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Bel Canto
Bel Canto
Bel Canto
Audiobook11 hours

Bel Canto

Written by Ann Patchett

Narrated by Anna Fields

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Winner of the Orange Prize • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist

"Bel Canto is its own universe. A marvel of a book." —Washington Post Book World

New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett’s spellbinding novel about love and opera, and the unifying ways people learn to communicate across cultural barriers in times of crisis

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening—until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.

Patchett's lyrical prose and lucid imagination make Bel Canto a captivating story of strength and frailty, love and imprisonment, and an inspiring tale of transcendent romance.

Editor's Note

Lyrical & layered...

When a gala for the international elite devolves into a long-term hostage situation, unexpected intimacies flourish. This lyrical & layered novel is an astonishing study of human compassion.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateAug 3, 2004
ISBN9780060783280
Bel Canto
Author

Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books. Visit her at annpatchett.com.

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Reviews for Bel Canto

Rating: 3.988681862580128 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Gripping tale shocking ending fascinating story - I was enthralled from start to finish
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While there were many beautiful passages throughout Bel Canto, it did drag too long - I suppose in a way, like the hostages' captivity, but I don't think that was intentionally reflecting their ordeal. The ending, while making sense in a way, seemed too forced. Still, I can understand why many love this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed the book, until the end. It was almost like it had to be wrapped up right away.
    But interesting plot. Great characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautifully written and read. The story is lovely as I find so many of Ms Patchett’s works.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If I had to pick only one contemporary novelist to read, it would be Ann Patchett. This is her best. Vividly imagined and original, a strange assembly of dignitaries of many nationalities are held hostage in a South American country. The relationships between these people -- the opera singer, the government officials, the interpreter, the Japanese businessman, and the terrorists themselves -- makes for a gripping, deeply human, and hard to put down read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a novel that expands on the real-life takeover of the embassy in Peru. Here it is the Vice President's home that is overrun, during a birthday celebration for Mr Hosokawa, starring soprano Roxanne Coss. The author takes us on a journey that explores how the hostages and terrorists forge unions/clicques/truces ... how they carve out territory and settle into routine ... how they ignore reality and live on dreams.Our book club rated this as one of the best books we have read. Patchett writes literary fiction, and there is lots to discuss in her works.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The head of state of a South American country is hosting a lavish party in honour of a powerful Japanese businessman who is celebrating his birthday while in the country. The other guests at the event being held in the vice-president's house are international dignitaries, and a famous opera singer who has been asked to perform. In the midst of the festivities, the house is stormed by terrorists intent on capturing the president. Unfortunately - or fortunately for the president - he decided to stay at home to watch his favourite soap opera. The result is an impasse. As the weeks lengthen into months the reader gets to know both the hostages and the terrorists, all of whom become surprisingly well-adjusted to their new circumstances and each other. The guest of honour's translator becomes an important player as he translates for negotiator, hostages, and terrorists alike. Patchett's talent lies in being able to elicit empathy with each of the characters no matter which side they are on. Intriguingly, the proceedings are reflected in the slow-moving chess games played. The story is mesmerizing but Patchett's writing is simply entrancing. Even though the outcome is preordained, one clings to hope. The ending came almost abruptly, and although it was not exactly to my liking, this is a book that I can recommend strongly.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Mesmerizing humanity. Chiaroscuro painted through words. Incredible narration. Thank you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was a beautifully written story, set in an almost surreal world, one where terrorists and hostages can fall in love, become a family (as Patchett was going for). A world where music, in this case Opera, can tame terrorists, calm hostages. The novel speaks to the power of music, of love, of the potential that we so often overlook in ourselves, the inevitable end of beautiful things as reality finally overtakes our fantasies.Patchett writes gracefully with wonderfully picturesque imagery. Maybe this is why Bel Canto received the Orange Prize for Fiction as well as the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.Not required reading but this was certainly an enjoyable story, one that I didn’t want to finish; I tried to stall as long as I could.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this audio book. Wasn’t what I expect high tension and Negotiations but rather a look at the characters and how they develop during this event.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Boring, meh, mind-numbing. Wanted to like it but, did not.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was amazing to realize this was loosely based on a true story! I don't recall the Japanese hostage crisis in Peru, and while listening to this I was thinking how long would this situation carry on if it really happened. Only after this book I saw that there was a similar situation in Dec 96 - Apr 97.

