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Bel Canto: A Novel
by Ann Patchett | Literature & Fiction
Registered by Ebumu of Ithaca, New York USA on Saturday, April 10, 2004
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by mattellaca): to be read


10 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by Ebumu from Ithaca, New York USA on Saturday, April 10, 2004

10 out of 10

A lovely book. I could hardly put it down and now I have such a powerful urge to share it I'm going to send it off as my first bookray.

This novel won the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2002 Orange Prize, and was a finalist for the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award. It tracks a group of people held captive by extremists in a South American country. Rather than being scary and violent, it explores the relationships that develop among the captors and hostages. So it has love, music, and politics, and I found it very sweet and pleasing.

Bookrayers do this please:

1. Make a journal entry when you get it
2. Make a 2nd journal entry after you've read it (within a month!!)
3. PM the next person on the list and request their address
4. Mail it!

First leg (now complete):
senorag
FamFatale
Lpree
goatgrrl

the second leg:
AceofHearts (ON)
Arjay1977 (CA)
calvarez4 (CA)
Ramya (NJ)
mattellaca (Portugal)
Olifant(Netherlands) removed upon request
sunlightbub removed upon request
 

Journal Entry 2 by Ebumu from Ithaca, New York USA on Tuesday, April 20, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Mailed to senorag today to start the bookray. At the same time I released Here on Earth in the postoffice and saw it get snatched up soon after I laid it down. That was fun! 

Journal Entry 3 by SenoraG from -- Wild released somewhere in the state, New Jersey USA on Saturday, April 24, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Received today and just in time. I just finished a book and will start on this one right away. Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 4 by SenoraG from -- Wild released somewhere in the state, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, April 27, 2004

5 out of 10

I tried, I really did, but I just could not get into the book. I know it got such great reviews, but I had a hard time getting thru it. Maybe it just was a bad time for me to try to read it with everything else going on. Thanks ebumu for the chance to try it out. Moving it along to FamFatale. 

Journal Entry 5 by SenoraG at on Tuesday, April 27, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Released on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 at BOOKRAY in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Heading to FamFatale in VA. Happy reading. 

Journal Entry 6 by FamFatale from Chantilly, Virginia USA on Friday, April 30, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I am so excited. I've been waiting to read this for a while. Thanks so much! 

Journal Entry 7 by FamFatale at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, July 18, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Released on Sunday, July 18, 2004 at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring Controlled Releases.

Released to LPree - sent with RABCK 

Journal Entry 8 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, July 23, 2004

This book has not been rated.

This arrived sometime this week (I've been out of town for a few days, so I picked up all the mail today). I received another bookring book at the same time, so this will be 2nd in my TBR list. I've heard lots of good things about this book, so I can't wait to check it out for myself!

Thanks FamFatale for the RABCK!! I'm looking forward to reading it! 

Journal Entry 9 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, August 06, 2004

8 out of 10

I finished this book last night and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see what happens when a plan doesn't quite work out as intended and how the relationships between the hostages and the terrorists develop. It did seem a bit strange that such a hostage situation could go on for so long before resolution, but then again, I don't know too much about real-life hostage situations. The other bit that slightly annoyed me was that the ending was given away in the first chapter - in one little sentence. It was still interesting to see what happened in the meantime, but I wondered why I was still reading it if I knew how it came out at the end.

I've sent a PM to goatgrrl and will mail this out either today or sometime next week (depending on when I receive her address).

Thanks for including me on this ring! 

Journal Entry 10 by Lpree at on Friday, August 06, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Released on Friday, August 06, 2004 at BookRing in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Sent air mail (almost same price as surface!) to goatgrrl. 

Journal Entry 11 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Monday, August 16, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Bel Canto arrived this evening -- thanks so much! I look forward to reading it within the next couple of weeks, and will have it sent to the next person on the list by mid-September at the latest. Best wishes from New Westminster, British Columbia! (At left: the Fraser River, as seen from the top of my street.) 

