Word: patchettã
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From its title, which translates to “beautiful song,” and its cover, which features elegantly dressed party goers, it is nearly impossible to guess that Ann Patchett??s “Bel Canto” is a novel about terrorism. But perhaps that’s because “Bel Canto” is so far from the typical book on terrorism...
Unlike the usual nonfiction works or thrillers that center on this issue, which tend to focus on the historical and political reasons behind an attack or play up the drama of the situation, Patchett??s beautiful story focuses on the unlikely relationships that develop between 58 dinner party guests and the 18 terrorists who hold them hostage for over four and a half months...
...time when we are constantly overwhelmed by messages about the evils of terrorism, Patchett??s novel is an effort to avoid such a flat, one-sided picture of a complex phenomenon. She reminds us that even in the most terrible of situations, the human capacity for love is so great that it can transcend political, national, and ethnic boundaries...
Which isn’t to say that language is irrelevant: as the title suggests, Patchett??s writing has its own musical quality. From the first sentence to the last, “Bel Canto” flows so beautifully that it is quite possible to read it in one sitting. Patchett??s descriptions are so vivid that by the end, the reader feels intimately connected not only with the hostages, but also with the terrorists...
...real world must intrude and the stand-off must end eventually, and when it does, the reader is left feeling bittersweet, wishing that the group could have lived happily in their sealed world for years to come. The harmony that develops between hostages and captors is only possible in Patchett??s world, but we are nonetheless left hoping for its reality...
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