    The book was a wonderfully entertaining, light read/ listen. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and showing their different personalities meshing together.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Slow moving; great character development. Interesting concept. Seemed to be realistic, but some parts were not so believable. Too serious for me to actually appreciate any intended comic aspects.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The relationships that formed during their capture. I didn’t like the ending- but that’s life!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The beautiful writing and character descriptions…I feel I know everyone of them.very emgaging
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Awesome story. I enjoyed from start to finish. Lovely lovely
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great story, with twists and turns, and beautifully narrated .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The best prose you’ll ever read, bar none. If i could forget every word, i would, for the sheer pleasure of reading it all over again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A country somewhere in South America is throwing a birthday for the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa, in hopes of convincing him to do business with them. While he has no intentions of doing so, Mr. Hosokawa is convinced to attend when they offer to book Roxanne Coss, a famous opera singer, for the event. But just as Miss Coss finishes singing, a group of gun-wielding terrorists bursts into the building, planning to take the President hostage. Upon finding that the President is not in attendance, they decide to simply take everyone at the party as hostages, until they figure out what their next course of action is to be. People from countries and cultures all over the world are now trapped together in a mansion, united by a translator and an opera singer whom everyone is fascinated with. As the weeks slip by and they are still not released, the hostages gradually begin to relate with and even befriend their captors, as the beauty of music unites them.This dazzling story was amazing, and is one of my favorite books of the year. It was simply gorgeous.Ann Pratchett has a tender, poetic way of writing that I would indeed call musical. Whenever she wrote about music in this story, I felt moved, just as the characters themselves did when they heard it.Although the events in this story are quite dramatic, Pratchett's writing was firmly believable. Never for a moment did I say to myself "That wouldn't really happen..."Every character is stitched together carefully and emotionally.I loved Mr. Hosokawa, who is a rich and powerful man, but is also quiet and shy. Unlike most businessmen, he is enamored with music, opera in particular. He has always made time to listen to his opera, and Roxanne Coss is his favorite soprano. Roxanne, who is perhaps the most memorable presence of this story, is an opera star who travels the world touring. She is glamorous and just a tiny bit haughty, in an elegant sort of way. I pictured her as Emmy Rossum, which I am probably getting from the Phantom of the Opera movie. Roxanne shows herself on numerous occasions to be strong willed, passionate, and caring. I very much admired her character.Gen, the translator, was another favorite. He has a gift for languages, and Pratchett often compares his talent for translating with musical abilities. Gen's own thoughts and opinions often become lost, as he is too busy telling other people what other people have to say. His skills make him the most useful of the hostages, both amongst them and to the terrorists. Carmen, one of the two young female terrorists, falls in love with Gen. She is a passionate, intelligent girl (and also very beautiful). I pictured her as Keira Knightley. There were others - there was the vice President, Ruben Iglesias, who gets through the captivity in his own home by pretending he is hosting an event and must keep the place orderly. Or the accompanist, who is so in love with Roxanne that he is willing to die for her. Or the boy who learns he has a talent for singing, inspired by Roxanne.Every character was beautiful, both terrorists and hostages.The lines between the terrorists and the hostages are clear at the beginning of the story, but by the end, the line has blurred considerably. Even in the beginning, the captors are obviously not looking for bloodshed. They see no need to kill anyone, and yet they are trapped. If they simply let everyone go, they will lose everything they have worked for. The hostages are their only way out, even though it was never their intention to have more than one hostage, much less hundreds.I loved the subtle romance of this book, and I loved the relationship between Roxanne and her lover (I won't say who it is). Everyone in the place was in love with Miss Coss, in varying degrees. One man even boldly goes up to her and professes undying love to her, telling her his life's story as if all of his days were leading him to this moment. The ending made me cry, and I don't think that I will ever forget how strongly the horrific scene played out in my mind as I read it. The epilogue, which is far more happy, nevertheless left me dissatisfied. Two characters from the story are brought back, years later. However, I was confused, and then outraged. It did not seem like a fitting ending whatsoever. I can't say more without giving it away, but I wish that it had been a particular different character in the epilogue.Bel Canto is a lovely, lushly written, powerful story that I will now be recommending to all of my friends. It is stitched together as intricately and beautifully as the character's relationships within the story.A wonderful book, and very highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A not entirely orginial premise - terrorists take hostages and hostages become fond of terrorists. I'm sure it's been done before but nevertheless I enjoyed this book.
    It reminded me of both Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Louis de Bernieres.
    I enjoyed the different characters and the changes they went through - both personally and in their relationships.
