A review by justjacq
Bel Canto: A Novel by Ann Patchett

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Hmm, I went into this with really high hopes, and I did really enjoy it, but I'm not sure it's worth the hype, in my opinion. I bumped this one up in my TBR because I found it at the library, AND because it ended up in the Times Top 100 Novels of the 21st century. It was very thought-provoking. After reading a lot of other reviews, it seems like you either loved it or didn't like it at all. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I didn't know it was based on a real hostage crisis in Peru in the 90s, so I can't say I have a lot of feelings about that - because I simply didn't know. As a fictional novel, I thought it was wonderfully descriptive and transportative. It does read slightly soap-opera-esque, and it was a little slow moving for me. It was so interesting to watch the crisis play out and to see how the hostages and terrorists grew together and apart. I liked a lot of the characters and felt captivated by their circumstances. I kept waiting for something big to happen, and when it finally did at the very end, I didn't feel like it was what I wanted or expected - I have so many lingering questions about what happened "after." I'm not into opera, so I did find it a little hard to relate to. All of the characters in the story became almost hypnotized by the soprano, and several "fell in love" with her in a way that felt a little dramatic and fairy-tale-ish. The writing was superb, though - it was romantic, full of drama, and longing. This is only the second Patchett novel I've read, and even though I didn't love it as much as Commonwealth, I'll definitely be adding more of her books to my TBR.