Rating: 
Summary: ROMANCE/THRILLER--not . . .
Review: Typical romance novel fare--- although there's nothing wrong with that if it's done correctly. The author seems to have lifted the scope of this novel right from the evening news, mrely changing the location from Peru to an "Undisclosed South American Country." The book is plagued by predictable plot points and there are no delectable plot twists, or sensational character development. This was my first Ann Patchett novel, and she is ceratainly a good writer, but I would be skeptical of reading another of her books unless I saw a spark of originality.
Rating:
Summary: I can hear Roxanne Coss...
Review: I didn't read this as a story with an emphahsis on plot. This is a story about characters in an impossible situation. Magical realism... ok, whatever that is. Plot. There isn't much plot. The characters are lead to the discovery that within the walls of the palace and the confine of their mutual captivity that all those things that defined them and seemed important in their lives outside fell away. Who we think we are and those things we hold onto so fiercely are often environmental constructs. The allegory in our post 9/11 world would be that beneath our cultural/economic/social differences our humanity is a powerful force and given the opportunity will lead us to understand that given the right set of circumstances it isn't so hard to love your enemy. In fact, that person isn't your enemy at all. I found the authors prose elegant and piercing without being showy or reaching. Condescending? I missed that part. My complaint, and it's a big one, is the ending/epilogue. I just don't get it. Huh? How did that happen? I needed a bit more of a seque for the ending to be believable-- even magically realistically believable...
Rating: 
Summary: A gorgeous novel!
Review: I wouldn't have thought it possible for a writer to evoke the pleasure of listening to beautiful music with mere words printed on a page. I was wrong. Ann Patchett's novel does exactly that. And with the fluid point of view illuminating first one character, then another, the reader moves through the story immersed in this bizarre and dreamlike situation until it all seems so real that these characters haunt you long after you've finished the book and think you're done with it.
Rating: 
Summary: I Tried to Like It
Review: It just isn't good. In fact some of the paragraphs are painfully over descriptive. They reminded me of an assignment in high school English to write "bad Hemmingway". She writes "bad Patchett" a few times too often in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A very good read!
Review: I resisted reading Ann Patchett's BEL CANTO because it seemed that the recommendations came primarily from readers who don't want anything more in a book than a romantic escape from today. Now I'm wondering what is so wrong with that sort of recommendation! BEL CANTO is a good read: it captures your interest, creates a microcosm, populates the pages with people you would like to know, and keeps its story confined to one place so that the afterburn of the tale can be appreciated. Patchett knows how to keep a storyline moving even though the premise of a terrorist coups taking over a birthday party in the Vice President's mansion in a South American country and holding the hostages for nearly a month seems to stretch credibility. But given the tale (some suggest this is based on a true incident in Lima, Peru????) the author seems to want to demonstrate that within the confines of a claustrophobic camp of terrorists/hostages the saving thread is music - specifically Opera at the hands of a very Renee Fleming-like singer. Being an opera addict, it is easy for me to see how whiling away the days of captivity listening to opera might be a satisfying refuge, but to stretch that feeling to a whole amalgam of types begs indulgence. Love blossoms everywhere despite the circumstances. The ending is abrupt and unexpected and a bit too tidy. One can take umbrage with the author's spoon feeding us translations of famous arias, getting bogged down in vocal techniques, overusing the concept of a translator, etc, but in the final analysis she creates a story that does have a fine moral statement about our state of being in a world surrounded by the threat of terrorism. If somehow we can remember this little book when things turn against us, Patchett will have succeeded in writing more than the entertaining book this most assuredly is.
Rating:
Summary: Diamond in the rough
Review: Living in the comfortable age that we do, there seems lately to be a glut of art about Art. "Bel Canto" is no exception to this trend, but the book is redeemed by the fact that Ann Patchett writes about music and beauty not out of the usual narcissism, self-obsession or self-justification, but out of inspiration and admiration. A deep appreciation of music is evident here. But that is part of the problem. "Bel Canto" would have worked better as an essay on aestheticism than as a novel. For a book that revolves around a hostage crisis, the plot is surprisingly thin.
Nevertheless, there are many other pleasures to be gleaned from this book. Patchett's prose is original and lyrical. The characters, espcially Roxane, are compelling. And the emotional payoff at the end is undeniable.
Unfortunately, the epilogue completely betrays the hundreds of pages--and reader investment--that preceded it.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: Ann Patchett is clearly a gifted writer who spins nice conversation and presents richly developed characters. Unfortunately, her knowledge (or research) of opera needs quite a bit of work. Her book not only betrays itself in the implausible scenario of the never-ending-hostage-crises but also shows a real lack of understanding the business of her leading lady, Roxane Coss. She is unlike any opera singer known to mankind in that she arises early every morning to sing, and, can sing or perform practically ANYTHING (she runs the gamut from "La Sonnambula" and "Barber of Seville" to "Tosca" and "Norma", of all things. The only thing she missed was The Bell Song and Brunhilde).
Although we genuinely feel the boredom of the captives as they spend day-in/day-out stuck in same house, our interest is lost early on and after that we simply hope for more story. It never comes until the final two chapters, the latter which is truly unbelievable as two of the most unlikely characters marry. Lovely writing, great characters, and a boring, unbelievable story.
Rating:
Summary: It's about beauty and love
Review: I was hesitant to read this book - I thought it would be all about terrorism and South American politics, but NO! It's not at all - it's about beauty - inner beauty, aesthetics, music, and pure love that transcends nationality, politics, and even language. Set in an unnamed country, a group of elite business and political people are held hostage in a house for weeks on end, and one of the hostages is an international soprano star. The lines between hostage and captor, business person and jungle warrior, east and west, star and lowly servant all begin to blur as time goes by - and the house becomes its own encapsulated universe. You'll fall farther and farther into the fantastical world as you read, and more in love with the book. I hated it to end, but loved the ending...I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: News Flash! 'Bel Canto' to be made into an opera!
Review: I had never heard of Ann Patchett until my wife kept urging me to read this book someone had lent her, Bel Canto. When she told me it was about an opera star it piqued my interest, as I'm an obsessed classical music lover. I was not disappointed. I even figured out which current diva the main character, Roxane Coss, is based on (Renée Fleming). But, more than that, I was engrossed and read it in two sittings. Then, I heard a rumor that Ann Patchett was herself writing an opera libretto. Hmmm, interesting, I thought, so I went looking on the Web, and found this note at the website of ArtsWire: "Aaron Jay Kernis' opera for Santa Fe is also his first opera. It will be based on the novel, BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett. 'The story describes a gala birthday party being given to honor a Japanese industrialist in an unnamed South American country, rebels enter the house and take the guests hostage. As the story unfolds, what happens to both the guests and the terrorists in their ensuing days of captivity is revealed,' the Santa Fe Opera notes." Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the hottest young American composers currently working. And he is certainly capable of setting dramatic and lyrical melodies to set off the operatic plot of this grand book.
Rating:
Summary: bel canto is a great achievement
Review: Bel Canto is a remarkable book in so many ways. It is the story of a goup of international politiicans, businessmen,a nd an opera singer, being held capitve by a group of terrorists-most of which are young boys. The first remarkable thing is that she weaves together some interesesting and underlooked topics, suchas translating,language, opera and hostage takeovers. The second interesteing twist which many authors neglect, is that there are many types of realtionships being devloped, not just a love affair or a love triangle. This gives the characters more depth, and alctually adds a layer of relaism to a magical story. It also allows the reader to see many different perspectives of an amamzing situation, which makes it a very rich, rewarding reading experience
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