Bel Canto

Critics

• 'Bel Canto' by Ann Patchett

  I liked the premise of the story and the way it avoided turning a hostage situation into an all-action drama, but it needed more than just good characterisation (of which there is plenty) to sustain me for all of its 318 pages. Opera buffs may disagr ... (read full critics)

  readingmatters published on Mon, 27 Sep 2010

• Danger arias

  Bel Canto Ann Patchett 318pp, Fourth Estate, £10 Transfixed by the hijack of the Japanese embassy in Lima five years ago, Ann Patchett decided that it lacked one thing - an opera singer. In this ensuing rendition of life under siege, she corrects the ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

9 Reviews

• 

  There are a lot of themes here, opera and the bel canto tradition of singing, a siege by a group of exceptionally gifted terrorists in a south American country, communication difficulties between a group of people thrown together without a common language, impossible love affairs between unlikely ch ... (continue)

  There are a lot of themes here, opera and the bel canto tradition of singing, a siege by a group of exceptionally gifted terrorists in a south American country, communication difficulties between a group of people thrown together without a common language, impossible love affairs between unlikely characters.
  Patchett handles some of these themes convincingly, for example, the beautiful voice of the soprano reaching into the souls of the other characters and awakening feelings previously unsuspected in their depths. But as is the case in most operas, credibility was stretched quite a bit throughout the tale, not least by the almost complete absence of violence between the dozen or so kidnappers and their forty plus hostages, all confined within a small space for more than three months.
  The pace was painfully slow at times, perhaps reflecting the stagnant nature of the siege but the writing saved the day. Perhaps Patchett is an example of a good writer who needs to find a better story.

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  Top of the pile said on Mar 24, 2012 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  A great story with a disappointing ending, in fact for me the epilogue was a complete let down. Although I do appreciate it was a difficult story to write an ending for! Up until about the last ten pages or so it was a beautifully told story of the bonds that developed between the hostages and their ... (continue)

  A great story with a disappointing ending, in fact for me the epilogue was a complete let down. Although I do appreciate it was a difficult story to write an ending for! Up until about the last ten pages or so it was a beautifully told story of the bonds that developed between the hostages and their terrorist kidnappers, despite the many differences in race, culture and language.

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  Lindyloumac said on Sep 4, 2009 about the Audio Cassette edition | Add your feedback

• 

  I loved this book... absolutely beautiful writing.

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  Kim said on Mar 28, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Bel Canto

  A beautifully written story about a group of people who, thrown together by a terrorist kidnapping gone awry, find out they have more in common than they would initially have expected.

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  Readingrat said on Jan 30, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Boring, flat characters to match a boring, flat storyline. The ending was so completely random I'm still stunned. I can't believe I fell for the 'reviews' on the back of this book saying that it would be my new favorite book and I would tell all my friends to read it. Why do I always fall for mar ... (continue)

  Boring, flat characters to match a boring, flat storyline. The ending was so completely random I'm still stunned. I can't believe I fell for the 'reviews' on the back of this book saying that it would be my new favorite book and I would tell all my friends to read it. Why do I always fall for marketing lies? Skip this snooze of a story.

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  Deanna Kyre said on Dec 6, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  A bunch of diplomats and wealthy people are at a party when terrorists break in and decide to hold them hostage. Among the hostages is a famous opera singer who had been hired to sing at the party, and her music really moves the terrorists.
  ----------------------------------------------------- ... (continue)

  A bunch of diplomats and wealthy people are at a party when terrorists break in and decide to hold them hostage. Among the hostages is a famous opera singer who had been hired to sing at the party, and her music really moves the terrorists.
  ---------------------------------------------------------
  The plot line was pretty good. At times it seemed a bit boring because the hostages were way more complacent about being there than I would've been. The end of the standoff would be how I expected it to end, but the last chapter... I just have to say RANDOM. It doesn't even fit with the story line, and makes no sense. I gave it a so-so rating because of that.

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  Heather Landry said on Nov 21, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
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• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Pub date: Jan 01, 2001
• Dimensions: 1297 mm x 871 mm x 181 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette and Unbound
• In other languages: other languages Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Libri Italiani, Polskie Książki

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