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.

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©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)

Characters are Fleshed Out/ Plot is Slow

This book did not rivet me or make me excited to listen and hear what would happen next, but because of all of the good reviews and awards by the experts I stuck with it. I decided it was worth my listening time to wait for the payoff at the end. I knew there would be no plot surprise, because the author told me at the beginning of the book what was going to happen, so I was left wondering what was going to be the "other payoff." This is the deepening understanding that comes through spending hours with a group of characters that finally in the end show you something new about yourself. Unfortunately for me that did not happen. However, I did like all of the characters and I think the author painted a clear picture of most of her leads. I cared about them and I felt the pathos of what happened to them. I still was thinking of the book a couple of days later. But can I say that I enjoyed my listening experience? Maybe, but I don’t think it is one of my favorites.

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.

Incredible

This is the perfect meeting of well-written novel and talented narrator. What a treat! Ms. Fields is responsible for making this book live in the ear, mind, and heart. A stunning achievement.

Excellent reading of an exceptional novel

This is a fabulous book and Anna Fields is a superb narrator. Fields is so good at giving the different characters, male or female, their individual voice. Ann Patchett is a truly gifted author. Highly recommended!

lyrical, lush, airy

this made me want to listen to opera more carefully and to drink it in. it was a lovely and engaging tale with poignancy, pleasure, charm. it is not a dense or complex story, though certainly a story with complex characters. and the narration was terrific.

Still haunts my memory

Ann Patchett is an author I can never review right away. Her stories need to sit with me, requiring some contemplating. She allows her readers to be wise, draw their own conclusions, and harbour their own hope for her characters. I loved the inevitable ending, while wishing against it with every fiber of my being. Her characters ended up feeling like friends and I didn't want to let them go. They still haunt me, like the ghost of a perfect aria cycling through my mind. Unlike most stories, I will not forget a moment of this one. It has become a top recommendation.

A Surprising Love Story between Captors and Hostag

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.)

Well crafted, well written story

Captivating tale that will hold the reader’s interest. The narrator is in over her head with her attempt to portray accents from multiple countries. This became laughable & annoying, as the attempts to speak in the accents of people from different countries was ridiculous. But the story is good.

Left me hanging..

Interesting story concept with good development of characters but the ending was jarring without taking advantage of developing that more. I love Ann Patchett writing but not my favorite.

Bel Canto

If you could sum up Bel Canto in three words, what would they be?

Engrossing and Tragic

Who 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.

Heartbreaking

You know from the beginning that the end is coming, yet you can't help but live and laugh and live with these character. I love to find a story that's completely unlike any other I've read, and this fits the bill. Anna Fields is a masterful narrator brilliantly distinguishing characters and accents.