Search - Bel Canto

The writing and plot certainly kept me going and made me want to finish, but as others have stated, the ending fell flat. Just as the ending can ruin the most beautiful piece of music, this did. It put me off of Patchett for a while, as I felt the end and epilogue were tacked on ... but for no reason I could possibly think of. Made me consider the rest of the story "unreal" in retrospect.

Delightful story of a hostage crisis in which South American, American and Japanese visitors all learn to survive together, and the surprising relationaships that form in this vacuum without normal cultural barriers. Very suspenseful and emotional. Different from anything else you will read.

Unusual and facinating study of fear, accommodation and communication. There is nothing ordinary about Bel Canto.

The story opens at a diplomatic event in a third world country - a birthday party for the head of a Japanese electronics giant, featuring a world-renowned soprano and attended by a Who's Who of local politicians and international financiers and businessmen. When terrorists take the gathering hostage but can't find the president of the country (who is home watching his favorite soap opera), they are nonplussed.

The weeks-long hostage situation forms the basis for Patchett's story, and it's worth the time.

It's been awhile since I was in such a state of awe while reading a novel. I tend to be a bit critical but Patchett held me from open to close.... This was beautifully written emotionally. Bel Canto will stay with you long after you have read several others. Of her books, this is by far my favorite.

Riveting from start to finish, especially for someone who's spent time in South America. Ann Patchett's way with words and ability to create characters who are human make fiction enjoyable for someone who generally avoids it!

This book is set in an unknown South American country where rebels take over the Vice President's house in a failed attempt to kidnap the President. It is a touching novel which weaves an unforgetable story out of such disparate elements as hostage taking, opera, chess, teenage dreams, undeveloped talents, and romance. The author skillfully draws you in to accept the improbable and believe the impossible. This book will not be easy to forget.