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Bel Canto (P.S.)
by: Ann Patchett

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780060838720
ISBN: 0060838728
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: August 01, 2005
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: August 02, 2005
Sales Rank: 4031
Studio: Harper Perennial

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until a band of gunwielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.

Amazon.com Review:
In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. His hosts hope that Mr. Hosokawa can be persuaded to build a factory in their Third World backwater. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera. And thus, from the beginning, things go awry.

Among the hostages are not only Hosokawa and Roxane Coss, the American soprano, but an assortment of Russian, Italian, and French diplomatic types. Reuben Iglesias, the diminutive and gracious vice president, quickly gets sideways of the kidnappers, who have no interest in him whatsoever. Meanwhile, a Swiss Red Cross negotiator named Joachim Messner is roped into service while vacationing. He comes and goes, wrangling over terms and demands, and the days stretch into weeks, the weeks into months.

With the omniscience of magic realism, Ann Patchett flits in and out of the hearts and psyches of hostage and terrorist alike, and in doing so reveals a profound, shared humanity. Her voice is suitably lyrical, melodic, full of warmth and compassion. Hearing opera sung live for the first time, a young priest reflects:

Never had he thought, never once, that such a woman existed, one who stood so close to God that God's own voice poured from her. How far she must have gone inside herself to call up that voice. It was as if the voice came from the center part of the earth and by the sheer effort and diligence of her will she had pulled it up through the dirt and rock and through the floorboards of the house, up into her feet, where it pulled through her, reaching, lifting, warmed by her, and then out of the white lily of her throat and straight to God in heaven.

Joined by no common language except music, the 58 international hostages and their captors forge unexpected bonds. Time stands still, priorities rearrange themselves. Ultimately, of course, something has to give, even in a novel so imbued with the rich imaginative potential of magic realism. But in a fractious world, Bel Canto remains a gentle reminder of the transcendence of beauty and love. --Victoria Jenkins

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- A Struggle
I was expecting more from this book after hearing glowing reviews from trusted sources. It dragged for me. While I loved the language and imagery that Patchett used, I had no emotional attachment to the characters. I found most of them to be quite shallow and unsympathetic. While I believe that the pace was intentionally slow, so as to add the proper setting for the story, it never regained what momentum it had in the beginning. I was lost in the monotony, and it was a struggle for me to get through. Probably closer to 1.5 stars for me, as, like I said, I did enjoy the prose, just not the story or characters.

Rating:

- A take off on Bunuel's El Angel Exterminador (1962)
An interesting allegory about an elite group of people trapped in a concept that continues to breakdown, but still persists. The story is so similar to El Angel Exterminador that I kept getting distracted by looking for comparisons.

Rating:

- great vacation book, can't put it down
The book never lets you down, and you will stay up late nights, reading rapidly to see what follows. But you realize the enjoyment will soon end, so you will slow down your reading to stretch it out. Each character gives you a gift, as each one shows you their character. At times, characters are very funny--the poor host saddled with so many guests for so long, the French man who cooks for them all. And there are so many sweet, wonderful moments. Implausible, yes, but what a great read.

Rating:

- Memorable
An unusual book, but one of those you remember well. It builds like "Bolero" with finely drawn characters. Felt like I was there watching, unseen.

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