    Wasn't sure about the epilogue but it didn't marr the overall experience.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first Ann Patchett book I read and it made me go out and buy her others. It deserved it's Orange Prize and it had me hoping against hope that everything would turn out alright in the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ann Patchet’s writing is so captivating. I have read also “The Dutch House” and in both novels the characters are so interesting and with great depth.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel was assigned to us in our Contemporary Novel class when I was in college. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The novel is lyrical and romantic and sad. It is quite beautiful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great book to read and discuss, very meaty and yet simple really! Patchett is a wonderful story teller weaving us into this home, this hostage situation and these characters whom we all come to love. Well done!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bel Canto is one of those books whose characters live with you while you read it and in the spaces between your reading. I finished it last night and woke up thinking about it, pondering the way the notes fell and accustoming myself to the story they told. A third-world country in South America throws a birthday party for Mr. Hosokawa, a rich Japanese businessman. To lure him (and possibly his future business) there, the services of the world-famous opera singer Roxane Coss had been engaged for the evening. No one expected to end the party as a hostage of a terrorist organization bent on kidnapping the President. But the President wasn't there; he'd decided at the last minute not to attend, and the terrorists are left with nearly 200 hostages they didn't want and no backup plan. And so things drift on for weeks and months as the Generals try to figure out what they can get from the situation. There are many wonderful character sketches in this story, but five in particular stand out to me. Mr. Hosokawa, his translator Gen Watanabe, Roxane Coss, the female terrorist Carmen, and the Vice President Ruben Iglesias. The relationships they build, stepping out on the tenuous threads of translated speech and interpreted expressions, are the magic from which the story is spun. And running underneath everything, popping up in every scene and playing a part in almost every private motivation is the power of music. It is like a character in its own right against the backdrop of human violence and tragedy. The way it is handled reminds me so much of Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo, another story in which music is a bold statement of beauty in the face of ugliness. Music redeems; music is a force no one was expecting to reckon with. The tone and certain events in the story also reminded me of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. People trapped in a house together try to make sense of their colliding worlds through physical relations, and though it "works" for a time, it cannot last forever. It is also slightly jarring how almost every male in the house is in love with Roxane Coss, but I suppose, given the magic of her voice and the enforced boredom of their captivity, that this is not altogether unrealistic. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with portrayals of men being unfaithful to their wives for any reason, especially when it is shown as natural and acceptable. Perhaps it is natural, but never acceptable!Patchett has a very sensitive narrative voice and she probes her characters gently. The terrorists become people too under her hands as she teases out their nebulous hopes and the things that make them distinct (though I'm sure it helps that they are not the more violent faction of terrorists in the country who would have systematically shot their hostages to force the government to act). The reader feels a strong empathy with many of the characters, despite their flaws. I even ended up liking Fyodorov, whom I thought at first was just pushy and coarse. I feel both unsatisfied and relieved with the ending; I can't quite decide if it feels contrived, or if it's the only possible finish for a story like this. It is not really a happy ending... as much as I love those, I realize that a perfect, bloodless denouément would mar the entire story. If you are, like me, not overly familiar with opera, this is the kind of story that will make you want to listen to it, try to find the beauty that is so powerful in the novel. I enjoyed the book a great deal but I imagine opera-lovers would find even more to relish here, where opera becomes entwined with literature and human tragedy. We are all of us on the stage. This isn't a book for younger people, but mature readers (and especially fans of opera) will find much to enjoy here. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A novel of love, intrigue, an attempted coup, a massive taking of hostages by terrorists who planned to kidnap the President of this South American country at this, but he did not attend. So they took all of the guests hostage.The book is beautifully written, the characters are grown well, the story is good; all things that make a good book possibly great. There are important people at this party. One of them a premier Opera Soprano. As time goes by she begins singing for the group of hostages and terrorists daily. Things change the longer the hostages are held. They lose much of their fear and animosity toward the terrorists. The terrorists relax in their vigil but no one attempts to escape. There is much interaction between the hostages and the terrorists. And when the end comes, as it must, the hostages are overcome by the carnage and weep for their kidnappers. It does end on a surprising high note which left me with raised eyebrows but this is a very good book and deserving of the Orange Prize. I rated it 4 stars and highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book in its Kindle ebook format. It is 4731 locations long.This is a novel about a terrorist group that takes over an embassy. They wanted to kidnap the president of the country, but the president wasn't there. Instead, they capture a group of party goers and an opera singer. The book explores the dynamics between the captors, the captives, and the negotiator in a standoff that lasts for months. The singer is the central character of the story. Her music transcends the power dynamics and language barriers, and a number of unexpected relationships evolve. It's a fascinating book. You don't have to be an opera buff to enjoy the story. But if you know Renee Fleming (she's the model for the character in the book) and you enjoy her music, it will add a special zest to the feeling of the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars for this book, but went with 4 because I think I was just going for 5 because I was so pleasantly surprised. I'm not an opera fan. I'm terribly gauche, I know (I don't like sushi, either). My sister bought me the book for Christmas because it was on my to-read list, but I wasn't excited to read it because I couldn't imagine getting into an opera/hostage book. But when I found myself with nothing else to read one day, I started it and was surprised to find that it grabbed me from the beginning.

