Bel Canto (Ann Patchett)

Bel Canto

 (Ann Patchett)

Book Review

            The book is set in an impoverished South American country. A world-renowned opera soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a famous Japanese CEO. Mr. Hosokawa, one of Japan’s richest men, has been invited to a formal birthday gathering. The host country has high hopes of persuading him to build a factory in their third world impoverished nation. Mr. Hosokawa’s attendance is bribed by the addition of Roxanne Coss, a world-renowned soprano, to the party. Roxanne Coss has been Mr. Hosokawa’s obsession. Mr. Hosokawa, fascinated by the simplicity and beauty of opera music, gladly accepted the birthday invitation. Fifty-Eight international business and political leaders gather to celebrate and witness the phenomenon of Roxanne Coss. As the night starts, things seem to be going smoothly. But in the final opera number, just as the power goes out, a band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their objective is kidnapping the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera instead of attending the event. Because the president didn't attend the party, the terrorists struggle to find a reason to detain any hostages. Even though the president isn’t attainable, the terrorist group decides to stay at the vice-president’s home taking over former bedrooms as offices and army quarters. The hostages are expecting to only be kept for days, but this time frame quickly turns into months. The hostages aren’t joined by a common language. Gen, Mr. Hosakawas translator, becomes of vital need of the hostages and terrorists, to communicate with each other. The 58 international hostages and their captors create unexpected bonds as they struggle to form a system of universal communications. Time starts to stands still and priorities of the terrorists and hostages rearrange themselves. The hostages have been kept for months in one confined space. Relationships and secret alliances start to form as the distinction between the terrorists and the hostages starts to fade.

            This book was extremely entertaining and engaging to read. From the moment I opened to the book to the very last pages, I didn't want to put the novel down. This book is truly one you have to read for the ending. Ann Patchett drops an emotional and unexpected ending in Bel Canto. Her style of writing likes to build you up, make you extremely comfortable with the situation and then she tears it all apart. The theme of this novel is how a group of 58 international hostages find a single universally communicable language.  The novel shows their struggles to form a bond as one group of survivors. Ann Patchett creates a scene of havoc and chaos, displaying the hostages needs to communicate. She quickly resolves this problem with the introduction of music. Music unites all members in the home.

 Ann Patchett, author of five New York Times best selling novels, created Bel Canto to break free from her boring life. She wanted to depict a scenario where the lives of her characters mirrored the average American reader, but still had a quirky twist. Her idea of simplicity in Bel Canto quickly engaged thousands of readers, making Ann Patchett Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2012.

Character List

Katsumi Hosokawa

The head of a major Japanese electronics firm. He is extremely organized and prepared. When listening to opera he feels “passionately alive”. His love of the opera singer Roxanne Coss brings him to the impoverished South American country where the novel is set.

Roxanne Coss

A famous opera singer that is invited to the South American country to sing for Mr. Hosokawa. Ms. Coss’s voice soon becomes the saving grace of all the hostages and terrorists.

Gen Watanabe

Mr. Hosokawa’s interpreter. Watanabe, who is in his twenties, has a great gift for languages, and the hostages and the terrorists rely on him to communicate with one another.

Carmen

A shy, timid, and beautiful young terrorist. Carmen’s greatest talent is her ability to move stealthily, without other people noticing her presence. She asks Gen Watanabe to teach her how to read and write in Spanish, her native language. Over the course of their secret lessons, they fall in love.