Bel Canto

I’ve been aware of Bel Canto for over a decade since it is an award-winning novel, but until a copy came my way I wasn’t tempted by it. It’s probably because of the mixed reviews it gets and the fact that I like grit and action in my books. Well, generally anyway. Lately though I’ve been reading quieter books. Books that focus on writing and expression more than plot. Bel Canto certainly falls into that category. The way the novel is constructed and the emotions conveyed not only by what the characters do, think, feel and say, but by the intense level of tedium due to the lack of action. That is not a negative, btw. I feel that the author deliberately kept the action to a minimum in order to help us feel the same boredom and show more constraint that the hostages must have felt. The story lives between the characters and their limited purviews; it forces interactions that otherwise wouldn’t have taken place. It forces them to reevaluate their lives and how they relate to other people and because they’re captives many of them find a source of bravery and step outside their comfortable versions of themselves and become new people. Most of them find happiness for the first time and it is a thing of beauty to witness. The prison becomes a utopia. For a while.

I was surprised by the writing, too. In some ways it was very clinical and unembellished. Understated and almost dispassionate, but not entirely. The situation sometimes calls for overblown sentiment and Patchett doesn’t shy away from it. Also there’s an underlying sense of humor that I quite liked. It kept everything from being too self-important. Here’s an example of how brilliantly precise her prose is -

“The room had the same effect on the spectators as long liturgical services, algebra lectures, Halcion.”

If you’re in the mood for an introspective book that is character driven, you could do a lot worse than Bel Canto. I have other Patchett books and I look forward to reading them. show less

The head of state of a South American country is hosting a lavish party in honour of a powerful Japanese businessman who is celebrating his birthday while in the country. The other guests at the event being held in the vice-president's house are international dignitaries, and a famous opera singer who has been asked to perform. In the midst of the festivities, the house is stormed by terrorists intent on capturing the president. Unfortunately - or fortunately for the president - he decided to stay at home to watch his favourite soap opera. The result is an impasse.

As the weeks lengthen into months the reader gets to know both the hostages and the terrorists, all of whom become surprisingly well-adjusted to their new circumstances and show more each other. The guest of honour's translator becomes an important player as he translates for negotiator, hostages, and terrorists alike. Patchett's talent lies in being able to elicit empathy with each of the characters no matter which side they are on. Intriguingly, the proceedings are reflected in the slow-moving chess games played. The story is mesmerizing but Patchett's writing is simply entrancing. Even though the outcome is preordained, one clings to hope. The ending came almost abruptly, and although it was not exactly to my liking, this is a book that I can recommend strongly. show less

Time stands still in Bel Canto - for the hostages taken captive at a birthday party for a Japanese businessman in an unnamed South American country; for the terrorists, mostly teenagers, who hold them captive; for the Red Cross worker whose vacation in the unnamed country is suddenly extended for months; and especially for the reader who joins them in existential limbo. As the days stretch into weeks and months, the line between captor and captive blurs.

The novel appears to be based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Peru in 1996-97. While sticking to the basic outline of the historical event, Patchett explores the effect of prolonged captivity on both the hostages and their captors. Each takes on a new role within their enclosed show more society. A high government official becomes a janitor. A business executive becomes an accompanist. A diplomat becomes a chef. Terrorists become students. The only thing missing is a prophet, for no one imagines life beyond a day-to-day existence, or what might happen when the crisis ends.

I wouldn't recommend rushing through this book. The middle is more important than the beginning or the end. It raises questions about the difference between who we are and what we do, about communication, about loyalty and friendship. This would be a great book group selection since it offers so many possible discussion topics. show less

In an unnamed South American country, a birthday party is being held for Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa, in the hopes that he will bring business to this poor country. The only way he could be lured to this country was to see Roxane Coss, a famous opera singer revered by Hosokawa. The international party party is taking place at the home of the country's Vice-President, Ruben Iglesias. But after Roxane has finished singing, the party is interrupted by a terrorist group who plan to take the President hostage so they can get others in their group released from prison. The only problem...the President decided not to attend the party so he could watch his favorite soap opera. The terrorists now don't have the leverage they need but they show more can't just free the hostages, so the women are let go except for the famous opera star and the remaining hostages and terrorists spend months waiting for demands to be met. But relationships develop between captors and their prisoners, despite circumstances and the language barriers of the guests from around the world. The one thing that seems to bring them together is their love of Roxane and the beautiful music she provides until their time together must inevitably end.

