Bel Canto in Pick-a-Shelf

Sep 02, 2012 Booknblues rated it really liked it

Shelves: latin-america, contemporary-fiction, music

A third world country in South America with hopes of drawing investment dollars decides to throw a birthday party for wealthy Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa. To lure him to the party Roxanne Coss, opera diva is performing. Because Mr. Hosokawa is enchanted by Roxanne's voice and presence, he cannot miss the opportunity to see her in person.
Local revolutionaries also see this as an opportunity to force the President to release political prisoners. Unfortunately they did not consider the presi A third world country in South America with hopes of drawing investment dollars decides to throw a birthday party for wealthy Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa. To lure him to the party Roxanne Coss, opera diva is performing. Because Mr. Hosokawa is enchanted by Roxanne's voice and presence, he cannot miss the opportunity to see her in person.
Local revolutionaries also see this as an opportunity to force the President to release political prisoners. Unfortunately they did not consider the president's addiction to his favorite soap opera. The president declines to attend this very important party, and hands the duties of host to his vice president.

So starts Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. It is not so much a book about revolutionaries and terrorists as it is an examination of human frailties in times of stress. It examines how the Stockholm Syndrome might work with music acting as a magic wand to break down conflicts and boundaries between hostages and kidnappers. The vice president's mansion works as an enchanted castle which the party-goers dwell in suspended animation.

Within the book are romances that are so perfect and innocent that they remind the reader of the fairy tales of childhood. Can this fairy tale continue when the prisoners leave the enchanted castle? Throughout the book there are indications of things to come.

Patchett deftly creates interesting characters that the reader begins to care about. There is Gen, Mr. Hosokawa's assistant and translator, gifted at languages and a servant to his work ethic. There is Carmen illiterate villager and revolutionary who falls spell to the mansion and dreams of living there forever. Vice President, Ruben Iglesia finds his space as the perfect host, caring for hostages and hostage takers alike.

One wonders is this likely to have happened? While the book mirrors events at the Japanese embassy in Peru several years ago, does it adequately explain what happened there or is it merely a fantasy. Does the Stockholm Syndrome work reciprocally for both hostages and kidnappers until the lines ultimately break down?

Bel Canto is a book I enjoyed reading very much and I found myself falling under its spell. ...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Ann rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

An enjoyable east read. I expected more after reading all the positive reviews of the book, but I think they reflect the general popularity of the author, the accessibly of her prose and themes and not necessarily an extraordinary writing style or ouevre.

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