Bel Canto – Ann Patchett

100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: In an unnamed South American country, the birthday party for a Japanese businessman turns into a weeks long hostage situation where the hostages and terrorists begin to bond over a love of opera thanks to the world renowned singer in their midst.

Expectation: A layered, nuanced and tense story of life and death.

Reality: Bogged down by too many characters and writing flourishes, it still packs an emotional punch in the end, but some readers (like my husband) will have given up by then.

Recommended For: Fans of Ann Patchett and lovers of opera or classical music.

Why I Read It: Patchett is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers, so it was time to dip into the back catalog.

My Take:

“Bel Canto” is the type of high concept story that can make or break a writer, and in the case of Ann Patchett, it helped propel her into the big leagues upon its release in 2001.

 In reading this after enjoying two of her later works — “Commonwealth” and “The Dutch House” — I can see she’s a writer who sticks to a winning formula: multiple, interwoven POVs, paired with human and situational drama that, at face value, seems inconsequential but in reality, is anything but.

Of the three novels I read, I liked this one the least, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It means I think her writing is better now.

In “Bel Canto” she tried to juggle too much, which led to several tangents and a tendency to overwrite, which I interpreted as showing off her talent at a time when that was needed.

What starts with an attempted coup d’état at the birthday party of Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa, in a nameless South American country (there is speculation this was inspired by the Lima Crisis), morphs into a weeks long standoff where our hostages and terrorists form a symbiotic union.

Of the initial 200 characters, about 12 get the most page time, with the most interesting being: Mr. Hosokawa; Roxanne Cross, the famed opera singer brought to the event to woo Mr. Hosokawa to the country; Gen, Mr. Hosokawa’s translator and confidant; Messner, the International Red Cross negotiator; and Carmen, one of the only female terrorists.

The other characters dance around the spotlight, and a few are memorable, but the cast was far too big to form an attachment to them.

Through an initial comedy of errors, accidental death and language barriers, the story starts strong, but it began to drag at about the 30 percent mark.

My husband and I were listening to this as a road trip book, and he disengaged from the story after one interesting yet supercilious flourish where Patchett spent an hour looking for a piano player amongst the remaining 39 hostages.

There’s no doubt she did an insane amount of research to write about opera the way she does here, but it started to feel over the top and detracted from the Stockholm Syndrome-esque relationships forming amongst hostages and terrorists.

The last 25 percent redeemed the novel for me. Patchett lulls you into a sense of security and the false hope there might be a happy ending for these people we’ve come to see differently, but deep down you know there can’t be.

She didn’t linger in the heartache or use it for emotional manipulation, but I found the conclusion to be rushed considering how much air this story was given to breath.

What stuck with me was the exploration of how people can elevate from their background, and how you can form a bond with those that initially seem different, if the one with perceived power is willing to take the first step.  

It also showed the power of music and how it can be transcending and unifying force. In these strange days, maybe it’s time we all start listening to opera?

While this may not be a ringing endorsement for the text itself, the audiobook will easily be one of my favorites this year. Anna Fields did impressive work navigating various accents — Spanish, Japanese, American, French, German and Russian — sometimes within the same paragraph.

For a single person narrating and large cast, each character felt distinct, and she tapped into the heart of the person. Patchett’s novels have had Hollywood stars read her words, but Fields even outshined Tom Hanks.

Rating (story): 3.5/5 stars

Rating (narration): 5/5 stars

Formats: Audiobook (library loan)

Dates read: April 29 – May 1, 2022

Multi-tasking: Not recommended. With so many characters, to truly appreciate the story you need to concentrate on what’s happening. This was a great book for a road trip – although probably not one I’d recommend first.