    I enjoyed the descriptions of how music affected the characters in the story, even without an appreciation of opera in particular. Pachett's description of the setting drew me in, as did her presentation of the various cultural and language differences. The only thing I was uncomfortable with was the ending, and this was just because I knew the whole time it had to end as it did, and I still let myself get attached to the characters and feel disappointed. I don't fault Pachett for this. Had she given me the ending I wished for, I would have criticized her for it because it would have been totally unrealistic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said before? Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto is so unique that I would hardly have believed it was a book had I not read it myself. It’s a story about love in the most unlikely places. Heroism from the more unlikely of people. And culture when you expect nothing but the uncivilized.My favorite moments were without a doubt any time Roxanne Cross sang. Despite the fact that she is a fictional soprano, by turning the pages it was as if I could hear her voice myself. Without sounding corny, the book was pure magic. I began it somewhat skeptical – how much could one gain from a book about a hostage situation? Needless to say, I was mistaken.I was in love with the translator Gen, who became the accidental hero of the novel; the uniquely beautiful terrorist Carmen, who taught me how to walk without being heard; and, the unmistakable Soprano Roxanne Cross, whose voice inspires humanity from even the most inhuman of the group.The plot is unique and not at all as you would expect. I was constantly surprised and enjoyed the book throughout.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In an obscure South American country, a great party is underway to try to lure foreign money into the country to help bolster the economy. A world-renowned American opera singer has been invited to perform, as an inducement for some of those invited to attend. Before the night is over, the entire party is taken hostage by insurgents. Patchett's novel does not rely on suspense about the inevitable outcome, but rather on the gentle unfolding of human interaction, of love in all its forms, and of of the caprice of human attachment. Beautifully written by someone who has a profound understanding of humanity and a skill with the language that makes it possible to lose oneself in the story, this book is highly recommended.