There are times when I can devour a book in almost one sitting, but there are also times when I take my time not because I’m bored with a book, but because I’m enjoying it so much I like to spend as much time with it as possible. Usually, these books stay with me for a very long time even if the last page has been turned.
I started reading Bel Canto on March 21. It usually takes me two to three days to finish a 300-page book, that is, if I don’t have anything else to do. The reason why I’m trying to linger within the book’s pages is because I’m so immersed in the story I honestly don’t want it to end just yet. Needless to say, I am captivated by Bel Canto. It’s a whole new experience. I have never appreciated opera before and yet here I am trying to google songs or music mentioned in the book just because I read that each character is being transformed by the beauty of music, and I want to experience that too. Like the hostages, I seek to hear Roxanne’s songs. I have been striving to read Bel Canto only when I’m alone because I want to spend my reading time absorbing everything without any distraction. When I put the book down to answer to reality, the images linger in my mind like a stubborn stain that just won’t come off. From General Benjamin’s shingles, to the food served before everything went terribly wrong, and even the Spanish words mentioned in the book – they float around my head wherever I go. I even ask myself at times, how can captivity and being a hostage be so pleasant?
The Five-Eyed Bookworm 