Rating: 
Summary: incredibly dull, repetitive portrayal of stockholm syndrome
Review: i just managed to force myself to finish 'bel canto' a few minutes ago and while i still have the completely senseless ending in my head, i would like to write my review:many a novel has been written and many a movie filmed about kidnappers, their victims and the special bonds that can end up forming between the two. the well-documented 'stockholm syndrome' is given another go-around in 'bel canto', but the most surprising thing about the novel is that it offers absolutely nothing unexpected. who couldn't have foreseen, more or less, the relationships that would form, the friendships that would grow, the two or three possible outcomes? during the whole read, i was just aching for something to sneak up out of the woodwork and grab my attention, but the author found nothing out of the ordinary. i must admit that she describes the completely predictable events in beautiful detail, but that detail becomes absolutely exhausting after the first few chapters. i can't imagine anyone, even music lovers, enjoying the umteenth description of roxane coss and how incredibly amazing she is to everyone around her... just when you think that concept is down, ann patchett throws in ten more descriptions of her voice, her beauty, her character, her giving nature, her compassion... by the end of the novel, i didn't care what happened to her as long as i never had to hear the pretentious lauding about her once again. like many novels in english about other countries, there are insultingly simple mistakes in the spanish that could have been weeded out by any native proofreader (who could commit such a simple error as "poco esperanza"? what animal is the "cabayo"..is it a horse with a common spelling mistake or guinea pig ("cobaya") commonly eaten in peru? how many people in the spanish-speaking (or anywhere) world are named ranato? i couldn't stop thinking the same thing time and again while curled up with 'bel canto': "the reality must have been far more interesting than this dull, repetitive fiction." because 'bel canto' is so obviously inspired by the takeover of the japanese embassy in lima, peru, why didn't ann patchett just research what happened there and give us a documented account of the real events? i'm sure fujimori is a much more fascinating character than the telenovela-watching president in the novel. i'm sure the actual dignitaries and personnages trapped in peru were much more complex than the depthless figures in the novel (creating depth in a character doesn't mean describing one or two facets of their personality ad nauseum). and, most of all, i'm sure the terrorists in the real hostage situation didn't run a summer camp like the one depicted in the novel. maybe that is the greatest flaw of 'bel canto': you never feel like the victims are in the slightest bit of danger, and you KNOW that no terrorists like this have ever existed in the history of terrorism... in nearly five months of captivity, TWO acts of what could be called physical violence take place, whereas there is constant love-making, game-playing, opera-singing, chit-chatting, meal-cooking, cigarette-smoking and TV-watching, all made nice and smooth by a clearly fictional interpreter, gen, who (unbelievably) speaks wonderful english, french, spanish, german, russian, japanese, polish, italian and danish (and those are just the nine mentioned in the book)! come on. the author should be ashamed of herself for glamorizing and sentimentalizing a situation that could never take place.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Beautiful Novel
Review: Wonderful book, very well written with wonderful nuances throughout. An absolute joy to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Complex, twisting, and gripping
Review: I read between three and four books a week while I am commuting to my job. Usually, I can mentally leave behind the book that I am reading, at least while I am working. This book, however, had me thinking about it while I was writing emails, picking up phone calls, working on projects. It was a classic 'can't put it down' and I had to. I kept trying to figure out ways to sneak a few pages at work. The plot is unusual and the finale is surprising. Much better than The Magician's Assitant, for those who have read it.
Rating:
Summary: A great book.
Review: The story starts out with a small unamed South American country inviting a Japanese businesman to come and celebrate his birthday there with a very well known opera singer Roxane Coss. There is where the story starts to unfold. The charactors in this book unfold and you start to see the true sides of them. Terrorists decide to try and kidnap the countrys President, but when they get to the party they realize that the President isn't there just the Vice-President and alot of dignitarys, and other well know people. The terrorists keep certain people hostage the story starts to change and you start to realize it isn't what you expected. As weeks and months go by you start to get to know the people of the party, the terrorists and the other people involved in the story. There is where you start to understand why they are doing this and how things will turn out. Overall I felt the book was wonderful, the ending left me in a bit of surprise but overll this was a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Terrorists with a heart? Never heard of it!
