The set up for Bel Canto is intriguing—an international group of businessmen and diplomats, one female opera singer, and a polyglot translator are held captive by a gang of revolutionaries in an unnamed banana republic for several months.

Despite the premise, the story is not particularly exciting. It focuses on the personal relationships among the people involved, especially the relationships between some of the captives and captors. The story is well-written and raises issues about the nature of talent, love, and communication that are interesting to contemplate. But I never thought the book rose above just being interesting. It is not a compelling page-turner, just an interesting story.