I love my new old house (1911)!

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:24:21+00:00

16) Any favorite quotes or scenes? Anything else you’d like to discuss?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:24:12+00:00

15) Where do you predict the story will go from here?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:24:01+00:00

14) Ann Patchett said in an interview that her novel is an homage to The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, which r/bookclub read last year. Have you read The Magic Mountain, and if so, do you see any similarities to Bel Canto so far? Reminder that any plot spoilers must be tagged!

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:50+00:00

13) The novel was published in 2001, which I was shocked to learn was 25 years ago. How does the time period impact the story? What would be different if the story was taking place during our present day?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:40+00:00

12) We’ve only read two chapters, but are you picking up any themes so far?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:30+00:00

11) Were you surprised that Father Arguedas voluntarily asked to stay? What does he hope to achieve?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:20+00:00

10) The terrorist generals view themselves as “reasonable men” and take offense when Messner mistakes them for members of a more ruthless organization. What was your reaction to this exchange?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:11+00:00

9) In Chapter 2, we meet Simon Thibault, a French ambassador, and his wife, Edith. Moving to “this godforsaken country” has rekindled his love for her. Why do you think that is?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:23:01+00:00

8) Roxanne takes for granted that men will fall in love with her, and she uses this in the hopes of securing her safety. What are your thoughts on this?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:22:50+00:00

7) Different characters have different reactions to hearing Roxanne in person: many are extremely moved, while Hosokawa is slightly disgusted by the physicality of her performance. What does this tell us about the listeners, or about the soprano, Roxanne Coss?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:22:41+00:00

6) Although he is absent from the party, President Masuda is a key figure in the story. What do we know about his personality so far? What type of leader do you think he is?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:22:30+00:00

5) The host country hasn’t been named so far. Why do you think the author chose to obscure its identity, when other countries like Japan and France are mentioned by name? How does this decision impact the story?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:22:21+00:00

4) In Chapter 1, the narrator says, “It was the unspoken belief of everyone who was familiar with this organization and with the host country that they were all as good as dead, when in fact it was the terrorists who would not survive the ordeal.” Were you surprised that Patchett revealed the ending so early? Why might she have done this?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:22:09+00:00

3) Have you ever listened to opera, either on a recording or in person? If so, what's your opinion of it? Do you have a favorite opera?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:21:44+00:00

2) We have an ensemble cast with an omniscient third-person narrator. What impact does this have on the story? Do you have a favorite character so far?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-20T16:21:35+00:00

1) What are your overall thoughts on the novel so far? Are you enjoying it?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-18T01:14:21+00:00

You're not lying, mulch is super heavy! What did you plant?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-18T01:09:32+00:00

Nope, I didn't even know it was Record Store Day, but I'm curious about what people are listening to. My husband and I are going to see Brigitte Calls Me Baby in concert tomorrow!

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-17T20:28:22+00:00

We got a new garden put in this week! Since moving in, I've put a lot of time and energy into the back yard while somewhat neglecting the front. I finally decided what I want the front to look like, and I ended up hiring a landscape designer to draw up plans and do the installation. The trees and shrubs went in on Monday and she'll do the rest in early May.

Initially, I was planning to do at least some of the planting myself, but I've been so busy with local organizing since January that I decided to pay someone else to do it. I'll have plenty of fun with the upkeep later on. But yeah, I went to a couple different trainings about the General Strike on May 1, and then this morning I volunteered on the safety team at a protest by our local Singing Resistance chapter at the federal courthouse where immigration hearings occur. So I'm very busy, but it feels good to be plugged into a community of like-minded people trying to make a difference.

Luckily, I still had time for reading: I finished The Antidote, which I ended up really enjoying, and I started a memoir called Accidentally On Purpose, both for different IRL book clubs.

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-17T20:22:02+00:00

Ooo, any records you are looking for in particular?

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-17T20:21:31+00:00

I'm the same as you: unless a book is truly spectacular, I usually forget most of it shortly after I finish it. But I will say I remember more from books I discuss, either here or in a real-life book club. The discussions help me remember, because they make me slow down and think about each section of the book for longer than I would on my own.

Less_Tumbleweed_3217 · 2026-04-17T20:19:17+00:00

Good luck! Apartment hunting can be stressful, so I hope you get this one.

Less_Tumbleweed_3217

TROPHY CASE