Journal Entry 12 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Thursday, August 19, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I'm 2/3 of the way through Bel Canto, and I can't put it down! I'm truly surprised that others' responses to this book have been so ambivalent. I'll write a final review when I finish the book and get home from the business trip I'm currently on. Just wanted to update you on the book's whereabouts! 

Journal Entry 13 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Friday, August 20, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I finished Bel Canto this afternoon, and am feeling a little wistful that it's over! It was one of my most enjoyable reads of 2004 -- I truly enjoyed its message about the power of music, love, respect and human connection to transcend linguistic, cultural and political differences. The atmosphere within the Vice President's home was so sweet (if a little other-worldly): good music, good food and the inevitable romantic entanglements. No wonder at least one of the characters wanted to stay there forever.

Bel Canto reminded me -- more in its essence than in its particulars -- of Jose Saramago's Blindness. I have a bookring circulating right now for the latter book, so if anyone is interested feel free to PM me.

Thanks so much, Ebumu, for such a terrific read. Best wishes from Ottawa, Ontario (at left: the goatgrrl on Parliament Hill with Famous Five member Louise McKinney).
 

Journal Entry 14 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, August 22, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I've just received AceofHearts' address, and will mail Bel Canto to her tomorrow. Thanks again! 

Journal Entry 15 by AceofHearts from Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Monday, August 30, 2004

This book has not been rated.

rec'd today
This is my first bookring book
I am so excited!!!!!!!!
Thanks goatrrl for the goodie inside
Gotta go read!! 

Journal Entry 16 by AceofHearts from Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, September 08, 2004

7 out of 10

Enjoyed the book. It was a little unrealistic in the length of time the hostage situation went on but I enjoyed the interaction between the hostages and their capturers. I thought the epilogue was a bit unexplained. A very worthwhile read!!!
Thanks for the opportunity to read the book
Sent out to Arjay1977 today 

Journal Entry 17 by Arjay1977 from Escondido, California USA on Tuesday, September 21, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Can't wait to read this book, I've heard great things about it. 

Journal Entry 18 by Arjay1977 from Escondido, California USA on Wednesday, September 22, 2004

9 out of 10

What an extraordinary book. A very moving story about the power of music and basic human needs. There is something rather amazing about how far western music's influence has reached through the world. Sending to calvarez4 this week. 

Journal Entry 19 by calvarez4 from Oakland, California USA on Thursday, October 14, 2004

This book has not been rated.

This book arrived this afternoon, safe and sound. It's been on my TBR list for quite a while, so I'm looking forward to "digging in." Thank you to Ebumu, for sending out the bookring! 

Journal Entry 20 by calvarez4 at Controlled Release in Plainsboro, New Jersey -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 27, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Released on Friday, October 29, 2004 at about 4:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Controlled Release in Plainsboro, New Jersey Controlled Releases.

RELEASE NOTES:

Absolutely beautiful. I will have this in the mail to Ramya in NJ by the end of this week! 

Journal Entry 21 by Ramya from Plainsboro, New Jersey USA on Sunday, November 28, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I received this a few days ago and realized that between the time I signed up for this ring and now, I picked up a second-hand copy at a library book sale. I'll be sending this BC copy along to mattellaca as soon as I get an address and will post some comments once I've read my own copy. 

Journal Entry 22 by Ramya from Plainsboro, New Jersey USA on Wednesday, January 12, 2005

This book has not been rated.

I'm so behind with everything in my life -- I apologize for the delay. I will be getting to the post office this Saturday to send this off to mattellaca. 

Journal Entry 23 by Ramya from Plainsboro, New Jersey USA on Saturday, January 15, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Confirming that this indeed went out in today's mail (by surface -- 4-6 weeks travel time) 

Journal Entry 24 by mattellaca from Águeda, Aveiro Portugal on Tuesday, October 18, 2005

This book has not been rated.

I´m waiting for sunlightbub's address. 



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