Rococo

A Novel

By: Adriana Trigiani

Narrated by: Mario Cantone

Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2005 Adriana Trigiani (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“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

Fantastic Listen!

Although I rarely enjoy abridged versions of audio books, I listened to this one simply because Mario Cantone was a high school friend. His narration was BRILLIANT!!! He captured every character perfectly in this great book, and at times it was hard to remember that he was the only one reading!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I wish that he had read the unabridged version. I've already passed the book onto several friends! It was just plain FUN!!!

B is fabulous...

I was a bit skeptical about listening to this book. I love reading Trigiani's works and could not imagine a narrator delivering the same feelings as words on a page. I was so wrong! Mario Cantone made me fall in love with B and his family. What a great "read"!

A pleasant surprise.

Why would the average guy even start to listen to this book? Heck, the main character is an interior decorator (decorating: a boring, expensive and time consuming process that culminates in the imposition of unwanted new restrictions) and he's working on a church to boot! Add to that fact that on first listen Mario Cantone has a voice that might send chills down your spine if you heard it in the other end of a customer service line and you might be tempted to turn the book off. Don't.

This is a most entertaining listen, even if you aren't an Italian American from New Jersey. If you are an Italian American from New Jersey the book transcends into quasi-reality because the characters are all people you'll swear you've actually met. Plus, Cantone's performance brings the people to life, right down to the last lovably annoying detail. Don't be surprised if you find yourself putting familiar faces on Cantone's voices. The person who sat next to me while I listened on the fight to Newark this morning remarked: "That book must be pretty good. I heard you laughing and I saw you crying."

Apart from the entertainment, you may find that the author has something more to say. Many of the characters show simultaneous evidence of both brilliance and dysfunction, not the least of which is a narrator who describes his exhilaration over touching fine fabric and then refers to lovemaking as "an exercise in friction". Reminds me of something I remembered fondly about growing up as part of a large extended family in close proximity. Talent and dysfunction had peaceful co-existence. The group often made good use of the talents and it usually accepted the weirdness even when flaunted. So, it was a very pleasant surprise to find that an interview with the author was included with the audiobook in which she talked of similar remembrance while describing her objectives for the book. I look forward to downloading another Trigiani selection.

A delightful story with a hilarious read

This is a title that is not to be missed! Download and listen to it TODAY! It made me laugh out loud on the subway. For anyone with a big family, especially Italian, Adriana Trigiani's characters are instantly identifiable. Her plot is unique and unpredictable; I couldn?t stop listening to it.
Mario Cantone's read sparkles with fantastic character voices that bring this story to life. I think I know or have met every one in this tale. I've already told my mother to listen to it, and will suggest it to more of my family.
A very enjoyable listen.

Don't Miss Mario Cantone reading Rococo!

Adriana Trigiani's words + Mario Cantone's voice = perfect together in this entertaining audio book!

If you are like me and only really know of Mario Cantone from Sex and the City, you will be as pleasantly surprised as I to find out just how talented this man is! The VOICES! It was so easy to forget that there was only one person reading this book - there could have easily been 10 people in that studio!

I feel like I spent a few days with my nose pressed up against the window of B's well decorated house in New Jersey. Adriana Trigiani has a way of opening up her heart and allowing her readers unrestricted access to her fictional families - the di Crespis are no exception.

Bartolomeo de Crespi is an interior decorator, and Adriana Trigiani doesn't allow her readers to pass a wall, a chandelier, or a swatch of fabric without bringing it to life - from the beautiful textiles of the legendary fabric houses of New York City to the frescoes of Italy all the way to the tacky plastic sofa covers of south Jersey. More important than the decor, Adriana has a way of decorating her books with characters that are so alive and colorful, one can't help but feel like one of the family.