Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – 352 pages
Book Blurb:
In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. His hosts hope that Mr. Hosokawa can be persuaded to build a factory in their Third World backwater. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera. And thus, from the beginning, things go awry. Among the hostages are not only Hosokawa and Roxane Coss, the American soprano, but an assortment of Russian, Italian, and French diplomatic types. Reuben Iglesias, the diminutive and gracious vice president, quickly gets sideways of the kidnappers, who have no interest in him whatsoever. Meanwhile, a Swiss Red Cross negotiator named Joachim Messner is roped into service while vacationing. He comes and goes, wrangling over terms and demands, and the days stretch into weeks, the weeks into months. With the omniscience of magic realism, Ann Patchett flits in and out of the hearts and psyches of hostage and terrorist alike, and in doing so reveals a profound, shared humanity.
My Review: 4 stars
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This was a great book club pick that led to a much-animated discussion. Of course, it helped that there was a real-life, similar Peruvian hostage situation to compare too, the consideration of having Stockholm syndrome, listening to some Opera and the regular dissecting of characters and plot lines. For me, the book started off a little slow, but thankfully kept my interest enough to get me to the meat of this book. There were some very interesting characters and relationships that developed while in captivity. Patchett does a great job in developing those romantic relationships so that they seem genuine rather than only a by-product of the situation. The satirical element that the president of this unnamed country stayed home to watch a soap opera didn’t go unnoticed. I recently read an article that this book is being turned into an Opera, if so, it would make a great book club excursion.
Quotes I Liked:
It was never the right time or it was always the right time, depending on how you looked at it.”
-“It’s easier to love a woman when you can’t understand a word she’s saying.”
-“For a man to know what he has when he had it, that is what makes him a fortunate man.”
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