{"product_id":"villa-coco-the-instant-sunday-times-and-new-york-times-bestseller-an-enchantment-threaded-through-with-hope-guardian-9781399757294","title":"Villa Coco: The instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller - 'an enchantment threaded through with hope' GUARDIAN","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer showcases his wit and warmth in this life-enhancing tale of friendship  set amidst the Tuscan hills.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Absolute joy' \u003cb\u003eSarah Winman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'The funniest of writers. . . \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco \u003c\/i\u003eis such a sunny book' \u003cb\u003eKate Atkinson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Every sentence in this novel sings' \u003cb\u003eDavid Sedaris\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Eccentric, funny, touching: I adored it' \u003cb\u003eNina Stibbe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Sheer, riotous, unmitigated joy' \u003cb\u003eKiran Millwood Hargrave\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBroke 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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?\u003ci\u003eare\u003c\/i\u003e?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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA 'charm novel' for our times, \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is a sun-drenched paean to youth, to age and to the fulfilment of love - filled with great wisdom and a spirit of unadulterated joy.\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399757294\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 09 Jun 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15(L)x2.2(W)362\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 362\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eAndrew Sean Greer is the bestselling author of eight works of fiction, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning \u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e. From 2016-2018, Greer was the first Executive Director of the Santa Maddalena Foundation, working alongside president Beatrice Monti della Corte to invite authors from around the world for a writing residence in the Tuscan countryside. The setting of \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e, Greer's latest novel, is partly inspired by the time he spent there.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eGreer is not only the funniest of writers, but he has a wonderful way with conjuring an image. . . \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is such a sunny book\u003c\/b\u003e -- Kate Atkinson, author of CASE HISTORIES and LIFE AFTER LIFE\u003cbr\u003eNo one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. \u003cb\u003eEvery sentence in this novel sings\u003c\/b\u003e. -- David Sedaris\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn absolute delight\u003c\/b\u003e -- Elif Batuman, author of THE IDIOT and EITHER\/OR\u003cbr\u003eWhat, 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. \u003cb\u003eAbsolute joy.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Sarah Winman, author of STILL LIFE\u003cbr\u003eEccentric, funny, touching: \u003cb\u003eI adored it\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Nina Stibbe, author of LOVE, NINA and MAN AT THE HELM\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003egorgeous, sun-soaked\u003c\/b\u003e novel from Andrew Sean Greer that feels \u003cb\u003etailor-made for holiday reading\u003c\/b\u003e . . . It is impossible to read this playful, escapist novel without a smile on your face -- Best New Books in June * Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSome books just feel like a vacation\u003c\/b\u003e -- Best Books of 2026 * Vogue *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWarm and humane . . . Hidden inside the novel's charming universe is a story with a good deal of perspective and soul\u003c\/b\u003e * New York Times Book Review *\u003cbr\u003eA breezy confection of fish-out-of-water wit, insecurity and self-discovery set in an Italian paradise . . . the Baronessa, with her stories and her machinations, her loyalty, wit and courage, and the love and admiration of our young man, casts the requisite spell - delivering, in the end, \u003cb\u003ean enchantment threaded through with hope\u003c\/b\u003e * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA smart, fizzy novel about how right life can be.\u003c\/b\u003e In Tuscany! With olive groves! . . . [\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e's]\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eeasygoing warmth gathers into a smile of a coming-of-age tale * Chicago Tribune *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWitty and stylish\u003c\/b\u003e . . . Greer's seemingly effortless storytelling belies the careful craft of his metaphors and similes * The Atlantic *\u003cbr\u003eHired by an eccentric 92-year-old baroness, an archivist takes up residence in a decaying Italian villa to catalog its art and antiques collection - and finds himself caught up in \u003cb\u003ea mad tangle of houseguests, handymen and other quirky characters\u003c\/b\u003e -- The Novels Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eThe Pulitzer winner's latest novel builds \u003cb\u003ea richly quirky world\u003c\/b\u003e * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA smart, sweetly wistful comedy\u003c\/b\u003e from the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner, which goes down like fine olive oil. \u003ci\u003eBuono!