Bel Canto in Reading with Style

Jan 10, 2011 Wendy rated it really liked it

Shelves: vcfa-reading, literary-fiction, pen-faulkner, musikalisch

At last, a story that pulled me in immediately with that lyrical description of the kiss on the first page. I struggled to put this book down after that. The premise of this novel is of South American terrorists (in a country very much like Peru) taking over 50 international guests hostage at a party, to include a Japanese businessman and his translator, an American Opera singer, and the host country's own Vice President. The violence and chaos of the attack unfold with poetic confusion, in scen ...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Chinook rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-kindle, south-america

At an interview in the back, the author says that Bel Canto was to try to find a way to grieve for the things that you read about in a newspaper. I wouldn't have seen that on my own, but it makes a lot of sense to me. Towards the end, the sadness of knowing that it could not work out well was intense. I wasn't fond of the epilogue, though it did make perfect sense to me as a next step. But I think the book would have been stronger without it.

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Apr 20, 2020 Bucket rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, literary, love, culture, life-and-death, music, language, many-perspectives, communication, class

This was excellent -- easily my favorite Ann Patchett to date (though I've read just 3). The depth that Patchett gave the major characters (and even some minor ones) was well-done and the way the relationships changed and developed over the course of the novel, despite language barriers was fascinating.

My only real quibble is similar to my quibble with the very end Patchett's State of Wonder. Without giving too much away, I'll just say this: just because two people went through a harrowing exper ...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Sarah rated it it was amazing

You have to just go along with it quite a bit as the outside world reaction or lack thereof seems unrealistic, but if you can let it go a beautiful story will unfold. And it's funny too, tragicomic but beautiful. I'd love to see it made into a movie. ...more

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