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The novel, Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett is the story of a group of individuals that are forced together through an extremely unlikely situation, and end up learning about the truly beautiful things that life has to offer. Through this journey, the reader is pulled into the story, and this book leaves the audience pondering what matters most in their own lives. In this way, almost anyone is capable of liking and appreciating this book, however Bel Canto may be most appropriate for music lovers; opera fans in particular. I loved this book. The story is interesting and keeps the attention of the reader, and at the same time, the message that the author is trying to make clear comes through without a hitch.
There are many important characters in this novel, but the plot mainly revolves around a Japanese businessman named Katsumi Hosokawa, his assistant and translator, Gen, and a famous soprano named Roxanne Coss. They come together at a birthday party for Mr. Hosokawa, hosted in the home of the vice-president of an unidentified South American country. Miss Coss has just finished singing when the lights go out. When they come back on, the guests find that La Familia de Martin Suarez, a group of anti-government "soldiers", has taken them hostage. Over the next couple of weeks, the group of men, and three women, becomes a strange sort of family and they manage to adapt to their situation, and learn to work together.
The main focus of the novel seems to be relationships. The very beginning explains the non-existent love affair going on between Roxanne Coss and her accompanist. Later on, relationships change, and most of the men taken captive end up falling in love with Miss Coss, with the exception of a Frenchman named Simon Thibault, who rediscovers his love for his wife, Edith. Later on, even more surprising relationships develop for Gen and Mr. Hosokawa.
What I liked most about this book was that the story line was strangely unique. Stories about hostage situations are not a rarity, but the way this particular story unfolds is different than what one may expect when they first open the novel. Also, the detail is not over or under done, and the characters are developed, and keep developing new traits throughout the novel. The only complaint that I have about this book is the very end. I felt that the way that the author chose to finish the book did not fit with the rest of the story. Although most of the book is about discovering new relationships, by the time I reached the end, I felt that it would have just been sufficient for the book to end with the loss of some of those hard-earned bonds.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, or is knowledgeable when it comes to opera. This book has a little bit of something for everyone, and still manages to stay true to the plot. It is deserving of both the Pen/Faulkner award that is displayed on the cover, as well as a title such as "beautiful song", and I hope that it continues to gain a bigger audience, and that others enjoy Bel Canto as much as I did.

Spellbinding! Ann Patchett's "Bel Canto" employs a hostage-taking in an unnamed South American country as a departure point for one of the most original and affecting romances I've read since Michael Ondaatje's "English Patient." As the story begins, Roxane Coss, America's most beloved soprano, has been invited to perform at the home of the country's vice president in order to lure an opera-mad Japanese CEO into opening a factory there. No sooner is her performance over when the house is stormed by revolutionaries, who lay siege to the house for weeks and months to come. As might be expected, such captivity promotes the unlikeliest of alliances...

To say more would be to spoil what follows. Suffice it to say that, much like the character of Roxane Coss herself, Ann Patchett exhibits such facility with her art as to extract all of the beauty and insight from this ludicrous, unappealing, and frankly unromantic scenario. Upon reading the first fifty or so pages, skeptics (myself included) will doubt whether Patchett can sustain her high-concept high-wire act to arrive at a suitable finish. They needn't worry; this is altogether an amazing and amazingly-written book. Brava!

This is a beautifully-written novel, one in which the reader can empathize with all the main characters, "good" or "bad." Given the vast range of reviews here ("Fantastic!" "Boring"), it would seem that this book either hits you powerfully or totally misses its mark. For me, it worked. This book is full of so many wonderful small scenes and moments, sewn together in a beautiful tapestry, that I truly did not want the book to end. If you're looking for action, possibly pass this one by. If, however, you're interested in books exploring complex relationships forged under even more complex situations, then I suspect you'll enjoy this book.