Bel Canto

By: Ann Patchett

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

“Blissfully Romantic.... A strange, terrific, spellcasting story.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Bel Canto...should be on the list of every literate music lover. The story is riveting, the participants breathe and feel and are alive, and throughout this elegantly-told novel, music pours forth so splendidly that the reader hears it and is overwhelmed by its beauty.” (Lloyd Moss, WXQR)

“Glorious.” (The New Yorker)

Ann Patchett’s award winning, New York Times best-selling Bel Canto balances themes of love and crisis as disparate characters learn that music is their only common language. As in Pratchett’s other novels, including Truth & Beauty and The Magician’s Assistant, the author’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 Publishers

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)

Remarkable Writing

Patchett’s writing is so rich and clear you feel as though you personally know each character.

Not my favorite

I love other Patchett books. It was written very well and had some really good parts I still found my mind wandering and not listening. Maybe I should listen to it again in a year or so. I think now I know the outcome I might like it better the second time around. Narrator was ok.

Reader is excellent !

The story is mildly suspenseful and very engaging , the characters are easy to.love. I believe there are profound truths here which the author weaves

So Beautiful!

Ann Pattchet's writing is extraordinary! How can her descriptions of music be more enjoyable to listen to than the music itself? The real magic though, is the characters, and the way you gently come to care so much about all of them as you watch them come to care about each other.

I didn't see what the big deal was

Sorry. I Loved The Dutch House by the same author! It seemed all the readers thought "bel canto" was better. Not me.
It is an interesting idea for a book. What would happen if a bunch of famous, wealthy politicians and business people were forced to get to know each other in a hostage situation? I didn't much care what happened to them at the end. And the epilogue/ending just pissed me off.

Good Book...Believable Characters

I enjoyed this book very much. The story line was unique and the characters were all very believable. The reader was appropriate to the story...completely objective whether speaking from the point of view of the terrorists or the hostages. All in all a very good listen!

romantic and inspiring

This was a little different for me but I am glad I stumbled onto it. The poem at the begining set the stage for a wonderful mix of love and tragedy. I am sure others would love it as I have. I will read it again.

Fascinating and haunting

Although there were parts of this book that seemed to move too slowly, I was glad I persevered. In fact, I got up in the middle of the night to listen to the last hour and a half.

Although the ending of the book (epilogue)might seem to wrap up a little too neatly and conveniently, there actually was a tragedy in my own community that 'ended' much the same way. While I think I might have enjoyed something more complex in terms of a resolution to this story, the book was still a very good read, and I enjoyed it immensely.

If you become interested in opera after listening to this book, check out the print edition. In the back of the book, the author addresses how her own interested in opera developed, and she includes specific references.

I waited too long for action

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Did not like being told how it was going to end and then waited a long long time for the 2nd shoe to fall.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It should have been a shorter book

Have you listened to any of Anna Fields???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, she is great as usual.

Any additional comments?

I did love the characters, flawed and quirky.

Well worth your time!

A really good story. The author develops each character completely and puts you inside their head. The emotions are developed and palpable! You can't wait to see what comes next!