her classic pitch adds greatly to the overall experience

After listening to the Diving In podcast about Ann Patchet's Dutch House, I put Bel Canto on my list of must reads. It happened to be available at my library with no waiting just when I found myself in need of a new story for the daily commute. 

This audio version is read by Anna Fields who has the perfect voice for the story. Melodious without being affected, able to perfectly take on the accents without going overboard. In a book, set in South America, where an opera singer is featured, her classic pitch adds greatly to the overall experience.  

This is the story of a group of people taken hostage while at a dinner party where an opera singer has been brought in to perform for the guest of honor. You are introduced to some of the hostages, the terrorists in charge, and the Swiss negotiator. Time passes, lines are blurred, how will this end? Not like I expected. 

I had to stop regularly to re-listen to the way Ann Patchett puts words together, like this realization by Oscar Mendoza (one of the hostages), "... a new smaller set of freedoms began to raise a new light within him, the liberty to think obsessively, the right to remember in detail. Away from his wife and 5 daughters he was not contradicted or corrected and without these burdens he found himself able to dream without constant revision."

Excellent writing, well developed characters, wonderful to listen to, highly recommended. 

Comments

[jacki long]

Sounds good. The Dutch Hous is my next read, based on your recommendation.

[Sharron]

and Bel Canto’s being based on a real hostage headline event made its creative journey all the more intriguing...

[carol]

Sharron! I did not know that. I just went and read all about it. I am kind of glad I didn't know about it until after I finished the book. Thank you as always for keeping me clued in to important stuff like this. Mary Ann says your latest batch of jelly is a WINNER!

[Jill]

My favorite book ever. And I just finished Dutch House. Try her book Run next.

[Sharron]

🥰😘

[carol]

I hadn't heard anything about RUN. Just went and looked. It sounds good. I also want to read The Magician's assistant. Thanks for the tip Jill!