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Rococo (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,305 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • One small Italian American town in America gets the makeover it never expected in this “eccentric, unpredictable, entertaining” (The Boston Globe) novel from the author of the beloved Big Stone Gap series
“An artfully designed tale [with] characters so lively they bounce off the page [and] wit so subtle that even the best jokes seem effortless.”—People
Bartolomeo di Crespi is the acclaimed interior decorator—not to mention the most eligible bachelor—in Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey. From the dazzling shores of the Garden State to the legendary fabric houses of New York City, from the prickly purveyors of fine art in London to the Mediterranean coast of Italy, Bartolomeo is on a mission to bring talent, sophistication, and his aesthetic vision to his hometown. So when the renovation of the local church is scheduled, he assumes there is only one man to oversee the job.
Recruiting an artist and a stained-glass artisan to help with the project—two handsome men who create romantic mayhem among Bartolomeo’s sister, his erstwhile fiancée, and all the other lovelorn ladies of OLOF—Bartolomeo struggles to create art while remaining the steadfast linchpin of the volatile di Crespi clan. Together, Bartolomeo and his team will do more than blow the dust off the old Fatima frescoes—they will turn the town upside down, challenge the faithful, and restore hope where there once was none.
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"This was the best "easy read" audio book I've ever listened too, Mario Cantone (as narrator) was amazing- his depiction of different characters and voices was hilarious, I laughed throughout this entertaining and vivid tale, which I didn't want to end. I found myself missing the characters (especially Bartolomeo) when the book was over....so I keep popping the CD in from time to time to hear it again. I will never sell or get rid of my audio version, I have listened to it 5 times now- it makes a long car ride fly by. "
— Holly (5 out of 5 stars)
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A veritable crazy quilt of quirky Italian Americans . . .Trigiani weaves all [the] subplots together with wonderful ease.
— Entertainment Weekly -
A summer must-read. . . a hilarious mix of. . . humor, lust, [and] family dynamics.
— The Hartford Courant -
A feel-good story . . . manages to soothe, in part because of its cozy design talk, and in part because of the likable, competent B.
— Publishers Weekly -
An affectionate celebration of the support we derive from family and community, told with humor and warmth.
— Hartford Courant -
[Trigiani] delivers charming, dependably satisfying books that you know will be stuffed with quirky but likable characters. . . . Throughout this fast-paced, abundantly charming novel, Trigiani focuses on the things that really matter: family, faith and home. Especially home. It is a deeply rewarding book that should make her legions of fans very happy indeed.
— BookPage -
A rollicking read . . . The comic prose itself deserves applause.
— Booklist -
Here’s your beach read . . . [Rococo] is as much fun as [Trigiani’s] previous novels. . . . There are hilarious encounters here and abroad, with so many colorful citizens darting in and out of the pages that it is impossible to name favorites.
— Roanoke Times -
[A] kitschy, quaintly amusing Italian American saga . . . [B is a] unique and winning protagonist.
— Kirkus Reviews -
Tiramisu for the soul . . . It’s rejuvenating to read a book as light and crisp as Rococo. . . . An authentic sentimental tale, with characters you very quickly adore . . . like a bubble bath you don’t want to get out of.
— Washington Examiner -
[Adriana Trigiani] again shows her abilities to take the everyday happenings of a small town and turn them into a story that is entertaining and just plain fun in Rococo. Trigiani has an elegant writing style that captures the essence of her characters and makes them larger than life on the written page.
— Texas Times Record News -
It would be impossible not to like a hero who declares that ‘Italy, despite its earthiness and charm, can never be New Jersey.’
— The Christian Science Monitor -
Breathtaking . . . full of color, fabric, love, lust and secrets
— The Huntsville Times -
Lighthearted . . . hilarious . . . Trigiani has a bombastic comedic style.
— Deseret Morning News -
A paean to Italian life . . . laugh-out-loud funny . . . it’s The Sopranos without the mob hits and the psychotherapy.
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Rococo Listener Reviews
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" At the beginning I found very difficult to keep up with the decoration details, and I thought this was going to be a very boring book. How wrong of me. It's one of the best books I've read this year. The interaction in this Italian family is so , how can I put it, Italian! I feel like I'm seeing my own family in the book. The conversation between brother and sister is hilarious . Adriana Trigiani never disappoints me. "
— Mirian, 2/13/2014 -
" The Italian customs in this book reminded me a lot about my family. "
— Erin, 2/13/2014 -
" My mind's flickering with chintz, drapery,fresco, mural, stained glass and painting while my soul filled with Italian family culture. "
— Rina, 2/11/2014 -
" although I enjoy her style of writng, I found this book cute but boring. "
— Lori, 2/3/2014 -
" Lots of fun - especially for someone who has spent a lot of time in New Jersey or in the field of art or design - or who has a big Italian-American family! The narrator on my recorded book really had the accent down pat, and I was tempted to revert to the speech patterns. "
— Kate, 1/27/2014 -
" Worth reading, but my least favorite from Adriana Trigiani. "
— Julie, 1/23/2014 -
" It was good, but I liked her newer books better. The main character, "B" just seemed so angry all the time. I did try the recipe for Our Lady of (Drown Your) Sorrows Cake with Heavenly Frosting and that was fabulous! "
— Karen, 1/19/2014 -
" I love Trigliani's characters, and while this one is not one of her best attempts; it is a fun read. "
