Bel Canto: A Novel

by Ann Patchett | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0060934417 Global Overview for this book
Registered by AbbyR on 3/21/2004
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by AbbyR on Sunday, March 21, 2004
Story of a group of people at a party where a celebrated opera singer is performing, when terrorists attack and hold the group hostage. The characterization is truly excellent, but I always like a good story, and found that to be missing in this book.

Journal Entry 2 by AbbyR on Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Sent to Eucalia in California.

Journal Entry 3 by Eucalia from Issaquah, Washington USA on Monday, March 29, 2004
I received this in the mail today from AbbyR. Thanks so much! I've heard a lot about this book and I look forward to reading it. However, since my TBR pile is so large at the moment and since this book is so popular, I'm going to see if I can let it make the rounds in a bookring before I read it.

Journal Entry 4 by Eucalia from Issaquah, Washington USA on Thursday, April 1, 2004
This book is now part of a bookring!

A bookring is when a book is sent from one person to another through a list of members who have signed up for it and eventually ends up safe and sound back home with the person who started the bookring—me!

Here are the guidelines for this bookring:

1. When the person before you on the list is done reading the book they will send you a personal message (PM) asking you for your address. If you feel that you are too busy at that time to read the book within a reasonable time period (about 1 month), ask that person to skip you and go to the next person on the list. If this happens, PM me to let me know what’s going on and, if you want, I may be able to move you down the list so you can try again later.

2. When you receive the book, make a journal entry letting everyone know where the book is. Keep in mind that there are other people waiting to read the book after you, so try not to take too long to read it. A general rule of thumb is to have the book in your possession for no longer than one month. If you know you won’t be able to get to the book within a month, pass it on to the next person on the list, PM me letting me know, and I can move you down the list so you can try again later if you’d like. If you’re reading the book and it’s taking you longer than expected to finish, make a journal entry letting everyone know! Remember, there’s no such thing as too many journal entries.

3. When you’re done (or almost done) reading the book, send a PM to the next person on the list asking for their address. Even if you think you already know that person’s address, it’s a good idea to double-check to make sure their address hasn’t changed—and also make sure the list order hasn’t changed since you checked it last. If the next person on the list doesn’t respond to your PM within several days, try again. If you still get no response within one week, PM me to let me know what’s going on and then skip this person and try the next person on the list.

4. After you’ve finished the book, journal a quick review of it for us letting us know what you thought of it!

5. Send the book to the next person on the list and post a journal entry letting everyone know it’s on its way. Sit back, relax, and watch the journals as the book completes its journey!

Journal Entry 5 by Eucalia from Issaquah, Washington USA on Thursday, April 1, 2004
This bookring is currently open. PM me if you'd like to join.
The following is the current list of members. The list is subject to change.

1. amber-h (GA)
2. teacart (Canada) US/Can
3. Ri (Toronto) US pref
4. kab113 (NY)
5. Brujula (France)
6. Sweetnessnf (Canada) outside CAN pref
7. JenLuvsBooks (CA) anywhere
8. katalirob (GA) US only <--- it's here!
9. redhairgirl (IL)
10. zugenia(RI) anywhere
11. seedstarter(NJ) anywhere
12. GrannyAnn (NY) US only

Journal Entry 6 by Eucalia at sent to bookcrosser in Mail, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, April 1, 2004
Released on Thursday, April 01, 2004 at sent to bookcrosser in Mailed, Bookring Controlled Releases.

I mailed this book to amber-h this morning to start off the bookring. Bye bye, book, have a great trip!

Journal Entry 7 by amber-h from Atlanta, Georgia USA on Friday, April 9, 2004
Got it today in the mail, which was perfect timing considering I'm almost done with my current book. I'll start on it this weekend.

Journal Entry 8 by amber-h from Atlanta, Georgia USA on Monday, April 19, 2004
This is a beautiful and heartwrenching book, looking at how people can adapt to their environment, regardless of how they got there. I just can't say enough about this story, from the story itself to the lyrical writing style.

On its way to teacart.

Journal Entry 9 by teacart from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Arrived today!

May 28/04 - a few impressions:

I just finished reading Bel Canto and I'm still absorbing it. Patchett gives us a castaway tale, in which her characters are slowly stripped of the accretions of the world outside the walls of the Vice President's house and become, beautifully, themselves.

