The prose is so breathtaking in spots that it is almost poetic, while the storytelling-told individually from many characters' point of view-is absolutely superb. Magnificently written with vividly drawn characters, this book is pure genius. The standoff lasts for months, and during that time the hostages and their captors eventually form what could be described as a near utopia. But terror and fear reign when armed gunmen storm the house and take hostage well over 100 people from a myriad of countries, who speak a myriad of languages. The only reason Hosokawa agrees to attend is that the evening's entertainment is his favorite opera singer, the world-renowned Roxane Coss. Katsumi Hosokawa is turning 53, not a particularly notable birthday, and in a bald-faced attempt to entice him to build a factory in this backwater country, the government throws him a lavish birthday party at the opulent home of the vice president. If all you do is read the plot summary of this book-in an unnamed South American country, terrorists storm the birthday party of a Japanese electronics executive in a botched attempt to kidnap that country's president-you would never know that this exceptional book by Ann Patchett is actually about friendship and love.
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