Review: First let me say that Ms. Patchett writes beautifully. Her prose is lyrical and I really felt like this was a story that could be put to music and enacted as an opera. ...It really makes me wish I knew more about opera because the descriptions were so mesmerizing ! If only it weren't so totally unrealistic! Actually, I probably would have felt differently before 9-11-2001, before the reality of terrorism struck our nation as hard as it did. Perhaps the destruction of the World Trade Center, along with the happenings in the Middle East have jaded me to such an extent that I find empathy toward terrorists impossible! Knowing what I know, it's hard to imagine that political terrorists, no matter how young they are, could develop such an attachment to their hostages and visa versa. I personally cannot find myself able to love any terrorists, even in a fictional setting! Since I found Ms. Patchett to be such a talented writer, I would be interested in reading some of her other books. Perhaps I will find the plots easier to accept!
Rating:
Summary: Bizarre Situation Breeds Mixed Results
Review: A group of strangers form intense and unique relationships when a terrorists take them hostage at a political fund raiser somewhere in South America. At the heart of the story are two central figures, Roxanne Coss, the beautiful American lyric soprano, and Mr Hosokawa, a Japanese businessman who has come to hear her sing. What starts out as what would seem a fast negotiation winds out into months, and soon the captors and their captives find themselves creating a whole new world beyond the locked doors of the home they're in.Quite artfully Patchett weaves her story much like the operas Roxanne sings,chock full of romance and ultmately tragedy. I found myself straining a slight bit with the credibility of the situation, but enjoyed the various characters so much that overall found it to be a very good read.
Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful and lyrical piece of contemporary fiction
Review: Bel Canto sat on my shelf for quite some time before I picked it up -- as others have written here, I was hesitant to pick up a novel whose plot revolved around opera and terrorists. But after two of my friends raved to me about how good it was, I decided to give it a try, and inhaled it in a matter of days. Though the book's plot does indeed center around terrorists taking hostage a dinner party which includes a world-renowned opera singer, Bel Canto isn't really about opera and terrorists. It's about the way human beings relate to one another in the most fundamental of ways, whether or not they speak the same language or have anything in common. Ms. Patchett writes beautifully as she tells the story of foreign dignitaries who are forced to coexist with the terrorists who have taken them hostage. Though I am largely ignorant of opera, I was still able to appreciate the role which music played in the novel, that of a universal language which gave the hostages and terrorists their first commonality. Many others follow, but I'm hesitant to reveal any plot details (I also don't consider a plot summary to be a book review). It will suffice to say that the relationships among the hostages and terrorists grow more complex as the book continues, and what was once a black and white situation quickly changes to shades of gray. If I were to have one quibble with the novel it would have to be the epilogue which, I felt, was somewhat forced and not entirely believable. I see that other readers have felt the same way -- I suppose it's a matter of personal preference of how tidily a reader likes his or her book to end. In any case, the epilogue in no way detracted from my enjoyment of Bel Canto overall. I only wish I hadn't left it sitting on my shelf for so long, distracted by preconceived notions. Don't make the same mistake -- if you're a fan of thoughtful and well-crafted contemporary fiction, read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Unusual relationships in impossible situations...
Review: My online book club read Ann Patchett's *Bel Canto* this month, and I think we'd all agree that it's one of the most unique novels we've chosen in almost four years. The terrorist scenario may slightly intimidate some readers, but Patchett does a wonderful job of keeping uncomfortable scenes around the edges while focusing on the humanity of the situation. Mr. Hosokawa, a successful Japanese businessman, is offered a special birthday party in an unnamed South American capitol, where his favorite opera singer, Roxane Coss, will perform just for him. Hundreds of dignitaries and other businessmen are invited, and the evening seems to be enjoyable and harmless. Suddenly, the lights dim, and terrorists invade. It seems that death is inevitable immediately, but when the terrorists realize their main goal, the nation's president is not in attendance, they decide to hold hostages. Weeks pass, and readers will learn more about all of the hostages, and even more intriguing, the terrorists themselves. The hostages form unusual relationships with their kidnappers, and the reader will be hoping for a peaceful ending. I can't recommend this book enough!!