— Loretta, 1/16/2014 -
" This book did very little for me . . . it was kind of cheesy, almost stereotypical in its depictions of the characters, and there really wasn't much point to the story. Definitely not something I'd recommend. "
— Alia, 1/12/2014 -
" Her books are entertaining but not great "
— PrivateLibrary, 1/3/2014 -
" one of my favorites by adriana trigiani - funny and touching, easy to listen to and get caught up in "
— Marisa, 12/23/2013 -
" I loved Mario Cantone's reading of this! He did an amazing job bringing a sweet story to life. It's about a decorator in a huge Italian family whose dream is to revamp the church he grew up in. The relationships between the family members are warm and believable and very funny. It's a great listen! "
— Melissa, 12/7/2013 -
" Not my favorite book by her. But still enjoyable. "
— Giulia, 11/24/2013 -
" just plain fun. i wish i had copied some of the receipies before i returned the book to the library. "
— Heidi, 11/3/2013 -
" This book is written by a woman from the point of view of a man, and though he is heterosexual, I get the feeling through the entire book that he is a completel fruitcake. Annoying to read for this one simple fact. A sure avoidance. "
— Leah, 11/1/2013 -
" I haven't checked but this must have been one of the first books for this author. I found this book rather frivolous, difficult to become interested in, and so I really didn't finish it. Would be interested to know the opinion of others who did finish it. "
— Shirley, 10/9/2013 -
" I was not impressed with this one but I like it. "
— Frann, 9/13/2013 -
" Boring. It made me stop reading books by Adriana Trigiani. "
— Naj, 6/4/2013 -
" No way to compare, but I'm glad I listened to the audio book version. Written from the male perspective, it was good to hear it in a male voice. Entertaining. Some good "messages" about family and love. "
— Jeanie, 5/27/2013 -
" Very disappointed in this book. I usually like her books and find them entertaining but this one was quite boring and didn't have much conflict/plot. "
— Amber, 3/29/2013 -
" Very slow at first, but after a while amusing. Set is Freehold , NJ telling thefamily life of an italian Interior Decorator. Cute , after all.Sending to Uppi. "
— Carol, 1/20/2013 -
" My first experience with Trigiani and it was a delightful one! I felt as if she were explaining my Italian-American upbringing. Many "lol" moments in this piece of literature. Still chick lit but has a lot of soul! "
— Tina, 12/12/2012 -
" Book was okay. I didn't get that the main character was a man until a few chapters in...and I was well over half-way through when I realized it was set in 1970 not current time. I think I may have enjoyed it more had I knew these important pieces earlier. "
— Heather, 12/12/2012 -
" Could have been fun but just didn't care about the characters - very shallow. "
— Annette, 9/28/2012 -
" Entertaining and hilarious. Especially recommended for fellow Catholic-raised Italians...Trigiani has us pegged. Great character and environment descriptions; made me want to visit the town and its people. "
— Donna, 7/2/2012 -
" I liked this story of a decorator redoing a church in New Jersey. It's not as good as her later books, but an enjoyable read. "
— Nancy, 3/3/2012 -
" A light and fun read. I listened on CD and the narrator was perfect. The main character is so likable and his experiences very true and touching. "
— Laura, 2/17/2012 -
" This is a Southern author and her Big Stone Gap books were great. This book is a little different, but still enjoyable. "
— Tara, 12/28/2011 -
" The passion of an Italian family in NJ in the 1970. A gentle Housewives of NJ. "
— Rosemary, 12/19/2011 -
" This was such a strange book. I love all of Adriana Trigiani's books, but I don't know what happened with this one. Story of an Italian interior decorator, his family & New Jersey community in the 1970's. "
— Jenni, 10/28/2011 -
" I actually stopped reading this in the middle. I generally don't do that with books, but I was really bored! Not up to her usual standard. "
— Elissa, 9/17/2011 -
" I read some of it but I just couldn't get into it. "
— Giselle, 8/24/2011 -
" I rated this a two because I don't ever remember reading anything less than a three! Loved Trigiani's other books, but this one I wasted my money on! "
— Lynn, 6/22/2011 -
" Cute book but as I got into it I realized it's set in 1970, which brought back some memories! "
— Teresa, 5/29/2011 -
" This book was too catholic for me. I love her other books though. "
— Donnaelrick, 5/5/2011 -
" Not nearly as good as Lucia, Lucia. "
— Jeanne, 4/22/2011 -
" B. is an interior decorator and the bachelor of the family. Recipes in the story, Italian family and all kinds of conflict, romance, and chaos. Good story. Enjoy this author! "
— Sandy, 4/10/2011 -
" Worth reading, but my least favorite from Adriana Trigiani. "
— Julie, 3/14/2011 -
" amusing quick read with an unfortunately speedy conclusion. like Janet Evanovich with an interior designer: Jersey, Italian, outrageous. "
— Kelly, 2/13/2011 -
" Really like it - this was an easy, fun book with lots of fabric and colors (literally.) Just what I hoped. "
— Amanda, 2/11/2011 -
" Eh. Nice little story, but I was not too impressed. "
— Ellen, 2/2/2011 -
" I was in need of an audiobook to listen to, randomly chose this off the shelf, and struck gold. Both funny and heartwarming. An enjoyable listen. "
— Kara, 2/1/2011 -
" I just love Adriana Trigiani, cannot get enough of her writing. "
— Ada, 1/21/2011 -
" I nice quick escape to another place. "
— Katie, 11/27/2010
About Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. The author of the bestselling Big Stone Gap series, she also wrote the bestselling memoir Don’t Sing at the Table and the young-adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. Her books have been published in thirty-six countries around the world. She wrote and directed the film version of her novel Big Stone Gap.
About Mario Cantone
Vine Talk is a celebrity talk show that airs on the public television channel Create. Hosted by Stanley Tucci and featuring an ensemble panel of well-known entertainment personalities and celebrity chefs, the show demystifies the world of wine by making it accessible and enjoyable for all.