What is the author's style in Bel Canto: A Novel by Ann Patchett?

Bel Canto is written in a conversational, descriptive manner. The characters talk amongst themselves regularly, but the reader must remember that all of this conversation is actually going through Gen, the translator. Just as the reader must hear the story through the viewpoint of the omniscent narrator and rely on his interpretation, so the characters must oftentimes rely on Gen's interpretation of their language. There are times when Gen does not continue to translate exactly what the characters say, but most of the time, he is a reliable interpreter of events and does not self-edit what is being told to him.