Amy 
fiction
Bel Canto tells the tale of a group of people in a hostage situation. A large group of people remain in a house for an extended period of time, both terrorists and hostages, and learn to live in their new reality while ongoing negotiations take place.
What a joy this novel was! I really was captured by this
story and it caught me by surprise. I did not know the story line before I read
it. I just knew it was a beloved novel and that a movie had been made about it.
I knew there was an opera singer but that’s all. This is the first Ann Patchett book I’ve read. I really cannot think of a single reason to withhold
any stars so I’m giving it 5 stars—a rarity for me, as you know if you follow
my reviews!
The atmosphere in the house is almost like a situation where
a group of strangers are stranded on an island. They are separated from their normal lives suddenly and unexpectedly and must attempt to make the best of the situation
in order to carry on. It was a fascinating study of people, psychology,
sociology, and the kidnapper/victim dynamic. I adored getting to know all of
the characters and seeing how relationships changed over time. The language
barrier aspect was intriguing. The anticipation about how this would end was
fantastic. Yes, perhaps some of the situations were pushing reality and just a
little too convenient at times, but it was all plausible and Patchett’s writing
made it believable and kept pulling me back for more. The only major flaw I
could find was that one of the characters develops conjunctivitis yet no one
else in the house catches this very contagious condition—even the characters
who played chess with him! But that is
not worth withholding a star.
I enjoyed the ride and I’m surprised how much I enjoyed this
moderately-paced tale that included no real adventure or suspense. It just had such lovable characters with interesting motivations and
backgrounds and it was those personalities and interactions that kept me
engaged.
The narrator of the audio book, Anna Fields, was delightful.
I loved her voice, her accents (of which many were required in this story full
of global characters), her voice acting, and her clarity of tone. I give her an
A+! She definitely added to my enjoyment of the story. Sadly, I found out that
she died tragically a few years ago in a freak flood.
I agree with your review wholeheartedly. I find myself thinking of aspects of this book years after I read it. It has really stayed with me!
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