Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

11 reviews

liaannee's review against another edition

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lighthearted sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A book about hopeless romance- from the guérillas and the hostages alike- and how love persists in captivity and in grief. 

Patchett writes as if completely removed from the situation, as if we’re watching a telenova and doing housework at the same time, which balances out how sentimental everything might feel otherwise. It’s slowly paced with a million vignettes. There’s even the sliiiightest hint of magical realism here, if we consider opera and music to be magic. In the end, I didn’t feel as much of an emotional gut punch as I expected. It was a bit more like waking up from a dream, or a nightmare, and everything blurring together as I forget reality, as the characters all do. 
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constructism's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.25

I did love this book, anyone who begrudges the descriptions of the life changing magic of opera has not listened to enough opera!! I can't wait to read the annotated version because girl that epilogue... 
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madijwhat's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.0

If Don Quixote and The Murmur of Bees had a baby… it would be this book. 
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dev921's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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augie_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-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? No

4.0

Great story but dragged towards the end and I hated the ending!
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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is one of those books that unfolds slowly, and you spend so much time with it that you feel a little loss after it's over. Like your mind keeps wandering back to these fully formed characters that you've grown to care about, just to arrive at the conclusion that they're gone from your life forever. I felt such tenderness toward almost every character. And I think it was intentional, but the only bit for me that kept me from a 5-star review
was that the ending was so abrupt that I thought I had missed pages.
But the whole playing with tragicomedy was incredible, and I really enjoyed the writing.
*bought from the library book sales at Citizens Library in downtown Washington, PA.
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eve81's review against another edition

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dark hopeful sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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notjillsanders's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

The epilogue bothered me so much, but overall I found this read enjoyable.

Was not loving that Gen and Carmen relationship, like if she was older/he was younger it would have been cute but the whole time I was reading I was giving it the side eye.
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caseythereader's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious sad 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? No

4.5

I went into this book not knowing anything about it or the author. I loved this book and the way it was written. I got very sucked in to the narrative and the characters,
which made the ending all the more heartbreaking
.
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