I have had this book on my shelf for years. I don't know what took me so long to read it. I loved Run and The Magician's Assistant, titles also by Patchett. A discussion on twitter revealed many others loved Patchett but had not read this book. It also received mixed reviews, those that loved it and those that could not finish it.

I am definitely in the loved it group. Patchett is am amazing writer, very lyrical and beautiful. Opera and terrorism seem to be odd in the same book plot but Patchett made it work. This is not a fast read and is a novel to be savored. It isn't political but about relationships that develop in unusual circumstances. All become used to their situation. Roxane discovers one of the young captors has an amazing voice and wants to help him become an opera star. Gen, Mr. Hosokawa's interpreter becomes the interpreter for the group and learns many secrets and falls for a young woman in the terrorist group. Ruben wants to adopt another of the young captors, a boy who has become like a son to him. They stop thinking about what is happening in the outside world as I did. But a hostage situation can not go on forever. The ending comes suddenly and the very ending surprised me and I'm not sure whether it was believable or inevitable.
Regardless, this was a beautiful story and if it is sitting on your shelf, pick it up and read it already!

my rating 5/5 show less

A fascinating read.

I struggled at times with what I thought were shallow characters, but I revelled in the book's interest in collective experience (as opposed to individual experience). It feels that the book doesn't rely too much on plot, but rather explores the barriers of language and the transcendent (and translingual) experience of music.

At the best of times I felt like I was reading a hybrid of Proust and "The Magic Mountain," but at other times I felt that the collective appreciation of music and the inability to communicate otherwise stretched the bounds of credulity. Still, very enjoyable and interesting.

This is a tough review...so mixed...with a great effort to avoid spoilers. I'll start with the positive...incredible character development (I will miss each of them, so real, such depth), great writing, very real emotional issues, a great grasp of true love. If I stopped here, it would get a 5 star. However...if you're looking for action, this is not the book for you. Very little happens throughout the entire book, yet the story lent itself to the potential for great action so I was turning each page with great expectations that something was going to happen, only to be disappointed all the way to the last 10 pages. Lastly (and really trying to avoid spoilers here!), by the end of the book, I felt the author wrote this book to spread show more her left-wing viewpoint (quite a common occurrence, but a bit over the top in this book) and it was just so far-fetched that it was hard to swallow. That being said, I can understand why someone else could love this book...just not this someone. show less

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett is a book that I have had on my Kindle for more than a few years, meaning to get to it someday. I now have finally gotten to it and can only kick myself for not reading it sooner. I loved this beautiful, emotional story set in an unnamed country in South America where a rag-tag group of revolutionaries take over the house of that country’s vice-president.

The country, in hopes of gaining his business, holds a birthday party for Mr. Hosokawa, a rich Japanese industrialist. It is held at the home of the vice-president and a famous opera singer is brought in as entertainment. The guests are a multinational group of the rich and powerful but the terrorists had their eye on getting the President. The President show more failed to come so they were left to now settle in and start making their demands.

In reading the story we get to know the many characters, both the terrorists and the guests. The author developed her characters fully from Roxanne, the famous opera singer to Carmen, the young terrorist. Issues of culture and politics are part of the story. Eventually the dividing lines between the captors and the captives begin to blur as the situation goes on for months. Even romantic love is developed and enchants us. At the back of my mind was always this feeling of dread, knowing that tragedy was on the horizon. A wonderful read and well deserving of the awards it received and the hype surrounding it. show less