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 Patchett employs a narrative perspective that clearly establishes that this is a story told retrospectively. She deftly uses an omniscient narrative point of view that fluidly flows between the narrator, and in and out of her characters' minds, thus revealing the various characters' viewpoints. Sometimes the thoughts of characters involved in a scene are provided so close together, it is as if we are privy to both characters' minds simultaneously.
Reviewed by Sandra Tarling
Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett
Harper Collins, 2001
ISBN 0-965-033693
softcover, 318 pages
"Bel Canto" is Ann Patchett's fourth novel and as equally rich in imagination and psychological depth as its predecessors. Although the book opens with a scene that might predict a suspense-filled story, the reader soon realizes that the characters and their evolving inter-relationships are the story's primary focus. The inspiration for the novel's premise derives from an actual event, the 1996 Tupac Amaru takeover of the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Lima, Peru. But instead of the typical suspense filled thriller this premise would naturally lead to, Patchett has written a character-driven novel that reveals her characters' desires and their enactment in subtle, unexpected ways.
The novel opens with a scene that depicts the end of celebrated soprano Roxanne Coss' private recital at Japanese CEO Katsumi Hosokawa's birthday party hosted by President Masuda, head of a South American country, held at the Vice President's residence. Suddenly there is a power outage and simultaneously the candles are extinguished, then a band of political terrorists enter the room through the air conditioning ducts. Since the hosting President who was the terrorists' primary target is not present, the captors quickly learn their plot has gone awry and they are left with a roomful of international hostages. Whether out of pride or in hopes of still making some political gains, the terrorist leaders decide to keep the hostages captive and remain barricaded in the Vice resident's residence. Thus, captives and captors are sequestered from the world in close contact with one another. As the stand-off continues over weeks, and as the outside world loses interest, their roles, identities, alliances, and inter-relationships shift.
Within their enclave, the terrorists and their hostages adjust to one another. They begin to establish routines within their own world where, other than the weather changes, time seems to have stopped. As the days go by, they come to know each other better, and the boundaries and rules are relaxed: Hosokawa plays chess with a terrorist general, the French ambassador assumes responsibility for preparing their meals, and Coss teaches a talented young terrorist to sing opera. Relatively insignificant events serve as milestones in their captivity, such as the discovery that the Japanese businessman Tetsuya Kato plays the piano well enough to accompany Roxanne Coss. She then requests a variety of sheet music through their Red Cross liaison and begins to practice each morning. When Coss resumes singing, a turning point occurs: "Years later when this period of internment was remembered by the people who were actually there, they saw it in two distinct periods: before the box and after the box." After the box of music arrives, Coss' singing seems to bring a change, as if hope and some life purpose returns.
As the title "Bel Canto" implies, opera, and in particular Roxanne Coss' operatic singing, is the novel's pervasive, unifying image. Bel canto literally means "beautiful song" and, according to The New Everyman Dictionary of Music, refers to the traditional Italian manner of singing characterized by "beautiful tone, perfect phrasing, clean articulation, etc." Roxanne Coss' singing is described in similar terms. Her voice transports her listeners, captors and hostages alike, to such an extent that they believe it is otherworldly. When she sings "Ave Maria," one captive, Father Arguedas, thinks "her voice was so pure, so light, that it opened up the ceiling and carried their petitions directly to God." Her ethereal voice leads many of her listeners to believe that they have fallen in love with her. "Was it that they wanted her too, all of the men and women in the room, and so they imagined it collectively. They were so taken by the beauty of her voice. . ." Thus, music and song are inextricably linked with the nature of love, a primary theme of the novel.
Love and the way in which it can arise unpredictably and improbably is depicted most vividly in the relationships of the four primary characters. The birthday honoree Katsumi Kosokawa's initial admiration for Roxanne Coss gradually changes to a deeply felt love for her as her love for him simultaneously blossoms despite the fact that they are unable to communicate in a common language. They are assisted in their late night trysts by an equally unlikely pair: Gen Watanabe, a young Japanese man fluent in many languages who works as Hosokawa's translator and assistant, and Carmen, a young terrorist who loves and protects Roxanne Coss. These two young lovers move from initial attraction to tentatively expressing their love for each other as Gen secretly teaches Carmen to read and write in Spanish. Reminiscent of Shakespeare's comedies with their parallel love stories, these two couples' relationships unfold simultaneously, layer by layer, realistically depicting how each couples' love uniquely grows. Hosokawa feels happier and more alive than he ever has before, but he also has a realistic understanding of his situation. While "every night they were together could be seen as a miracle for a hundred different reasons," he also knows that "if their old life was ever restored to them, nothing would be the same." Whereas Gen and Carmen also exult in their new love and happiness, they remain blind to what the future holds. Teaching Carmen to read and write in Spanish, with "hopes for Japanese so she could speak to Gen in his own language when all of this was over," implies their belief in a future together. "He forgot about the future and the past. . . . Carmen forgot, too."
Patchett employs a narrative perspective that clearly establishes that this is a story told retrospectively. She deftly uses an omniscient narrative point of view that fluidly flows between the narrator, and in and out of her characters' minds, thus revealing the various characters' viewpoints. Sometimes the thoughts of characters involved in a scene are provided so close together, it is as if we are privy to both characters' minds simultaneously. For example, Gen wonders "if it was possible to die from wanting someone so much," and in the following paragraph when Carmen looks at Gen's face, "she could no longer remember the word he said." The reader experiences the moment as it occurs through reading the characters' innermost thoughts. However, the narrator does intrude on occasion to remind us that this is a story that does come to an already known ending: "It had been a beautiful party, though no one would remember that." A story with a beginning premise that promises suspense is told in such a way that the suspense is underplayed, thus privileging the most important aspect, the characters and the telling of their tale.
The ending comes swiftly and is not entirely a surprise. Given the relationships that have developed among the captives and their captors, the horror and grief is expected. What remains surprising is the way death catches two of the main characters. Capitalizing on this, Patchett provides an epilogue that adds yet another perspective on the nature of love and the ability of music to bring beauty and hope into our lives. Thus, she underscores how the transcending effects of both love and music are essential in our lives.
For more information on Bel Canto visit: Bel Canto: A Novel
About the Reviewer: Sandra Tarling is a Los Angeles-area writer who writes essays, articles, and reviews, and is working on her first novel. She also teaches literature and writing at Santa Monica College.
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