So this month, Pat suggested Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for our liberal-minded book club. I really enjoy the book club picks simply because I pick up (download) a book I wouldn't normal think of reading. However upon reading, I began to realize that I had read Patchett's first novel several years back- The Patron Saint of Liars. Patchett's voice if very unique and easily recognizable. I like her language so well that I find myself reading her work out loud (or the kindle does it for me)
Bel Canto is about a South American country (that remains unnamed throughout the book) that has the good fortune of attracting a high level Japanese business man, Mr. Hosokawa, to celebrate his birthday in their country with hopes of convincing him to invest money in the poor, backwards nation. However, the only reason Mr. Hosokawa agreed to go the God forsaken place was because they had wrangled his favorite operatic soprano to sing. Unfortunately during the festivities, a guerrilla group commandeers the party and hold everyone hostage. Many of these "terrorists" are barely teenagers and their generals unable to be ruthless enough to get results. Patchett weaves an interesting tapestry of the relationships that enviably form during the several month standoff.
I'll have to say that my experience reading Bel Canto was strange. It was easy to see how this situation would end, so I was reluctant to read a great deal of this book at a time- not because I didn't enjoy it, but more because I invested so quickly in the characters that I did not want to see them harmed. As long as I stopped while everyone was still ok, I felt more at ease somehow. This is not a book you want to devour, but read in bits and pieces. I will actually really miss the characters in this book, wonder where they went and hope they are all right.
Not something I could handle every day, but a nice change of pace.
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