Rating:
Summary: Fun -- A MUST read for opera lovers!
Review: I disagree with the reviewers who call this a book about how terrorists have a heart, etc etc. This is not a deep book, and reads like a farce in the spirit of "Amelie" ... despite the fact that it involves terrorists, hostages and opera, don't be taken in by that! It is best enjoyed when read with an absurd Spanish accent, breathlessly recounting the events as if on a radio novella. Take the story of Father Arguedas, a recently ordained Catholic priest, who is certain his love of opera must be a sin, and even though his confessor tells him it is not (excepting some of the libretti, of course) he still prefers Russian operas because the language is the least like Latin, so there is no chance he'll understand the words and get caught up in the lusty plots ... References to tragic opera run through the book and most of the characters have names that come from famous tragedies in literature and opera (Roxane, Esmerelda, Cesar, Carmen) so if you look up the operas or recall the literary references, you'll get an idea of who's who and what's what. All in all, though, I didn't think there was much to "get" as it is a sweet love story and gives a humorous and subtly profound soap-opera twist on terrorists and hostages, South American culture, and the struggles of all people in the world. The book sucks you in gently, until you've just got to find out what happens!
Rating:
Summary: Bel Libro
Review: The novel, Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett is the story of a group of individuals that are forced together through an extremely unlikely situation, and end up learning about the truly beautiful things that life has to offer. Through this journey, the reader is pulled into the story, and this book leaves the audience pondering what matters most in their own lives. In this way, almost anyone is capable of liking and appreciating this book, however Bel Canto may be most appropriate for music lovers; opera fans in particular. I loved this book. The story is interesting and keeps the attention of the reader, and at the same time, the message that the author is trying to make clear comes through without a hitch.
There are many important characters in this novel, but the plot mainly revolves around a Japanese businessman named Katsumi Hosokawa, his assistant and translator, Gen, and a famous soprano named Roxanne Coss. They come together at a birthday party for Mr. Hosokawa, hosted in the home of the vice-president of an unidentified South American country. Miss Coss has just finished singing when the lights go out. When they come back on, the guests find that La Familia de Martin Suarez, a group of anti-government "soldiers", has taken them hostage. Over the next couple of weeks, the group of men, and three women, becomes a strange sort of family and they manage to adapt to their situation, and learn to work together.
The main focus of the novel seems to be relationships. The very beginning explains the non-existent love affair going on between Roxanne Coss and her accompanist. Later on, relationships change, and most of the men taken captive end up falling in love with Miss Coss, with the exception of a Frenchman named Simon Thibault, who rediscovers his love for his wife, Edith. Later on, even more surprising relationships develop for Gen and Mr. Hosokawa.
What I liked most about this book was that the story line was strangely unique. Stories about hostage situations are not a rarity, but the way this particular story unfolds is different than what one may expect when they first open the novel. Also, the detail is not over or under done, and the characters are developed, and keep developing new traits throughout the novel. The only complaint that I have about this book is the very end. I felt that the way that the author chose to finish the book did not fit with the rest of the story. Although most of the book is about discovering new relationships, by the time I reached the end, I felt that it would have just been sufficient for the book to end with the loss of some of those hard-earned bonds.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, or is knowledgeable when it comes to opera. This book has a little bit of something for everyone, and still manages to stay true to the plot. It is deserving of both the Pen/Faulkner award that is displayed on the cover, as well as a title such as "beautiful song", and I hope that it continues to gain a bigger audience, and that others enjoy Bel Canto as much as I did.
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