Bel Canto

bel can·to (be(l kän'to-) pronunciation
n.

A style of operatic singing characterized by full, even tones and a brilliant display of vocal technique.

[Italian : bel, bello, beautiful + canto, singing.]

Stockholm Syndrome
The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28, 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their victimizers, and even defended their captors after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. (From Wikipedia)


This novel is about a hostage situation, and the only female hostage happens to be an opera singer. That explains why the terms bel canto and Stockholm Syndrome appear on the same page.

Bel Canto is a beautifully and ingeniously written tragedy because it puts the reader in the midst of a distorted reality and makes one feel as though everything just might turn out wonderfully. It does not, but the characters are locked into strange, extraordinary circumstances, and their lives and perspective change so much that the outside world is almost forgotten.

This story takes place in a small country somewhere in South America, where the terrorists who take these mostly well-heeled hostages are just teenagers, led by middle-aged guerrilla generals. These children have joined a liberation army out of a need to eat regularly. They are malnourished and uncared for, like Peter Pan's lost boys (though not every one of them is a boy). The hostages are mostly middle-aged men (and one woman) who eventually fall in love with these kids. There's something about every teen, some talent, some charm, or even just the hope of becoming a better person, that brings out the parent or mentor in most of the hostages. In addition, the hostages, who have come from all over the globe, become attracted and attached to each other. The line between terrorist and hostage becomes more blurred as the story progresses.

And that's all I should reveal about the book, really. I found the characters to be very appealing, hard not to care about, and the style of the writing to be very pleasing.

I highly recommend it.