Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bel Canto
Book Review: A Beautiful Book That Is rather Timely
Summary: 5 Stars
As I read Ann Patchett's BEL CANTO, the major news event was the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. I know which side has the moral upper hand, and I deplore terrorism, yet I also wonder what I would do if I was not born in the United States, did not have the opportunity for an education, and rights so many people in the world cannot fathom, how would I feel about the conflict? Would I be so certain? In some ways, this is what the novel BEL CANTO examines.
The plot is rather basic. Since there are so few plot details, the characters are the focus of this book. A Japanese executive, Mr. Hosokowa is invited to a small South American country to honor his birthday. The hope is that he'll invest in the country, but the only reason he attends is to hear Roxanne Coss, his favorite soprano sing for his birthday celebration. The event turns out to be a catastrophe. A group of terrorist invade and hold the people hostage. The ordeal lasts over four months and during that time we see the humanity of the characters and when stripped to this level, we see little difference between captor and captive though as the novel ends, the distinction becomes rather clear.
BEL CANTO is a beautiful work that is poetic and beautifully written. It's not a quick read, but rather a book that is meant to be savored. It may not be a book for everyone. My guess is that some of the Amazon reviewers wanted a faster paced action novel and after reading were somewhat disappointed. BEL CANTO is not fast paced, but if you are looking for a work that plunges into the heart of humanity and shows people at their cores, you'll love BEL CANTO.
Book Review: A Fairy Tale has more realism than this novel
Summary: 1 Stars
I'm really disappointed that I spent $2.00 on this book at a library book store. I have tried to think of a fairy tale which failed so completely to characterize real humans to the extent Bel Canto fails. About half way through, I was hoping to learn that it was a metaphor for something, an allegory, anything to save it from being a pathetic romance novel that I don't believe a self-respecting romance novelist would have written. I notice that the novel was written prior to 9/11; however, some of the customer reviews must have been written after 9/11 -- what are those people thinking? This is dangerous fantasy in my opinion -- I guess it's more appropriate to call it fantasizing. How sad that this is what book clubs were reading. I recommend that you not buy this book. Instead, buy "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. That is a beautiful and skillfully written novel with a fantastic-seeming premise which reveals real truths about human beings. Another incredible seeming but truthful novel I read recently is "Solaris." Don't watch the American movie, read the novel.Book Review: A Gift from Grandma
Summary: 5 Stars
My 25 year old granddaughter asked me for the names of some good books. I ordered "Water for Elephans" and "Bel Canto" to start her off. I read both of these books when they first came out and consider them "must reading".Book Review: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the finest novels I read in 2005! Patchett has created a cast of beautiful characters that the reader cares about, and her prose (literally) sings off of the page. Do not miss out on reading this novel.Book Review: A Lyrical Novel About Humanity
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was definitely engaging, I found myself interested in seeing how every thing would turn out in the end.
First, I want to say that I think it is easy to misunderstand this book's premise because of its description. People here have given it negative reviews because the terrorists aren't "realistic" or because of the "unlikely" love stories.
The problem is that I don't think this novel is meant to be "realistic". The situation with the terrorists is meant to be absurd.
No, in real life, terrorists would not be stopped dead in their tracks by an opera singer, but then, in real life, White Rabbits don't talk and animals don't run farms. If you are a literalist, a person who reads a book and scoffs at the impossibilities, then read something less imaginative.
This novel is about connections, translation, it is about romance and if you don't like reading about passion you are not going to like the climax of the story- it isn't sexy through the entire novel, however.
About the ending: I enjoyed it, too. This is surprising because I wanted a happy ending (you know Disney style, with birds, flowers & what not?) although I figured I wouldn't get it.
However, I believe the ending serves its purpose. This couple does what they do (I don't want to give it away) in order to preserve the feelings they had while they were hostages.
I understand that this novel has a few technical flaws, but I didn't notice them while reading. I was looking for a world to get lost in, a place to sink into. I wanted to suspend disbelief for awhile. I even found some of the dialogue funny. ( The moment when Thibault needs help in the kitchen, for example).
I finished this novel about 3 hours ago and I am now thinking about music, romance, language and tragedy. I've got that dreamy "good book" feeling.