This story isn't your usual hostage taking novel. Ann Patchett gets deep into her characters and her wonderful prose brings together one of her best novels (I've read three of her four novels). It bogs down around the 220 page mark, but picks up again. Will be bringing Bel Canto to tonight's Boston Bookcrossing group.

I picked this up at the Boston Bookcrossing MeetUp. I might suggest it for my book group or re-release, I haven't deceided yet.

Just finished it and I ended up more dissapointed than I even expected. At some point about 2/3 of the way through, I knew it would not have a happy ending and I was prepared for it but the last two twists I didn't expect. Even though the premise and development was interesting, I found that Roxanne Coss as the main focus and mover of the hostage situation didn't do much for me. I never sympathized with her, I found her diva and demanding instead. I was completely under the spell of Carmen and Gen, however. I've never read Ann Patchett before and I did enjoy her style of writing, she painted a picture I could see very well, but I'm not sure I'd read more of her books. I do agree that it got bogged down, though I found that about page 100 or so, then it picked up steam again.

RELEASE NOTES:

For Meetup

Caught at the June 2006 Meetup for Boston Bookcrossers.

This was an interesting take on two tragic love stories intertwined with a bungled hostage taking/kidnapping situation. The narrative was a little bit eliptical but didn't throw me. No spoilers here--but I have to say--as a reader I didn't like the ending. As a writer I think it was very disingenuous. That's the last ten dollar word I'll use today. Setting aside for the Dec. '06 Boston Bookcrossing meet up.

I had the pleasure of attending the BookCrossing meetup this evening at the Algiers Cafe in Harvard Square, where I picked up this book.

The Prison Book Program is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that sends free books in response to requests from prisoners in the U.S.A.

The Prison Book Program has been supplying individuals and groups of prisoners with quality reading material since 1972. We believe that literacy and access to reading materials are crucial for the personal, spiritual and political development of all people. With 2 million people locked up in our nation’s federal and state prisons and local jails, and with educational programming being drastically cut, the need for our services has never been greater. Education is the only tool proven to help prevent people from returning to prison again and again.

For more information, please go to http://www.prisonbookprogram.org, send an email to [email protected], or call 617-423-3298.

RELEASE NOTES:

The Caffe Bella Vita is on the corner of Charles and Chestnut Street. Check the shelf nearest the gelato counter for the official BookCrossing zone.