Rococo: A Novel by Adriana Trigiani (2006-04-25)

As always, Trigiani provides another good read. Love the recipes that are always intertwined in her novels. Once you start you will not want to put it down. And you don't have to be Italian to enjoy her!

Fun beach read- lots of giggles while you linger in the sun. For those of us who remember the 1970s, the decorating is a delight. I'm not so sure about the "OUR LADY OF (Drown Your) SORROWS CAKE WITH HEAVENLY FROSTING," on pp. 63. The story line is not "Rococo."

I liked "The Shoemaker's Daughter" quite a bit, but got tired of the "long-suffering" female charachters. This book is so full of them. Every female character but one is a victim of a man in one way or another. It's depressing.

I found B to be a totally unlikable character. From the first scene until the last, he is arrogant, sanctimonious and pretentious. He believes the world, or at least his family, revolves around him. Is he supposed to be funny? Perhaps. I didn't laugh. His incessant reporting of the details of carpets, drapes, fabrics, clothing, cars, furniture, lighting, even my golly--tassels!--was mind numbing. A sprinkling of these details would have been sufficient to set the stage. But this book is so loaded with pointless detail, it could be a decorator's primer. Although B preaches quite a sermon at the end of the book, I felt as if he didn't grow at all throughout the story. Although his actions allow the story to end as it does, he certainly didn't contribute to the conclusion except in the most superficial way. Even then, the end was so contrived, I could see it coming pages before it happened.

And in the midst of all this fashion-decorating trivia and B's ginormous ego, the author forgot to write a story. With a plot. And tension. And action that matters to us. Instead we are subjected to following B around day after day as he renovates his lifelong Catholic church. Secures the job. Gathers the artisans. Makes plans. Loses focus. Regains focus. Remakes plans. Honestly, I felt like a middle schooler job-shadowing a mediocre old goat on Career Day.

Occasionally, the author turned a funny phrase which made me grin. For that, she earned a second star. But these little treasures were way too seldom and lost in brocade, an ottomans and velvet tassels.

Other reviewers have commented that her other books are better. Save your money and buy one of them.

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

The year is 1970. The place is New Jersey. Enter Bartolomeo di Crespi, the interior decorator of Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey (OLOF for short). Affectionately known as "B", he is a middle-aged bachelor with a large, colorful Italian-American family firmly situated in South Jersey. (Those of us from North Jersey understand my need to state this fact). B travels to London, Italy and New York City in search of inspiration as he takes on the monumental task of renovating the town's church, the very place he first learned to pray.

After spending just one afternoon with Adriana and her regaling us with stories of her family, her work and her friendship with Mario Cantone, I knew I would be listening to his audio of Rococo.

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.

For the last fifteen minutes, I've been washing dishes and trying to come up with some clever, pithy phrase with which to start off this review. An interior design pun? Some cute witticism or an Italian-esque bon mot? (Can a bon mot, by definition, even BE Italianesque?!?) Forget it. Forget everything. Let me just say this and get it over with: I LOVE ADRIANA TRIGIANI.

There are writers who inspire you in a profound way. There are writers you wish you had as teachers in English Lit 101, and there are writers you want to sit across from at some fabulously expensive restaurant listening to them expound upon Their Craft. Adriana Trigiani is none of these. This is a woman you want to cook with. This is a woman you want to have come over for coffee, and you don't mind letting her in even if your kitchen isn't spotless and you're having a bad hair day. And she's the only writer I know who can create the most ridiculous situations full of completely unrealistic characters, and make it all so darn cozy and interesting and inviting that you never want to leave and you'll willingly believe every word on the page for as long as it lasts.

ROCOCO is exactly this kind of novel. Revolving around a very talented small-town (Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey, to be exact) interior designer named Bartolomeo di Crespi (who goes by "B"), it's a little story --- no real high drama here --- that, at its heart, is about family and faith.

Bartolomeo is the one --- and only --- designer in Our Lady of Fatima, and everyone who's anyone in town has a home that shows off his artistic flair. He's happily single, although definitely not lacking in female companionship, and his biggest challenge is artfully dodging the clutches of Aurelia Mandelbaum, the richest woman in New Jersey, who's desperately hoping he'll marry her wallflower daughter, Capri. Bartolomeo is a Good Italian Boy, loyal to family --- his sister Toot's family of characters has enough issues to fill a week's worth of Oprah --- and he's a practicing Catholic, loyal to "RC Incorporated." So when his hometown church is finally up for restoration, he's determined to land his Dream Job and bring his Artistic Vision to Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey.