\u003c\/i\u003e * NPR *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSun-filled, escapist and beautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e is \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e by American novelist Andrew Sean Greer, who won the Pulitzer Prize with \u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e. Here, he channels eccentric family novels in the vein of Gerald Durrell and Stella Gibbons . . . \u003cb\u003eA charming, sophisticated story\u003c\/b\u003e * The Gloss *\u003cbr\u003eA sunny holiday read about a young American falling for the delights of Italy when he takes a job as assistant to a 92-year-old aristocrat at the eponymous mansion in the Tuscan hills. \u003cb\u003eFull of eccentric characters, it's a love letter to friendship and discovery\u003c\/b\u003e -- Books of the Summer * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fizzy summer cocktail of a novel\u003c\/b\u003e . . . Packed with warmth, wit, and charm [and a] steady supply of humor * Boston Globe *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIf you're looking for the ultimate dose of escapism, it doesn't get better than \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco \u003c\/i\u003e. . .\u003c\/b\u003e It's a richly formed novel full of eccentric characters, heart and soul, and will definitely make you wish you were in the Italian countryside -- Best Summer Reads * Cosmopolitan *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIf you take one book to the beach with you this summer, let it be \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco . . . \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe novel, as charming as Greer's Pulitzer-prize winning \u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e, is full of witty aphorisms, tall tales, and superstitions . . . In Greer's world, servants and guests never speak the same language, villains seduce diamonds from Sicilian prices, someone is always related to the queen, and every conversation becomes a delightful conundrum. Each passage is a flirtation with food, or light playing on water beneath a bridge, or the Baronessa's Italian cousin. Or the Baronessa herself, who holds together her world (the \u003ci\u003eonly\u003c\/i\u003e world) by sheer will and scheming. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e, laced with wistful, playful nostalgia, reads like youth itself\u003c\/b\u003e -- Most Anticipated Queer Books for Summer 2026 * Electric Literature *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe literary equivalent of being wrapped in a big warm hug\u003c\/b\u003e and told, \"There, there, rest now, little one\". At a time when so many contemporary novels seem to speak in the internet's house style - ironic, cynical, exhausted, distracted - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e offers a reprieve of humour and delight that feels almost radical\u003c\/b\u003e * Sydney Morning Herald *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[C]aptures the allure of \u003ci\u003ela dolce vita\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e- Renaissance paintings and books, bottles of Lambrusco wine and gelato - all bathed in a buttery Tuscan light. * TIME *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect literary travel choice for those who imagine their summers in a Tuscan villa, in an atmosphere full of humor, beauty and a lesson in Italian dolce vita * Vogue Adria *\u003cbr\u003eIn 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 \u003cb\u003elyrical and witty\u003c\/b\u003e 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 '\u003cb\u003ea great treasure\u003c\/b\u003e.' \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e, the novel, is one, too. -- Katherine Heiny, author of STANDARD DEVIATION and GAMES AND RITUALS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat a beautiful book: an absolutely engrossing world full of golden sunlight \u003c\/b\u003eand strange little secrets and anchovies and art. I feel like I'd recognise its glorious haphazard villa and determined Baronessa on sight. -- Holly Gramazio, author of THE HUSBANDS\u003cbr\u003eThis 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! -- Gary Shteyngart, author of VERA, OR FAITH\u003cbr\u003eOutrageously good fun. The intricacies unspool, the characters fizz, the chaos ensues. \u003cb\u003eSheer, riotous, unmitigated joy\u003c\/b\u003e -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of THE MERCIES and ALMOST LIFE\u003cbr\u003e'Glorious. So summery and delicate and scented [that] I didn't realise the tight, clever story being carefully coiled around me until he pulls it all tight in those final pages . . . I adored it' -- Russell T Davies\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis sunny book is packed with hysterical stories from some of the most vivid and entertaining characters\u003c\/b\u003e: You'll wish you could pull them from the pages and plop them around a dinner table. But the line that stayed with me the longest was this: \"The price for seeing things as they really are. It is our youth.