nestled in the green Tuscan hills. But what are his actual duties? Days are spent in a series of increasingly eccentric pursuits: entertaining an endless carousel of guests (from bohemian painters to elderly princesses to unnervingly handsome nephews), attending a funeral in order to make off with the urn, and aiding and abetting Coco’s great and final plan – to reunite with the lost love of her life before it’s too late.
As summer turns into autumn and the Italian countryside begins to work its magic, the secrets of Villa Coco and its inhabitants are slowly brought to light – and with them, an unforgettable story of the enduring power of friendship.
My Review of Villa Coco
A young man is going to discover more than a house of objects!
Villa Coco is such an accomplished novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought it was inspired that the ‘young man’ is mis-named from the beginning. As Giovedi he can become anyone he wants, leaving behind the disapprobation of his parents and finding his own identity. There’s a delicious irony that his true name is spoken once – when he finally accepts who he has become in his new identity.
The plot of Villa Coco is fascinating because it has a defined timescale for the young man’s stay with Baroness Lisabetta, or Coco, in order to catalogue the contents of her Tuscan home, and yet it has a fragmentary feel as stories are told and memories revealed that are not always as clear cut as they might appear. This has the effect of enhancing the experience the young man has, drawing in the reader. There’s an underpinning mystery too which leads to a wonderful resolution making for a hugely satisfying read. Add in the three part structure and Andrew Sean Greer draws on classical framing to create drama and attraction, especially as this first person narration reads like a confidential memoir making the reader feel an intimate affinity with Giovedi.
Equally convincing and skilful is the use of description. Reading Villa Coco truly immerses the reader in the landscape, eating eel or anchovies, and being controlled by the weather. It isn’t just the young man who finds insight and understanding, but there are so many references to art, history and culture woven in that the author makes the reader want to find out more, with the effect that the book lingers far beyond the final page. At the same time, none of these aspects ever leaves the reader alienated. Rather, they form a bond with Giovedi as he navigates the wilful nature of Coco and gets to grips with the Italian language.
And what a character Coco is. I adored her. As uncontrollable and changeable as the wind, she is also contrarily constant, loyal to her friends and, like us all, actually desperate for love and understanding, making her a kind if Everywoman. Her audacious reasoning for the inventory of her home is brilliant but I’m not spoiling the plot by telling you why!
Other characters too feel Shakespearean in nature with Ghazel every bit the humorous light relief at the same time as the wonderful Oscar is a kind of Greek chorus, leading Giovedi to the truth. And throughout, moral ambiguity adds layers to both character and plot.
From the endorsements for Andrew Sean Green’s writing I had expected high quality prose. I got it. I also got beauty, truth, humour and affecting themes as he explores sexuality, social expectation and convention as well as family, friendship and the glorious concept of carpe deum. Villa Coco makes the reader want to grasp every opportunity that comes their way. It’s entertaining, and filled with heart. I thought it was wonderful.
About Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer is the bestselling author of eight works of fiction, including the novel Less, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018. His latest novel, Villa Coco, comes on June 9th. Greer lives in San Francisco and Venice, Italy.
For further information, visit Andrew’s website.
English (US) · 