Bel Canto is also a version of the sleeper's fable. The inmates of the house begin to experience a kind of golden age, which is also a long dream.

Patchett draws from opera, myth, politics and more to create this shockingly satisfying book. It's rare for me to find a book that has me fighting between racing to the conclusion and reading slowly to savour the prose. I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Bel Canto is a beautiful book and I'm so glad Eucalia has given us all the opportunity to experience this novel.

On its way to Ri.


Journal Entry 10 by Ri from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Sunday, June 13, 2004
I returned home from vacation today and found this lovely prize waiting for me! Hooray! I can't wait to get to it!

Journal Entry 11 by Ri from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Friday, June 18, 2004
Glorious book!! I just finished and am still basking in it! I loved it. When I first read the back of the book I thought the critics were insane. How could a book about terrorists and hostages be "the most romantic novel in years"?!?

The book brings up thoughts of my own dreams and thoughts on love and love lost and creating a "perfect world." I am involved in an international peace organization that runs camps for kids from all over the world. I have participated in these camps since I was a child. For me they are my perfect world, with the outside world ceasing to exisit for those few weeks. It is a separate existance for me, allowing me to behave and have relationships with others that could never be possible in the "real world." On that level I really connected to the characters of this book. My challenge now is to integrate that perfect world into my every day life, a constant struggle to remember to do.

I've pm'd kab113 for her address and will be sending the book as soon as it arrives.

Update June 21, 2004: It is on its way to kab113!

Journal Entry 12 by kab113 from Troy, Ohio USA on Wednesday, July 7, 2004
I've got the book! I'm going to read it just as soon as I can! Thanks for including me in this bookring!

Journal Entry 13 by kab113 from Troy, Ohio USA on Saturday, November 27, 2004
I think this has to be the first book I ever gave a 10 to on bookcrossing. What a remarkable piece of literature! I have never been one to give out fiction books for Christmas but I am seriously contemplating giving this book to a whole bunch of people.

I believe I fell so hard for this book because I for the first time I truly fell in love with the characters. I have NEVER felt so attached to characters in a book before. In the end I felt there was something to gain out of each and every one of them, whether they be "good" or "bad". Actually, I don't believe that "good" and "bad" even existed.

This is a book that I hope no one will try to make into a movie, because I don't see anyway that all the emotions I felt reading the book could be carried over into a movie. I'm sure it's already in the works though.

I mailed the book out already (a week ago?) to the next reader in Europe. Thank you for including me in this remarkable ring!

Journal Entry 14 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Wednesday, December 1, 2004
received yesterday.
Thank you!

Journal Entry 15 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Sunday, January 2, 2005
I've enjoyed the story, the characters, the atmosphere of the novel, but I've been very saddened by the end, that disappoints me a little somehow (although it's probably the only possible end, or the most believable, or the only one that keeps true for the characters, a little like the end of Thelma and Louise is the only way out of the story!)
It's hard for me to comment on this book in english, I can't write accurately what I felt reading it.
Thank you very much Eucalia, for letting me read this!
I'll mail it to sweetnessnf as soon as I have her adress.

Journal Entry 16 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Monday, January 3, 2005
Mailed to sweetnessnf today!

Journal Entry 17 by Sweetnessnf from Old Perlican, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada on Saturday, January 22, 2005
Got this in the mail yesterday... it's now at the top of my TBR list. I can't wait to read it!

Journal Entry 18 by JenLuvsBooks from Roseville, California USA on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
I was happy to get this in the mail today. I've been looking forward to reading it for a long time. I'll get it read and on the move again just as soon as I can. The book rings all come at one don't they?

Journal Entry 19 by JenLuvsBooks from Roseville, California USA on Saturday, June 11, 2005
This book gave a very interesting look at the relationships that can form in the strangest of circumstances. I don't want to give away the ending...but WOW!...and the epilogue was an interesting twist.

I don't think I liked this book as much as many of the other readers, but I did enjoy it. I'm waiting on Katalirob's address.

Journal Entry 20 by katalirob from Columbus, Georgia USA on Thursday, June 30, 2005
I just got this in the mail. Thanks!

I didn't get a chance to read it, so I'm going to pass it on now.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.