Bad On Paper Podcast: Bel Canto Book Club Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Bad On Paper
• Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
• Episode: Bel Canto Book Club
• Release Date: October 30, 2024

1. Introduction and Personal Updates

Olivia and Becca open the episode by sharing their personal highs and lows to set a relaxed and relatable tone for the discussion.

• Olivia’s High: Olivia expresses excitement about an upcoming book fair and her new Substack format. She shares feeling productive and pleased with her current busy schedule.

  • Olivia (00:48): "I've just been really like busy lately... I just feel like now I'm really full steam ahead."

• Becca’s High: Becca looks forward to a weekend getaway upstate, highlighting the meticulous itinerary Olivia has prepared. She also shares her joy in rearranging her office, which has made her workspace feel more personal and comfortable.

  • Becca (02:21): "The weather is peak fall, like timing wise. I can't wait to hopefully see some foliage, eat an apple cider donut."

• Olivia’s Low: Olivia recounts a frustrating experience with a faulty computer charger that disrupted her workflow, emphasizing her dislike for technological issues.

  • Olivia (03:54): "I hate tech stuff going wrong. It really just bugs me in a very specific way."

• Becca’s Low: Becca admits to falling off her workout routine despite feeling successful in other areas of her life. She reflects on the challenges of maintaining all aspects of personal productivity.

  • Becca (05:22): "I just looked around and I don't think I worked out in a month."

2. Overview of "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett

Before diving into the discussion, Olivia provides a succinct plot summary of "Bel Canto."

• Olivia (08:04): "A famous opera singer is flown in as entertainment for the birthday party of a powerful Japanese businessman. But midway through her performance, the party is infiltrated by a band of terrorists and all the guests are taken hostage."

Becca acknowledges Olivia's initial reservations about the book, setting the stage for a deeper analysis.

3. First Impressions and Reading Experience

Olivia's Perspective:

• Olivia shares her struggle to engage with the book despite recognizing its literary merit. She cites the lengthy chapters and minimal dialogue as factors that hindered her enjoyment.
  • Olivia (09:19): "I was dragging myself through the pages. They felt incredibly long... a lot of trouble with very little dialogue."

Becca's Perspective:

• Becca describes her mixed feelings, appreciating the book's depth and recognizing its quality but feeling it wasn't her preferred type of story. She mentions the lack of deep character connections and limited dialogue.
  • Becca (10:05): "I could recognize that it was good... something about it felt like school reading... It did not feel like my type of book."

4. Insights from the Annotated Edition

Becca delves into insights gained from the annotated edition of "Bel Canto," revealing behind-the-scenes details about the book's inspiration and Ann Patchett's reflections.

• Real-Life Inspiration: The book was inspired by the 1996 Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Lima, Peru, where hostages were held for 126 days.

  • Becca (16:24): "This book was directly inspired by a real life hostage situation at the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru in 1996."

• Ann Patchett’s Reflections: Patchett revisited the book years later to add handwritten notes, offering a critical and reflective perspective on her own work.

  • Becca (12:03): "She marked up the pages... it was so cathartic that she ripped parts of her book to shreds."

Discussion on Annotated Versions:

• Both hosts express a desire for more annotated editions from their favorite authors to gain deeper insights into the writing process and characters.
  • Olivia (13:43): "I love the idea of more annotated books."

5. Themes and Narrative Style

Narrative Style:

• The book employs an omniscient third-person narration, seamlessly transitioning between multiple characters' perspectives without causing confusion.
  • Becca (17:32): "It feels really beautiful. It lends so much perspective."

Themes:

• Communication and Language Barriers: Central to the book is the challenge of human connection without a common language.

  • Becca (38:20): "Ann Patchett said that the book focuses on the question what do we do without a common language?"

• Redemptive Power of Art: The role of opera and music in bridging cultural and emotional gaps among the hostages is emphasized.

  • Becca (38:39): "The unifying power of art."

• Wealth Disparity and Empathy: The contrasting backgrounds of the wealthy hostages and their captors highlight issues of privilege and empathy.

  • Becca (38:39): "The wealth disparity in this book... the very rich men in this hostage situation and their captors being so much less privileged."

Character Analysis:

• Mr. Hosokawa: A reserved Japanese businessman whose passion for opera is juxtaposed with his business dealings. His character embodies the themes of guilt and responsibility.

  • Becca (38:20): "He felt responsible for this situation in some way, and he ends up stepping in front of a bullet for one of the children."

