The Literati

By Susan Coll

Book Overview

"Like Bookish People, the novel sparkles with kooky details plucked from literary culture. A comedy of errors that gets it just right." --Kirkus

An unexpected catastrophe of literary proportions . . .

Aspirant, bookish, and close to broke, 26-year-old Clemi steps into her dream job at a prestigious literary nonprofit and finds herself in the bull's eye of a financial, legal, and existential calamity. The executive director has disappeared, leaving behind an inscrutable cat to which she is highly allergic. Meanwhile, the bank accounts have been overdrawn, the FBI is asking questions, and she has three days to pull off the annual fundraising gala, a glamorous affair filled with famous writers and local literati.

On the upside, she will get to meet her all-time favorite writer, who has won the award. Clemi has read and reread her novels, pouring over her every word. But her interactions with the author and her eight-year-old son, as well as with the nonprofit's Board Members, leave her wondering whether certain writers are better on the page than in person.

All the while, Clemi is trying to sort out her own life: her current boyfriend is, like every boyfriend before him, a pompous poseur, and the clock is running on her apartment-sitting gig. She finds herself wondering what all the goings-on in this dysfunctional, scandal-plagued nonprofit have to do with literature. And if it's time to let go of her literary aspirations and apply to law school.

In the week in which this madcap story unfolds, USA TODAY bestselling author Susan Coll weaves together a charmingly witty and warm comedy of manners that offers a peek behind the literary curtain--one that anyone who's ever been a little bit uncertain of what the future might hold can relate to.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400346657
• ISBN13: 9781400346653
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Harper Muse
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Worst First Week of Work Ever!

I kinda have to admire Clemi for sticking around for the worst first week of work that I have ever heard of! From disappearing bosses, mysterious cats that show up (which sadly Clemi is allergic of!), money issues, and a gala that needs to be put together asap with no funds! So yeah, this is a completely wild ride where anything can happen (including clowns and a eerie talking chicken recorder) and while it was entertaining it was also stressful because I felt so bad for all that Clemi had to do. Quite a bit of this is not realistic (so many quirky people!!!), so be warned. A lot more people should have been arrested and things done in the name of love were quite over the top. I do wish Clemi the best in whatever she chooses after all that, whether it will be continuing to work for the nonprofit (in whatever iteration in next forms into) or being a lawyer (despite the pesky clown question!). This was an entertaining audiobook and the narrator, Marni Penning, did a great job in bringing this chaotic fever dream to life and making the characters seem as realistic as they can get in this story where anything can happen (including catnapping, a genius 8 year old to help bring chaos, and of course clowns everywhere!). And on a side note, I did not know people could be allergic to ice. lol