An Absolute Delight to Read! Charming, Entertaining, and Richly Imagined
This book is everything—an original, clever story, quirky characters, and superior writing. It's also funny, as in laugh-out-loud funny and at the most unexpected times. I lost count of how many times I laughed loud enough for someone to ask me what was so funny. (Can't explain…you just have to read the book.)
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer, this is the story of Giovedì, which in Italian means Thursday. It is set in the 1990s. Giovedì is a brand new American college graduate with a degree in archival management, but one who never took his studies seriously. He is packed off to the small village of San Drago in Tuscany for four months to organize and archive the treasures, tchotchkes, and bizarre knick-knacks accumulated over the decades by the 92-year-old Baronessa Lisabetta, nicknamed Coco. She lives in a magnificent villa surrounded by a forest, olive trees, and an unreliable road. (We only find out Giovedì's real name at the end of the novel; the nickname Giovedì is bestowed upon him by the baronessa as a kind of joke. Instead of her "Man Friday," he is her "Man Thursday.")
Giovedì's head is spinning. Apparently, archiving the villa's contents, which includes a painting by Picasso, is only a minor part of his job. Primarily, he assists the baronessa in her daily whims, which range from driving her on impulsive trips, helping repair a backed-up sewer, eating scrumptious meals, harvesting olives, entertaining her many eccentric friends, and (most of all) listening to her stories that are so filled with exaggerations it is impossible to tell what's true or not. He is instructed in no uncertain terms that he must immediately learn Italian, learn how to dress properly for dinner, and learn about art and history so there will be something to talk about at dinner. The bossy baronessa may be 92, but she believes she has a lot of living still to do and plans on doing just that.
Along the way Giovedì meets the very handsome (and also very married) Giacomo, a lovely man who is a cousin of the baronessa, with whom he strikes up a sexual relationship (after swearing off such affairs after his aimless college days), as well as befriending Oscar, an elderly, secretive man who imparts much wisdom and life advice. In addition, there are other eccentric characters—friends, servants, and animals—who frequently come in and out of the villa, adding color and laughter to this convoluted story. Each one is richly and deeply depicted.
The villa, which Giovedì calls Villa Coco, is not only filled with treasures, but also secrets to which Giovedì is excluded until the very end when he starts to finally figure out what has been happening right under his nose.
This is an unlikely coming-of-age story as Giovedì learns that the world does not revolve around him and begins to treasure the friendship, companionship, and love of other people in a way he never has before. It is a story filled with hope for the future—even when you're 92 years old.
Oh, I adored this book. It is charming, entertaining, and richly imagined. It is an absolute delight to read.
Bonus: The intricate and colorful cover art is beautiful and filled with details of the story. Do take the time to really study it.
(07/10/26)
