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dmillet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
nataliehendrickson's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
marisa_jarrett's review
3.25
And again, Ann Patchett is always a hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, this one was a miss. The premise started out strong for me, I enjoyed the dynamics between characters and how lines from distinct sides and backgrounds began to fall and blur. However, less than halfway through the book, I myself felt trapped in a house for weeks on end as the book seemed to drag on and on.
dua_liepard's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death, and Mass/school shootings
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Winner of the Orange Prize? Must be literary, pretentious and hard-to-read then.
Not at all. I have found some Orange shortlisters too much of a challenge but Bel Canto is incredibly readable, funny, romantic and touching.
The synopsis sold me. And then the writing pulled me through.
In an unnamed South American country, at the Vice President's house, a Japanese CEO of industry celebrates his 53rd birthday with a party for other important people, and including his favourite opera singer as entertainment.
A terrorist organisation takes them all hostage after hoping to find the country's President at the party. Alas, he is at home watching his favourite soap opera. And so begins a long stand-off in which positions change, relationships are formed, we meet and learn to like hostage and terrorist alike.
It's a brilliant read, even if you suspect you know what might happen at the end (it is a hostage situation after all), though there are surprises.
The characters are wonderful and varied, from the brilliant and much-in-demand translator Gen, to the poor Red Cross go-between called in from his holiday, to the shingles-ridden terrorist General.
Sympathies are stretched to include almost every character, which seems far-fetched but they are an interesting bunch to follow. It does mean you have more than one party to root for however.
There is a lot of talk of songs and singing in the book, with Rozanne Coss the opera star singing each day in the house, and I did several times wish I could hear her!
Very enjoyable. And very readable.
Not at all. I have found some Orange shortlisters too much of a challenge but Bel Canto is incredibly readable, funny, romantic and touching.
The synopsis sold me. And then the writing pulled me through.
In an unnamed South American country, at the Vice President's house, a Japanese CEO of industry celebrates his 53rd birthday with a party for other important people, and including his favourite opera singer as entertainment.
A terrorist organisation takes them all hostage after hoping to find the country's President at the party. Alas, he is at home watching his favourite soap opera. And so begins a long stand-off in which positions change, relationships are formed, we meet and learn to like hostage and terrorist alike.
It's a brilliant read, even if you suspect you know what might happen at the end (it is a hostage situation after all), though there are surprises.
The characters are wonderful and varied, from the brilliant and much-in-demand translator Gen, to the poor Red Cross go-between called in from his holiday, to the shingles-ridden terrorist General.
Sympathies are stretched to include almost every character, which seems far-fetched but they are an interesting bunch to follow. It does mean you have more than one party to root for however.
There is a lot of talk of songs and singing in the book, with Rozanne Coss the opera star singing each day in the house, and I did several times wish I could hear her!
Very enjoyable. And very readable.
deebury's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
augie_'s review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Great story but dragged towards the end and I hated the ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Blood, Gun violence, Child death, and Violence
marcykohlbeck's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
artemisfloof's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sharkybookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
A South American government throws a lavish birthday party for Japanese businessman Mr Hosokawa - renowned soprano Roxanne Cross has just finished singing for the illustrious guests when a band of gun-toting guerrillas take over the house and a hostage situation develops…
This one has an intriguing premise - the differences on every level between the eminent international guests and the guerrillas, the dynamics of Roxane Cross as the only female hostage, the different ways the various nationalities react to the situation - there’s a lot of potential there, but it just didn’t quite come together for me.
Patchett’s writing is very accomplished and she’s clearly an astute observer of the small details of human nature and the connections people form, but there was something missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The pacing didn’t help - nothing much really happens for most of the book. Sure, it reflects the monotony of the hostages’ days and the way they settle into their situation, but as a reader it’s a bit of a drag, and by the time the plot does take off near the end, it’s too much, too late. And this is coming from somebody who doesn’t mind a quiet book.
Something that ended up really bothering me was that the South American country in which this was set is unnamed and that felt like an excuse to lazily lean into generic stereotypes of how South American countries function. I’m not sure it would quite fly in a book published today.
An accomplished character study of how different people might react to a hostage situation, the way humans seek connection and the deep emotion of music, but missing some pizzazz.