bel canto

Bel Canto
By: Iris Doyle

Based on a true event Bel Canto is an amazing book written by Ann Pattchet. Her words are like liquid feeling on the page. Her perspective grows inside of you to see the kindness of human nature.
In an unnamed country in South America a luxurious birthday party is being thrown for Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful electronics executive. Even though the reception was only a desperate grasp from the unstable country to get industrialists to invest in their struggling country, Katsumi Hosokawa cannot resist attending because of his obsession, Roxane Coss, a lovely lyric soprano opera singer who will be performing at the party. Mr. Hosokawa has already been to 18 of Roxane’s performances and he cant seem to get enough of her, especially up close in a personal setting like his own birthday party. The birthday is held in the vice president’s estate. Many people from around the world attend the party, all captivated by the amazing voice of Roxane Coss. At the end of the last note of Roxane’s performance the lights go out. The people at the party are bewildered until they discover when the lights come back on that the party has been hi-jacked by a group of terrorists. Wile the lights were out several people had snuck in through the air conditioning vents. The terrorists goal was to kidnap the president of the country, who was unable to attend because he could not bring him self to miss a crucial point in his favorite television soap opera. Shocked the terrorists don’t know what to do and they hold the people in the house hostage in an attempt to still get what they want. The government surrounds the building and tries to negotiate with the terrorists, sending in a red cross volunteer to observe the situation. They eventually set the women; the workers and the sick go. A few people that the terrorists hold hostage. The process is long and the days seem like forever. These people include Katsumi Hosokawa, his translator gen, the vice president Ruben Iglesias, and the magnificent Roxane Coss.
This novel is not so much a novel of suspense, but a novel of relationships. The characters in the book develop immensely and the relationships between he people bloom. With the tragic events happening all around you would imagine the mood and the plot to be very hectic. Quite the opposite happens, out of the chaos comes a beautiful look in to the relationships among humans. The characters are blocked out from the every day life and time. They have the chance to really know and learn about each other and to truly love another. Gen Watanabe is Mr. Hosokawa’s translator. All his life he has been translating other’s thoughts but the whole time he has never been able to speak for himself. In the midst of all the disaster Gen is able to connect everyone with his brilliant translating skills. He is the portal that connects everyone in the room. With doing this Gen is able to realize his own voice and emotions. Roxane, the only women left after some of the hostages are released is able to keep people’s spirits up with her beautiful song. She takes on ha huge role of leadership. Roxane has never been a leader in her life but now she is able to lead the people in the room upward. In one perspective Roxane may have saved some hostage’s life. The Vice President Ruben is able to become the housekeeper and the host of the event. In having everyone kidnapped in his home he wants people to feel upmost comfort despite his former view as being a good for nothing vice president. He takes great care of the hostages and he tries as hard as he can to make everyone comfortable.
Bel Canto is a beautiful book that captures the reader and carries them through the whole novel. You won’t want to put it down but you also don’t want it to ever end.