• Roxanne: The opera singer who becomes a central figure due to her talent and the way she influences the dynamics among the hostages and captors.

  • Becca (35:21): "She brings in the music. She's like, I'm gonna practice. I'm gonna be productive."

• Gen Watanabe: Another main character who, along with Roxanne, forms a key relationship in the aftermath of the hostage situation.

6. Reactions to the Ending and Epilogue

Ending:

• The abrupt and violent conclusion, where the terrorists are killed, left Olivia feeling unprepared and unsatisfied with the pacing.

  • Olivia (33:05): "It just felt very abrupt to me."

• Becca felt the ending was fitting given the themes of guilt and sacrifice, particularly Mr. Hosokawa's role.

  • Becca (44:33): "I felt like it was fitting... he ends up stepping in front of a bullet for one of the children."

Epilogue:

• The epilogue, which reveals the future marriage between Roxanne and Gen, sparked mixed reactions. While Patchett intended it as a culmination of their shared experience, the hosts found it jarring and somewhat disconnected from the book's main narrative.

  • Becca (48:40): "It felt really jarring to me, just in the prose and... it was like in a piazza in Italy."

• Ann Patchett’s Explanation: Patchett explained that the epilogue was envisioned as a wedding day in Italy, aiming to provide closure to the characters' relationships.

  • Becca (47:34): "I imagined a wedding day in Italy... nothing sadder than Roxanne and Gen having to spend the rest of their lives together with people who would never understand what they had lost."

7. Comparisons to Other Works

Similar Books:

• "Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman: Becca draws parallels between "Bel Canto" and Backman's book, noting similarities in the ensemble cast and confined setting, though she prefers the latter's literary depth.

  • Becca (54:37): "Fredrik Backman... like a more modern and more overtly comedic take on the same premise."

• "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro: Becca mentions a similar feeling of recognizing a book's quality without personal enjoyment.

  • Becca (10:05): "I read Never Let Me Go... I recognize it's good, but it's just not my thing."

Narrative Style Comparison:

• Olivia likens the pacing and narrative blocks of "Bel Canto" to Sally Rooney's "Intermezzo," highlighting a similar literary and contemplative style.
  • Olivia (26:09): "Something about it... reminded me a little of Sally Rooney."

8. Controversial Aspects and Author’s Approach

• The book's portrayal of Japanese characters by an American author raises questions about cultural representation and accuracy. Both hosts discuss the potential controversies of writing from an outside perspective.

  • Becca (53:20): "If a white woman wrote two Japanese men as main characters, I just don't. I find people."

• Political Context: Becca reflects on how the book's themes resonate differently in light of current geopolitical events, feeling that the book's tone clashes with real-world violence and suffering.

  • Becca (28:28): "It feels really complicated... in light of what's happening in Israel and Gaza right now."

9. Conclusion and Future Book Club Pick

Wrapping up the episode, the hosts reveal their next book club selection and encourage audience engagement.

• Next Book Club Pick: Ina Garten's memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, aimed for a cozy Thanksgiving read.

  • Olivia (61:26): "We are going to do Ina Garten's memoir, Be Ready when the Luck Happens."

• Audience Engagement: Becca invites listeners to join their Facebook group to share thoughts on "Bel Canto" and discuss its relevance over time.

  • Becca (61:54): "Tell us what you thought about Bel Canto... You can find us at all the places. Batonpaper podcast."

Notable Quotes

• Olivia (00:48): "I've just been really like busy lately... I just feel like now I'm really full steam ahead."
• Becca (02:21): "The weather is peak fall, like timing wise. I can't wait to hopefully see some foliage, eat an apple cider donut."
• Olivia (05:54): "No one's doing it all."
• Becca (16:24): "This book was directly inspired by a real life hostage situation at the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru in 1996."
• Olivia (13:43): "I love the idea of more annotated books."
• Becca (35:21): "She brings in the music. She's like, I'm gonna practice. I'm gonna be productive."

Summary:

In this episode of Bad On Paper, Becca Freeman and Olivia Muenter delve into Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, exploring its narrative structure, themes of language and art, and character dynamics within a hostage situation inspired by real events. While acknowledging the book's literary prowess and innovative storytelling, the hosts express mixed feelings regarding character development and the abruptness of the ending and epilogue. They also discuss the challenges of writing authorship across cultures and the contemporary relevance of the book's themes. Comparisons to other literary works and discussions about annotated editions enrich their analysis, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of Bel Canto and its place in modern literature. The episode concludes with a preview of their next book club selection, inviting audience interaction and continued engagement.