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Bel Canto (P.S.), by Ann Patchett
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“Blissfully Romantic….A strange, terrific, spellcasting story.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Bel Canto…should be on the list of every literate music lover. The story is riveting, the participants breathe and feel and are alive, and throughout this elegantly-told novel, music pours forth so splendidly that the reader hears it and is overwhelmed by its beauty.” —Lloyd Moss, WXQR
“Glorious.” —The New Yorker
Ann Pratchett’s award winning, New York Times bestselling Bel Canto balances themes of love and crisis as disparate characters learn that music is their only common language. As in Patchett’s other novels, including Truth & Beauty�and The Magician’s Assistant, the author’s lyrical prose and lucid imagination make Bel Canto a captivating story of strength and frailty, love and imprisonment, and an inspiring tale of transcendent romance.
- Sales Rank: #8528 in Books
- Brand: Patchett, Ann
- Published on: 2008-06-10
- Released on: 2008-06-10
- Format: Deckle Edge
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x .88" w x 5.50" l, .72 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9780061565311
- Notes: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
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
From Library Journal
Lucky Mr. Hosokawa. The well-connected Japanese businessman, now in an unnamed South American country on yet another job, is having a very special birthday party. At the home of the country's vice president, opera singer Roxane Cos will be performing for him and his guests. But what's this? Armed men invading the premises? These ragtag revolutionaries are looking for the president and disappointed that he is not there, but that doesn't stop them from holding the party goers hostage. What happens after that was, for this reviewer, a story that failed to ignite. Patchett (The Patron Saint of Liars) generates little tension as she moves her players around the board, and one is disappointed that there is little reflection about the head-on clash of art and life. This book is getting a big promotional pitch, however, so libraries may want to consider.
- Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From The New Yorker
An impoverished South American country hosts a birthday extravaganza for a Japanese industrialist in the hope of securing new foreign investment. The lure? An internationally renowned lyric soprano. Indeed, when Roxane Coss sings, even the ragtag terrorists who are about to flood through the air-conditioning vents and take the guests hostage hold their breath, transported by the beauty of her voice. Patchett's tragicomic novel—a fantasia of guns and Puccini and Red Cross negotiations—invokes the glorious, unreliable promises of art, politics, and love. Against this grand backdrop, the smallest gestures bloom with meaning: a pretty governess stitching up the cheek of her employer with her sewing kit; a young terrorist discovering the tyranny of wearing a watch; an exasperated French diplomat risking his life to peel an eggplant with a proper knife.
Copyright � 2005 The New Yorker
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
In comparison with Ann Patchett's reputation, this magum opus was okay. You can feel other writers' frustration. Superfiical.
By Ada Ardor
I candidly do not know how to feel about this book. Although there are plenty of parts I did like. The writing was mediocre, and there wasn't any true depth with any of the characters. There could have been more.
When this book first got published, I saw this book everywhere, and I was admittedly intrigued. I only bought and read this book because of Lucy Grealy, who wrote the heart-wrenching Autobiography of a Face. Ann Patchett was purportedly a friend of Grealy, and Patchett wrote her own book on Grealy. From the media summaries of Patchett's memoir, I do not think Patchett understood her friend at all. Her criticisms of her friend appear condescending, superficial, and even condemning, and I think because her friend is no longer in existence, Patchett saw a wonderful opportunity. One of judgment and no understanding, and you cannot judge her friend unless you walked in her shoes. But I know in Patchett's simple mind, she thought she was doing a good thing.
Bel Canto was okay.
Patchett does not have Grealy's command of words - or an inviting, welcoming writing style. Patchett's words are staid, as if she wants to be a writer, but she has nowhere to go. No doubt, she has had many teachers who praised her, encouraged her, and thought she was at least some apitute. Unfortunately for Patchett, she took it to heart, and did not realize her teachers were just being nice. And for Patchett's part, she is earnest, and she took many classes. She is obviously educated, diligent, tries hard but she has no talent. This will be the last book I will read of Patchett, and I do not care to read again. She has nothing to teach me. I cannot learn from her. And her writing is no different from any stock book.
