Reviews

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

shutupdivs's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

while i am very much in love with the central themes of this book, i do not however think it accounted for a very pleasant reading experience. much of the book passed by without anything really happening, but i do understand that was the point. i thought the main characters (hosokawa, gen and roxane) were well fleshed out and i genuinely developed an affinity for gen as the book progressed. i couldn't connect with the seemingly bewitching effect of opera that enveloped the entirety of the book but that's just because i don't listen to opera myself, lol. i really liked reading about the hostages' reflections throughout the course of their captivity, though. fyodorov's story about his grandmother's big painting book, thibault's new found love for his wife, father arguedas' devotion towards christ, gen's insights on the mysteries of language - these were some of the highlights of the book for me.  
although it is repeatedly implicated in the book that it won't end on a happy note, i found that i had grown so accustomed to the security/monotony of the hostages' life under captivity that the ending took me by surprise. even though i knew that carmen would die, i couldn't process her death. i guess the hostages' stockholm syndrome started rubbing off on me too. kudos to ann patchett for that.
some people have bashed the epilogue but for me it made perfect sense. two people united by a common sense of loss. 

abbyhough's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.5

itor's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

mjwilson22's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

corbierre's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.0

laura2day's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

eliran's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

leahgustafson's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I absolutely LOVED Tom Lake earlier this year and previously enjoyed reading The Dutch House. So, I was very excited to jump into Ann Patchett’s backlist with my book club this past month! Every synopsis of Bel Canto I’ve ever read sounds strange, and I’m not going to attempt to do it justice myself. I remember the first time I heard about this book. I thought, “This book doesn’t sound like it’s for me.” I think the best thing to do with this one is to go in blind and just enjoy the reading experience! 
•
Nothing happens in this book and yet, simultaneously, everything happens. It is an absolutely stunning portrayal of power and privilege. The choice of the setting is so smart, and the writing is so well done that I, as the reader, often forgot what was actually happening and the power dynamics that were at play given the circumstances. 
•
The idea of “language” is a prominent theme that is woven throughout this story. We explore the different ways humans are able to communicate without a shared/common language. This story also explores love, or in some cases, infatuation. It raises the question of whether love is based on proximity since many of these people would have never occupied the same spaces in their daily lives.
•
All three of the Ann Patchett books that I’ve read are so vastly different, and this really speaks to who she is as a writer. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to making my way through more of Ann Patchett’s backlist.
•
Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

abisnail564's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I liked this book but it was a little on the slow side and took a while getting into. The last 1/3 flew by.

It’s strange to feel such a sense of impending doom as a reader while the characters become more relaxed and happier. But maybe that’s the mercy of it. I was very much not sure what I thought of the Gen/Roxane ending but I imagine no one else would ever understand what they’d been through.

jmsci2's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75