[#1] The boundary between enemy and ally, connected by music and learning — Ann Patchett's 'Bel Canto'

📚 Art and humanity breathing within the extreme: 'Bel Canto' (Ann Patchett)

"Maybe I should try the New York Times's 'Summer Reading Bucket List'" I thought, just on a whim.

But this was a huge hit.

Read one of The New York Times's best books of the 21st century

This is the first book, Ann Patchett's 'Bel Canto'. It is ranked 98th in the '100 Best Books of the 21st Century' (selected by the NYT).

🎭 Based on that incident. Set in a South American vice-presidential residence

This novel is based on the 1996 'Japanese Embassy hostage crisis in Peru'. It was widely reported in Japan at the time, and I remember being glued to the news.

The novel is set in a fictional South American country.
One evening, armed guerrillas suddenly burst into the birthday party of Mr. Hosokawa, the president of a Japanese company.
They intended to target the president, but he was absent 'to watch television.'
As a result, the party guests were taken hostage instead.

Guerrillas and hostages, people who should never have crossed paths, begin a strange communal life inside the closed residence.

🎶 Music, cooking, chess, and foreign languages.

The guerrillas included teenagers.
The hostages, who were members of the upper class from various countries—educated and culturally refined—eventually began to teach the guerrilla children various things.

Surprised by the sound of the piano, listening intently to opera singing, learning chess, and writing English words in notebooks.
The joy of children 'knowing' something for the first time.
I was moved by those scenes.

Those sparkling eyes when they encounter art and learning.
This book quietly conveys that such joy nurtures people regardless of nationality or background.

💘 What blossoms between guerrillas and hostages

Eventually, in the story, two pairs of men and women fall in love.
It is depicted so naturally that I couldn't help but smile.

There was a strange community there that could not be defined by the categories of enemy and ally.
Some of the hostages even began to think, 'I wish it could stay like this.'
As I read, I was even seriously thinking, 'Isn't there a way to give these children a chance?'

⚠️ And then, the sudden finale

But those days come to an abrupt end one day.
The ending was a development that made my heart ache as I read it.
But that, too, was realistic, and that is precisely why the fragility of this small utopia stood out.

🖋️ A book that stays in the heart. The original, the movie, and the translation

This was my first Ann Patchett work, but the prose is very beautiful and the character descriptions are precise.
The translation is by Yayoi Yamamoto, known for the 'V.I. Warshawski' series.Yayoi Yamamoto. Even after reading it in the original language, I wanted to read the Japanese translation as well.

By the way, it has also been adapted into a film, starring Ken Watanabe and Julianne Moore.
What a star-studded cast! I would love to watch this as well.

📚 'A book I wouldn't have encountered if I hadn't read it'

If it weren't for the NYT's 'Summer Reading Bucket List,' I surely wouldn't have picked this up.
But that is exactly why I'm glad I found it.

This summer, I hope to continue this 'adult challenge' little by little.
I wonder what the next theme should be.
If you'd like, please join me on this journey.

📝 Look forward to the next installment!

In this series, I will introduce one book at a time, selected according to the '10 New York Times Summer Challenge Themes'.

The reading experience for each theme will surely make this summer a little richer.
Whether you have read these books or not, please feel free to join me on this reading journey.

Happy Reading!