![]() None of Patchett’s characters are stock, because she can always justify who they are. Although Patchett focuses on a small core of characters, even her most minor characters have a detailed, comprehensive backstory that provides their motivation. The multiplicity of these stories is key to Bel Canto and its ensemble cast. At first the emphasis on description over dialogue annoyed me, but I gradually allowed myself to become seduced by the way Patchett would dip in and out of each character’s thoughts, sharing along the way some of their background story. The prose is lyrical without feeling like it’s overdone. It lasts a matter of months, but in those months Ann Patchett manages to make one care about a dizzying array of characters, hostages and terrorists alike. The hostage situation in Bel Canto reminds me of this subtle transformation. It’s one of the many subtle, long-term arcs that contribute to Buffy’s greatness. It becomes a running joke, in fact, how harmless he is, and gradually Spike transforms from villain to non-entity to ally. He spends a good deal of that season tied up in Xander’s basement. With a chip in his head that causes him intense pain if he harms humans, Spike is neutralized as a threat. ![]() He’s a cold and ruthless antagonist, but then in season four he gets metaphorically declawed. ![]() One of the villains in the second season is a vampire named Spike. ![]() ![]() One of my favourite shows is Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I could get into why, but then we’d be here all day). ![]()
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