Naturally, the course of Great Design never did run smooth, and Bartolomeo's project is a challenge from the first. The parish priest, Father Porporino, stirs up a hornet's nest by recommending another design firm; the money to do the renovation has some interesting strings attached to it, and the creative geniuses Bartolomeo finds to help him bring his Vision to reality may very well be his --- and the town's --- undoing.

But all the drama is manageable --- this isn't a novel about high conflict, it's really a novel about family. B's relationships with his sister and nephews, as well as with his dearest friend Christina and his "fiancée" Capri, are the heartbeat of ROCOCO. And while there's plenty of peccadilloes to go around, Trigiani somehow manages to avoid taking too-easy potshots at the Catholic Church: the flesh may be weak, but B's faith --- in the Church that raised him and in his own talents, his family, and his heart --- is strong indeed and genuinely touching, and reminds us that miracles can, and do, happen.

As with LUCIA, LUCIA and THE QUEEN OF THE BIG TIME, Trigiani is a master at creating fanciful characters who feel like friends. Her small-town portraits are clearly fictional, yet so rooted in truths and crafted with such loving detail that you end up wishing you could visit. Leaving no swatch unturned --- there's enough design details in ROCOCO to fill the appetite of the most enthusiastic would-be designer --- Trigiani delivers yet again with a novel that is sure to satisfy.

--- Reviewed by Lourdes Orive

Interior decorator Bartolomeo di Crepi has a passion for design. Everywhere he looks he sees ideas and opportunities for fabrics, textures, hangings and fringe. He has redecorated the houses of just about everyone he knows the town of Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey. Being the only decorator in this small, primarily Italian Catholic community, he is sure that he is a shoe-in to get the job of redesigning the Catholic Church that he grew up in. So when Father Porporino appoints an out of town firm to do the job, Bartolomeo is reduced to crushed velvety anguish.

Bartolomeo has an amusing assortment of friends and family, all of whom flock to his side and tut-tut about this outrage. They throw parties for him, bake for him, whisk him off to New York and Paris and get frisky in the fringe at a fabric store. Eventually, Father Porp caves into pressure and gives Bart the job. Then the fun really begins.

This delightful book is like the froth on an ice cream float-fun to play with, cool, delicious and absolutely frivolous. I wish I had taken it to the beach with me. This book and all of its characters would have a raucous good time there.

This story is elaborate in every way! The characters are each elaborate in their own way, the goings-on in their lives are elaborate, the decor created by Bartolomeo di Crespi, the main

character, is elaborate.

In my opinion it has it all! Flamboyancy runs rampant, from Toot's (Bartolomeo's older sister) clothing to her persona which is, shall we say, unintendedly funny; from Aurelia's wealth

to her domineering ways; from Bartolomeo's use of color and style in decorating Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey's homes to restoring and redecorating it's church.

Undoubtedly, you will be educated about furnishings and fabrics, and possibly about food.

Ms. Trigiani incorporates different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and behaviors to make this book a conglomeration of very interesting and enjoyable reading. By the time you complete this novel you, too, will be elaborate in your praise of Trigiani's latest, ROCOCO.

Adriana Trigiani (God, I just love to say her name and the names of all of the characters in this book!) has given us all a precious gift. If laughter is indeed the best medicine, I am laughing myself into splendid good health.
Bartolemeo di Crespi, a very talented interior decorator, who adores what he does for a living & has decorated every home in town, has had a life long dream to bring new beauty to his family's local church. Our Lady of Fatima is due for a renovation and Bartolemeo gets the job, although he is the second choice of the Catholic church board. They wanted a pretigeous firm from Philadelphia instead.
Since Bartolemeo of the House of B gets the job (underwritten by the richest woman in New Jersey) he begins a quest that is sprinkled with swatches, recipes, invitations to dinner and delicious stories of the amazingly hilarious and all too human characters in his extended Italian family. He travels into the rarefied circles of New York interior design, the cathedrals of Italy and the artistic temperament of those who work in historic restoration. As he does, he meets fascinating new people who will help him and he in turn, introduces us to all of the crazy and delicious members of his inner circle of family and friends. Each one of them is a story unto him/herself.
This story is about people who inhabit a small area of New Jersey and since I'd lived there all my life until I moved to California two years ago, I adored reading about my home state. Thanks to Ms. Trigiani for mentioning Voltaco's in Ocean City; the greatest sub shop in the world. Oh God, I wish I could have a "regular Italian with onions" or a meatball parm sub right now!