\" \u003cb\u003eAs honest, hilarious and heartbreaking as life itself\u003c\/b\u003e -- Elena Burnett * NPR *\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer comes this gorgeous book set in the Tuscan Hills . . . this lovely book romps along -- Best Books to Read in June * The Australian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharming, smart, and wickedly funny \u003c\/b\u003e. . . This is a big-hearted story about love, beauty, eccentricity, unexpected friendship, the importance of the right clothes, and creating the world in which you want to live . . . \u003cb\u003eWhether you're spending your summer in Tuscany or not, it's the season's required reading\u003c\/b\u003e -- Must-Read Books of the Summer * Town \u0026amp; Country *\u003cbr\u003eA charming novel about friendship and the power of place -- 5 Best Books This Week * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003eAmusing . . . The anxious archivist must give up his precious systems and neuroses and join in with the antics around him. If you take this to the beach this summer, you might be persuaded to do the same * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eNo one understands the summer reads assignment better than Andrew Sean Greer . . . It's the ultimate reading escape, the perfect balance between charming and substantial * theSkimm *\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less, this \u003cb\u003egentle, warm, funny story\u003c\/b\u003e centres on a young American arriving at a villa in Tuscany to help out the Baronessa who lives there, and navigating his way through a ramshackle, farcical, ridiculous situation. \u003cb\u003eIdeal holiday reading.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Books of 2026 * PA *\u003cbr\u003eAndrew Sean Greer's Pulitzer-winning\u003ci\u003e Less \u003c\/i\u003ewas a satire of grief and literary mediocrity that was anything but mediocre. His new protagonist is an archivist who has taken on a job in the beautiful Tuscan hills. What could go wrong? -- Most Anticipated Books of 2026 * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTravel to Italy without leaving your reading chair with the Pulitzer Prize winner's latest.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles a young man who takes a job as the assistant to a wealthy Baroness named Lisabetta - better known as Coco to her friends. -- Most Anticipated Books of 2026 * People *\u003cbr\u003eSet to be a staple on sun loungers -- 40 Most Exciting Books of 2026 * BBC *\u003cbr\u003eA perfect summer romp with a strong sense of place -- 22 Most Anticipated Books of 2026 * Esquire *\u003cbr\u003eThe Pulitzer-winner returns with what looks to be a giddy farce, about a young man who takes a role as caretaker to and for an eccentric older woman and her Tuscan estate as she tries to reconnect with the great lost love of her life -- Most Anticipated Books of 2026 * Lit Hub *\u003cbr\u003eThe Pulitzer-winning author of\u003ci\u003e Less \u003c\/i\u003elooks ready to serve \u003cb\u003eanother warm, witty escape, this time with olive oil and mild chaos\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003ci\u003eVilla Coco\u003c\/i\u003e follows a broke young man who takes an \"adjutant\" job at a crumbling Tuscan villa for Coco, a magnetic elderly baroness with money, secrets, and a final romantic mission. His duties range from cataloguing art to chasing martens and surviving a rotating cast of eccentrics, all while trying not to derail Coco's last shot at love. -- Most Anticipated Books of 2026 * Oprah Daily *\u003cbr\u003eAndrew Sean Greer, author of \"Less,\" writes \u003cb\u003eanother transportive book\u003c\/b\u003e, but this time set in an Italian villa where a man takes a job as an assistant to an eccentric older woman -- 52 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2026 * Today *\u003cbr\u003eA book soaked in golden sunshine on crumbling Italian stone, flagons of red wine, the olive harvest, and a delightfully eccentric cast of characters. Presiding over them all is the entirely bonkers but brilliant Baronessa. \u003cb\u003eThink \u003ci\u003eA Room With a View \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eThe Enchanted April\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e(two of my favourite novels to read when the world is sad and grey). \u003cb\u003eAn elegy to sunshine, joy, stolen kisses, youth and hope.\u003c\/b\u003e Utter bliss, escapism and a panacea -- Natasha Poliszczuk\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR ANDREW SEAN GREER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e'Bedazzling, bewitching and be-wonderful' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I recommend it with my whole heart' \u003cb\u003eAnn Patchett\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Brilliant' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Basically perfect' \u003cb\u003eDolly Alderton\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Unforgettable' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePulitzer Prize winner \u003cb\u003eAndrew Sean Greer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e's latest hilarious, heartwarming novel is a sun-soaked coming-of-age story\u003c\/b\u003e that centers on a recent college graduate who takes on a job as an assistant to a flamboyant baroness in the Italian countryside. During his time in her over-the-top presence, he'll find\u003cb\u003e love, excitement, chaos, and, just maybe, a whole new outlook on life itself.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Best Beach Reads * Marie Claire *","brand":"Andrew Sean Greer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48852123255001,"sku":"9781399757294","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399757294.jpg?v=1782390681","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/villa-coco-the-instant-sunday-times-and-new-york-times-bestseller-an-enchantment-threaded-through-with-hope-guardian-9781399757294","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}