
Bel Canto
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Narrated by:
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Anna Fields
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By:
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Ann Patchett
Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Winner of the Orange Prize • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist • New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century
""Bel Canto is its own universe. A marvel of a book."" —Washington Post Book World
New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett’s spellbinding novel about love and opera, and the unifying ways people learn to communicate across cultural barriers in times of crisis
Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening—until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.
Patchett's lyrical prose and lucid imagination make Bel Canto a captivating story of strength and frailty, love and imprisonment, and an inspiring tale of transcendent romance.
Don't miss our free Ann Patchett interview. Patchett is an Audible CelebrityListener - find out what she's listening to here.©2001 Ann Patchett (P)2001 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
- 2002 Orange Prize for Fiction
- Book Sense Book of the Year Award Winner, Paperback, 2003
- PEN/Faulkner Award Winner, 2002
"Patchett can be counted on to deliver novels rich in imaginative bravado and psychological nuance. This fluid and assured narrative...demonstrates her growing maturity and mastery of form." (Publishers Weekly)
"Mixing art and politics can have unexpected results, but rarely are they so poignant....[Anna Fields'] performance is the essence of Bel Canto, easy, pure of tone, with an agile, precise vocal technique." (AudioFile)
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Going back to the rave reviews and literary awards. I can see that the union between her subject matter (opera) and her stylistic form was very well crafted. This form makes for a great discussion in a book review. However, is that a reason to highly recommend a book to readers? No.
A suggestion... If these characters did more than sit around a house for four months getting to know each other the plot would have been more interesting.
Characters are Fleshed Out/ Plot is Slow
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Incredible
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Excellent reading of an exceptional novel
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lyrical, lush, airy
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Still haunts my memory
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Would you consider the audio edition of Bel Canto to be better than the print version?
I thought the narrarator Anna Fields, brought just the right tone and nuace to the story. Her voice made it easy for me to feel as thought I were there, almost a part of the group.What was one of the most memorable moments of Bel Canto?
The ending was surprising, and although I'm not entirely sure I liked it, I could see no other way to bring the story to some kind of resolution.What about Anna Fields’s performance did you like?
Everything. Tone, pausing, changes in inflections - soft/hard/kind/stern. It was as if she knew each character and could introduce them to us exactly as they should be.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It was interesting enough, but I can't listen for longer than a few hours before I start becoming distracted. I did however, immediately start listening to it the minute I was out for a walk, bike ride, etc.Any additional comments?
Loved it which surprised me. Wasn't sure it would hold my attention, but it did. I really enjoyed the characters (although the adoration of one of the characters became a bit much as some points.)A Surprising Love Story between Captors and Hostag
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Well crafted, well written story
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Left me hanging..
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If you could sum up Bel Canto in three words, what would they be?
Engrossing and TragicWho was your favorite character and why?
I loved all the individual characters, but I think that Mr. Hosokawa sticks in my mind the most. A business man who had little time for his family, he was the most changed by these events.Which character – as performed by Anna Fields – was your favorite?
Anna Fields did such an amazing narration of this book. She brought life to all the characters, male and female in many foreign languages. Amazing!Who was the most memorable character of Bel Canto and why?
Gen was the most memorable for me. He brought guests and terrorists together in a way that would not have been possible without his interpretations.Any additional comments?
Read/listen to this book. You won't be sorry. I listened to State of Wonder for my book club and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to read another Ann Patchett book. I chose this one for it's unusual premise. I enjoyed it thoroughly.Bel Canto
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Heartbreaking
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