Reading this book, there were so many times along the way when I winced from the cheesy, unrealistic dialogue or cringed when the main character, B, tried to wax profound on life and wound up sounding like a public service announcement. It's really B that is the problem with this book. I don't understand how Trigiani can make every other character in the book endearing and/or interesting, yet her main character (Bartolomeo, aka B) is one big wet noodle. I finished this book and yet I still have no idea who B is. Is he cocky or humble? Is he into Catholic morals or is he a playboy when opportunity presents itself? Is he more well adjusted than the rest of his family or is he a whiny little brat? The answer to all of these questions is yes; Trigiani writes B's character as all over the place, and hence the reader never gets a true sense of who B's supposed to be. B also comes across as very feminine; Trigiani did not succeed in creating a masculine protagonist. Something I found particularly annoying is that at no point in the story does a man come on to B. Give me a break: B is supposed to be a handsome, well-built, well-dressed interior decorator who spends a lot of time in New York City in the 1970s and he never gets hit on by another man? For real? And speaking of the '70s, Trigiani really did a bad job of making this book feel like it took place during that decade. It came across as present day to me. I don't think she ever spent more than a half hour in New York City in the '70s. If she did, it was to see a Broadway show and then get back in cab to her hotel, because her New York of the '70s has absolutely no grit. It doesn't feel like New York AT ALL. Also annoying: I enjoyed the Toot character most of the time but found her word mix-ups completely preposterous. In one passage she confuses "infinity" and "infirmity," but on the very next page she uses the word "hermetically" correctly. What???? Sometimes Trigiani turned her characters into caricatures, and when that happened I often wanted to upchuck. I really, really can't stand when authors make their characters buffoonish; it undermines the credibility big-time and takes the reader out of the story. I did appreciate that Trigiani provided lots of descriptors (in this book's case, fabrics, interiors, and sometimes food). I don't really care that much about fabric and paint to the point where I need their catalogue numbers provided, but at least that detail made some of the book come to life more for me. There's a really dumb "interview" at the end of the book with B as an old man. It makes absolutely no sense -- it treats B like he was some kind of celebrity or something and yet he STILL doesn't come across with any personality. That part of the book felt like it was completely phoned in. Too bad that Trigiani didn't devote as much attention to her main character as she did to a silly-sounding crystal and tassled ottoman -- it had more personality than B! And too bad that this was my first Trigiani book, because it's also going to be my last.

Rococo is one of my favorite novels. I found that it gets better after the first reading because you can indulge in enjoying the delish writing about sumptuous decors. It is yummy decorating porn, even if you would never want those 1970s fabrics and tufted ottomans in your own home. I have given the book to several friends recovering from surgery or otherwise in need of nurturing and distraction, and they all loved it.

On a deeper level, the main character, Bartolomeo, has hidden depths. How I would love to read a sequel. Please Ms. Trigiani -- give B. a great love affair and the chance to better know his own nature

Loved, loved, loved this book! Warm, funny, crazy, passionate, endearing, beautifully descriptive and amazingly well written! Want to cook bake, eat all the delicious foods and recipes included and moved right in with the di Crespi familia!

Rococo held my interest because of Trigiani's writing style, but captivating it was not. A little far-fetched even for an ethnic story, the best part was the description of the materials of design throughout. If you're just starting out reading Trigiani, don't start with this one. The author's creativity is obvious and commendable but it is not her best work.

Bartolomeo di Crespi, erstwhile bachelor, interior decorator, and benevolent uncle has always wanted to renovate Our Lady Of Fatima, the church he has attended all his life. He finally gets the opportunity and in the process he learns a lot about himself, life, and family expectations. Adriana Trigiani is one of my favorite authors and in this book she creates another madcap, loving, eccentric Italian family who provide the background for the story. Barolomeo's sister Toot is a particularly memorable character, but the reader will also love and laugh along with many of the other characters. This is a rolicking, funny, feel-good read which I heartily recommend!

Mario Cantone is one versatile guy! The only reason he's getting only 4 stars instead of 5 is because he's not Adriana Trigiani. I was very resistent to anyone other than the author reading her book but I finally conceded and listened to Mario's interpretation of ROCOCO. All I can say is, he's GREAT! Being able to act out the various parts and being able to switch voices and accents of the various characters on CDs is a gift.

