Picked this one up in March, and writing about it in July...
I'd heard Maureen Corrigan review an Anne Patchett book by beginning,"I'm always excited when a new Anne Patchett book comes out" -- or some such thing -- and since I love Maureen Corrigan and had never read any Anne Patchett, I thought I would check her out. The library didn't have the latest that Corrigan was reviewing, but Bel Canto turned out to be a great intro to the quarantine.
The book tells the story of an executive of a Japanese-based technology company, which in my mind was something like Sony. He happens to be a lover of opera, and, in the hopes of convincing his company to open a plant in their nation, the government of an unnamed South American company lures him to their capital city for a birthday party featuring his favorite singer. Not long into her performance, though, the venue is overtaken by guerrillas hoping to take the president, who is not actually present, hostage and gain the release of their compatriots. And for the next several months, the entire party, made up of figures from around the world and of all stations of life, are bound together.
In the end, this troupe, including the hostage takers, become a community, bound together by what becomes a shared appreciation for opera. The message seems to be that art can bring us together -- if only we had the time to truly listen/watch/take it in.
The book certainly sent me into the quarantine with high hopes and lofty goals. Not sure I've met them -- yet. Perhaps I need a few more months?
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