Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: This book is beautifully written. It is not for those who favor murder mysteries or coutroom dramas. It is a gem to be savored by the literary reader, the characters are realistic and vivid, the prose poetic. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Story Line, Not enough action
Review: The story is interesting but it seems to drag on too long without enough action. This is book I would recommend as an average book.
Rating:
Summary: Bel Canto
Review: I was intrigued by the theme. But I found the reading difficult,
there seemed to be way too many words to keep the plot moving along. The characters were well developed, but it was hard to follow just what the author was trying to communicate. I liked the use of multi-cultural characters. I liked the metamorphing of individuals, and the relationship between music and love and the universality of those concepts. But it was a struggle for me to finish reading the book...it simply didn't move along well, not a page turner.
Rating:
Summary: So so
Review: I found the essence of the book intriguing. It dwells quite a bit in a situation that is so far fetched that not even fantasy can explain it. The beginning of the book is interesting, but between the beginning and the end is sometimes unbearable.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing look at hostage /terrorist psychology...
Review: A well written book examing the interpersonal relationships that form amongst a group of hostages and terrorists. The plot starts with a bang and then simmers throughout the novel until it reaches the inevitable conclusion. The beauty is in the interactions between the characters. For people who are fans of an action packed plot, this book will be slow. For those interested in the development of personal relationships, this book will be excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Author didn't do her homework
Review: Two things I appreciate in a novel are an intriguing plot and beautiful prose. Bel Canto began with the promise of both, but the story fizzled from lack of conflict until the final pages. However, the major complaint I have with this book is that she calls the interpreter a translator. Translators work with documents. Interpreters work with the spoken word. I'm quite surprised that the author didn't research the profession of one of the main characters, and not even the editor caught this glaring error. There could be a gripping tale woven from a situation such as this one, but Bel Canto isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Experience (4.5 points)
Review: The reading of this book is an experience. I almost always choose books that are plot-driven. This is not one of those. This little book is about people in an unusual (and unpleasant) situation. It's how they adapt and survive. It's not for everyone -- but maybe for you.
Rating:
Summary: 6 stars
Review: I am not normally inclined to write these reviews, but from the amazement this novel has afforded me, I feel I must share my opinion. Since reading Bel Canto, more than a week ago, it has been on my mind frequently...even whilse I was reading it, I was already regretting that the book would soon finish. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of literature, and more specifically those who have an affinity for music. Ann Patchett has beautifully articulated what some, or at least I, feel about the wonderment that is this passion for music~
Rating: 
Summary: This sucked!
Review: I got this book as a gift from someone I traded books with a lot, usually I've enjoyed all her picks. But this book, despite its great reviews and awards, was horrible. It wasn't even the least bit realistic, given its subject matter, and the lack of dialogue didn't keep it interesting. The romances and awe of the opera singer were absolutely ridiculous to me. To sum up this book in two words...WHO CARES??
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: A librarian from Frankort, MI: This book is about war - an intimate war between deluded terrorists (whose political alignments, significantly, are never really revealed), but there's little emphasis on the horrors of war; rather, Ann Patchett chooses to focus on how art - especially the beauty of music - can save people from themselves. I can think of few messages more appropriate for our troubled times. Patchett has woven an engrossing fiction about opera, terrorism, and Stockholm Syndrome - and her own artistic achievement is that she's able to make it all come together so perfectly. Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez
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