What was funny when I read it was VERY funny when Mario spoke it.

His livliness and enthusiasm is interjected into each of the characters making them come to life. Read the book first and then listen to the CDs for an extra special treat.

I liked the book but would have gotten more connected with the main character if he were a she. The descriptions about interior decorating were interesting and different for the novel but B seemed to get on my nerves at times. I liked Toot the best but kept trying to remember how to read her name which distracted me!!! I'm not Catholic but am Methodist so didn't really care for the jab about us.

Overall good novel but I hoped Trigiani would have 'wowed' me more. Looking forward to another Big Stone Gap book!!!

The release of "Rococo" is generating mixed reviews because Adriana Trigiani has chosen to break a few rules between readers and writers.

1. Contemporary readers demand CONSISTENCY. We want an author's future titles to be similar to her first one(s) so we know what to expect when we pick up a book with her name on it. "Rococo" doesn't resemble the Big Stone Gap books. So what? Give the author a break! Let her indulge in telling a story from a male character's point of view. Let her write about the world of interior design. We can't always read about the quirky folk in small-town Virginia. The New Jersey coast will do just fine.

2. Contemporary readers want the main character to face IMMEDIATE CONFLICT. Here our hero, Bartholomeo "B" di Crespi, doesn't come across his major professional conflict until page 59. Too bad for those folks who allow an author only 50 pages to hook them. The miscellaneous familial conflicts seem to be merely indicative of daily life in a large close-knit Italian-American family, but they turn out to be part of the major theme of the book. Yes, the decorating challenge could have come on page one. But how would we have known of B's expertise, inclinations and family background if that had been the case?

3. Contemporary readers prefer ACTION AND CONFLICT to SLICE OF LIFE DESCRIPTION. Well gosh, real life isn't always chockful of high-paced action and stressful conflict. We need birthday parties and family angst and trips to Europe to fill our days. (Wishful thinking on that last item.) Trigiani has provided us with descriptive imagery that is as rich as the rooms B has decorated. But of course the narrative HAD to be that way because everything is seen through B's eyes, and he's been trained to notice every detail.

Some readers will say gee, this book doesn't seem to be ABOUT anything, other than a guy who wants to renovate his hometown Catholic church. Ah, but you've got to read on to discover the underlying theme, disclosed late in the book. B -- a 40-year-old bachelor interior designer -- doesn't realize it, but he's the one who the rest of the family comes to for advice and solutions. And when HE needs help -- much more substantial help than the kind he's usually asked to give -- his family and friends surprise him by coming through for him, big time. This is real life, Italian style.

I say, let your literary diet be as varied as your culinary one. (Some of the recipes scattered throughout this book may help you on both accounts.) Yes, "Rococo" is different in many ways. Hallelujah for variety! Though not everybody's cup of frosting, this is still a dandy read. [P.S. to Adriana: Thanks for placing Toot's home on Corinne Way!]

a well written enjoyable book. This book just cries out class and is hard to put down! You will love B and all his family members. Italians sure do have a lot of rules, but their mouthwatering recipes and love of family makes you fall in love with these characters. I think the ending ended a bit abrupt for me, but none the less I loved this book.

House of B is what I always wanted to be like and I couldn't help but long to be in his shoes. I thought the little love stories in between were cute but a bit short of a plot that I really would like.

However done, this book is a good investment. Enjoy!

This is not up to Adriana Trigiani's usual storytelling standards in the first place, but the reader of the audio version makes matters even worse. When he's reading the narrator's part (a hunky straight 40-year-old interior designer) he sounds like a girl, and when he's reading any of the female parts, he sounds like Harvey Fierstein on speed. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and listened to 2 of the 4 audio CDs, but then I just could not take any more.

This book was definitely not as good as her other books, however, I still enjoyed it. You would have to fully appreciate design to get the most of this book. I personally remember having design problems in college that just stumped you. This book helped bring back those times and the struggle to get the best design out of yourself. This book also had a little food, love, and fun that made it enjoyable.

Yes, this is a light hearted read that is not very deep but so what?? Sometimes we all need a little of that!!

I have recently read all of Adriana Trigiani's novels and have begun to listen to them on tape. This audio book is a treasure. The story engages on many levels: the family relationships, the importance of friendships, love, marriage, dreams. The best part, though, is the narration done by Stephen Hoye. He is hilarious in his interpretation of the characters and his delivery. I loved listening to this book come to life and was truly sorry to hear it come to an end. A bonus here is that the author is interviewed at the end of the book and that is great fun as well.

