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Bel Canto

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Bel Canto

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Anna Fields
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About this listen

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.

©2001 Ann Patchett; (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Heartfelt Romance
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Almost didn’t listen as didn’t like the intro by the narrator. But loved this book and it’s cast of characters and the plot development . Will read more from this author who I had heard of but never read /listen before.

Loved it.

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Patchett uses an unexpected and confronting scenario to explore friendship and connection across seemingly insurmountable barriers. At every twist in the story I was moved by the violence and beauty. I have read other Ann Patchett novels that use a mechanism of giving a hint to the future that makes you think "How could they get there!?". Rather than it feeling like a spoiler, it is like being let in on a secret, that develops connection with the characters. Great read/listen, fast paced story with depth created through appreciation of culture, lanuage, and music.

Devastatingly beautiful.

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I love Ann Patchett’s but I found this one a little bit tedious which is actually the basis for the whole storyline. I thought it was beautifully written but I also couldn’t wait for it to end. The narrator did a wonderful job and made each character come alive. I’m in two minds about this book, I can see why most people love it but I just didn’t.

Unexpected storyline

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This is the second book by Patchett that I’ve read and really enjoyed. She works through situations and characters so deftly and also with much humour. The book builds and builds. Don’t be fooled by a slightly slow start. It’s a great book!

Great book

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An darkly funny and moving story narrated beautifully. Keen to read more by this author.

so good

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