Patchett's confidence is munificent, but no one told her she should decide on another vocation. I do not know how this book got published. The writing was neither stellar, poetic or precise, and I forced myself to plow on through. I concede that Patchett managed to provoke some emotion, and I cared for many of the characters. But a lot of this book was not convincing, and it was on par with a Michael Bay film. The relationships and dialogue seemed to come straight from Michael Bay film. I just could not care. And this is her magnum opus.
Let's forget all that. Let's focus on the story, which was not even original. Story of how a poor South American country wanted to beckon Howskawa, and invited opera singer Roxane Coss to delight him. Howskakwa's interpreter is Gen. Howskwawa lives a prviileged life, loves opera, and because of a birthday present from one of his daughters, loves Coss.
They cannot speak; Gen serves as interpreter, but Roxanne falls in love with Howskawaw.
Let's forget the mediocre writing. Let's move on to the story.
One of the central flaws was how this renegade group managed to even get in the house. Don't these heads of state have security? I know how they snuck in, but it seems they did it without a modicum of protest. Even a baby could elude all security protocols.
Not once did I buy into soprano Roxanne Coss's love affair with the chief admirer of her music. The most poignant relationship for me was Gen and Carmen, and I thought Carmen one of the most intriguing characters of the book, and I wanted to know more about her: her home life, how she became a terrorist, her infatuation with the interpreter.
Also the ending was abrupt and unfinished. Sad lovers married each other, and each are unhappy and in mourning. I wanted to know what happened to the rest of the hostages.
Based on this book, do not think will read Patchett again. Did not learn from her; she has nothing to offer me.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Hostages and terrorists, changes and growth
By Roseann S.
What happens when a large group of multicultural people who do not speak the same language are kidnapped and held by terrorists for a long period? How do they develop and change? How do the terrorists change over time? How do the hostages and terrorists come to relate to each other? These are the questions posed and answered in Bel Canto and how the opera singer touches the lives of almost everyone. You may feel it is a bit improbable and too detailed at the beginning but sticking with it you will get into it and wonder at how the plot develops wanting to see each new unfolding until... suddenly it comes to an inevitable conclusion which you probably were not expecting. It was a more interesting and compelling read than most I have had in recent times. I recommend it to anyone tired of the same old plots. This is definitely not that.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Why people "Love" or "Hate" this book !?!
By Amazon Customer
I learned about this book while reading The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller - which is a super fast-reading thriller that I loved.
But before I bought Bel Canto I knew by reading the plethora of reviews and by being familiar with the genius of Ann Patchett in general, that this was going to be a novel with a completely different pace.
And I loved it!!
But for those of you that are having trouble "getting it" ...
Here is why some people Don't "Understand" this book:
1) They are expecting a typical American Style thriller that is high in action. but lower in emotion and characterization through action like the wonderful Black List: A Thriller. Yes, these books are great, but they are different.
2) They have never read the English thriller books such as Where Eagles Dare that are very, very descriptive of every character and the "situations" they are in. Bel Canto is very much written like a true English thriller.
3) They are utterly unfamiliar with the genre of literary fiction such as People of the Book and are perhaps don't have the right kind of attention span.
Here why people "Love, Love, Love" this book:
1) The tension starts off with a bang then continues to build to peaks and valleys through out the book, making them always want to know what is around the corner.
2) The real-ness of the characters that are so unique yet so fabulously true to type. Byt he end of the book every reader know he will take this characters with him for the rest of his life.
3) The privileged look the reader gets inside the culture and psychological progression of a long term hostage situation.
4) When an intelligent reader reads this or any of Ann Patchett's books, he is changed forever. Your perspective and your thoughts are changed forever.
And ...
If you take your time and read this book, you will thank me forever.
Also you might want to re-read The Godfather this book is definitely worth a second round.
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