I started with Big Stone Gap series and was hooked. From then on out, I read EVERY book this author put out and was VERY satisfied. However, when I got to this one I was almost instantly disappointed. The book was filled with pages and pages of details that only an interior designer would care about. I MADE myself finish this book. I hope that the new book by this author will be as good as her earlier ones. I HIGHLY recommend any of her other books, just not this one.

I came across the Big Stone Gap series by accident, absolutely loved them, and was excited to find Adriana Trigiani had several more books to her name. I read them in order and felt they got weaker with every one. I was really disappointed with Rococo; I never really liked or identified with any of the characters, I felt much of the dialogue and situations were far-fetched (but then I don't come from a big Italian family), and it had none of the insight of the Big Stone Gap series. That being said, she still writes well and is very entertaining; just don't expect it to be more of the same.

I came across Adriana Trigiani by way of Lucia, Lucia and back tracked through The Big Stone Gap stories. I picked up this book soley on the strength of author recognition. I was not disappointed, as other reviewers seem to be. I read for pleasure and this story gave me plenty of it. While I admit that there were some areas I would have liked to have been a bit more fleshed out, I usually find that the mark of an enjoyable book is that I wished it wouldn't end quite yet. I found the main character's detailed descriptions of the tools of his trade painted as vivid a picture as the ones I enjoyed in The Big Stone Gap Triology when the author described Italy.

My only regret is that my ethnically blended family isn't nearly as close as the family portrayed in this book.

The reader of this marvelous book, Stephen Hoye, was so wonderfully entertaining! It was like going to a stage play - I hated to have the book end. I enjoyed every single minute and laughed out loud many times throughout the story. Stephen Hoye IS Bartolomeo di Crespi:)! PLEASE Ms. Trigiani - give us MORE!!

Adriana Trigiani is author of the bestselling Big Stone Gap books, a series of quirky tales set in a coal-mining town in southwest Virginia. In her latest book 'Rococo', she tells the story of a small Italian-American town poised for a makeover never expected. The book is colorful, informative and entertaining.

A pleasurable read - as a former New Jerseyite and being married into an Italian family for many years, I felt very much "at home" reading this book. I found myself laughing out loud frequently and making mental notes to discuss segments with other family and friends.

Bartolomeo di Crespi, is THE interior designer for Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey. The bachelor owner of the interior design company House of B, has redesigned nearly every resident's home in OLOF, NJ. But his dream to renovate his home church of Our Lady of Fatima Chapel soon turns into a nightmare before he even gets started. Trigiani has delivered a charming, hilarious tale of the lives and loves of the residents of OLOF, NJ. You will fall in love with the quirky and animated family and friends of Bartolomeo as he struggles to fulfill his dream and help others fulfill their own.

After getting a bunch of recommendations for Trigiani books, I thought I'd grab one. Apparently should've read some of the reviews of this book before I chose it. It was so painful to read, I didn't get the whole way through it. There are so many references to interior design and fabrics and Catholicism, it was hard to follow. I would never recommend this to anyone, but I still wouldn't write off Trigiani until I try another of her books.

I loved this book because Mario Canton brought all the characters to life for me. Every character has a unique "voice" thanks to Mr. Cantone. I thought he was wonderful and brought a lot of heart to the story. I was very impressed by his performance. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, Mario!!!

I loved this book because Mario Canton brought all the characters to life for me. Every character has a unique "voice" thanks to Mr. Cantone. I thought he was wonderful and brought a lot of heart to the story. I was very impressed by his performance. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, Mario!!!

I choose the four star rating, because it was slow in the beginning of the book to get interested in it. Afterwards, though it did hold my interest...
I do enjoy Ms Trigiani's writing style.
She can depict a love sequence, without all the sordid details refreshing!

I enjoyed Rococo, even though I didn't understand several parts of the dialog. I found it funny and could relate to many parts of the story even though I'm of German Irish decent, with not a drop of Italian in me. Lol I found myself chuckling none the less.

I would recommend this to any Adriana's devoted readers or to anyone who just wants a pleasant read that is an indulgent luxury of beautiful imagery, warm inviting locations, extremely interesting, loveable characters and well crafted story lines that entice you till the very end and always leave you wanting more.