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3.29.2012

A Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

"Instead of growing up inquisitive and restless, she had developed a profound desire to stay, as if her center of gravity was so low it connected her directly to this particular patch of earth."
Dr. Marina Singh is sent to the Amazon to uncover details regarding the death of Dr. Anders Eckman, her friend and coworker. Leaving his grieving family and her own life behind, she must attempt to stay sane and healthy while tracking down the doctor Ander's was initially sent to find. In the heart of the jungle, Dr. Annick Swenson, Marina's one time instructor, is working on a drug that will allow women to give birth much later in life.  Desperate for answers surrounding Eckman's death and the discoveries Swenson's been hiding for years, Marina must keep her objectives insight before she, too, is lost.

I'll admit that I was really intimated by Ann Patchett. Reviews or comments I'd encountered in passing had left the impression that her work, while enormously admired, would be over my head and a bit on the wordy side. While Patchett may spit words out on the page as if they were disappearing tomorrow, she is, by far, one of the best storytellers I've read in years. Carrie at nomadreader got me with her review and, so, like any good blogger, I immediately put a copy on hold at the library. 

Patchett manages to open the novel with Eckman's death (no worries about spoilers.. it's on the cover) in a way that, I felt, was appropriate for the story that follows. When Marina is given a note informing the pharmaceutical company of Eckman's death, the entire experience is surreal. Marina is lost, the audience is lost, because at this point in time, you're unaware of Eckman's travels deep into the Amazon while questioning Dr. Swenson on the progress of her drug development.  When Marina realizes that she must accept Karen's request and Mr. Fox's (Vogel's CEO and her lover) desire to get the answers they seek, the entire journey almost seems like a terrible dream, something that would never actually materialize.  

Patchett also managed to include snippets of the baggage other characters carried throughout the story with such grace that it simply completed them and made them whole without taking away from main events and losing the reader.  While Marina's motivations and general thoughts were just so unpredictable that I couldn't get a grasp of her personality as a whole, there were moments of clarity that seemed to be exactly the way an individual in her position would react, which, in my opinion, made it much more meaningful. I enjoyed her personal story and cared for her struggles.

The entire story line was fascinating. A rare bark that allows women to conceive up into their 70s, along with a hallucinogenic mushroom that may or may not thwart malaria, are two very interesting subjects. And while I'm generally not too terribly fond of medical terminology and science based reads, I felt that Patchett made it palatable without oversimplifying. I won't lie... I'm completely ignorant as to the life and times of a doctor, or pharmacologist, but it didn't seem so far fetched.

The interactions between Signh and Swenson were tense and I felt Marina's doubt and insecurities.  As a college grad, I certainly had one professor, in particular, that was so brilliant that I often went tongue tied when called upon, despite getting some of the best grades in the class.  It was wonderful to feel that all over again, basking in the intelligence of someone you admire, knowing you were apart of their lectures (and survived!). Someone that may or may not have inspired you to do greater things (perhaps not so much in Marina's case). 

I was somewhat disappointed with certain aspects of the conclusion (I'll leave at that for all of you rushing to find a copy), which lead to my four star rating on Goodreads.  If you haven't given Patchett a shot, this is your book. If you've been disappointed in the past, give this one a chance.  I don't think you'll regret it.

State of Wonder is on the Orange Prize for Fiction longlist, 2012.

17 comments:

  1. I've only read one Ann Patchett, but I really love her style. This sounds like it would be right up my alley.

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  2. Lorren,
    I think that you'll definitely enjoy this one! I can't wait to see your review.

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  3. Okay I'm sold. Like I told you on twitter, Bel Canto really didn't do it for me but I did find her prose to be incredibly beautiful. I've wanted to give her a try again but wasn't really sure which book. I think I found it! Thanks for the great review, Beth.

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    1. Brenna,
      I really do hope you enjoy it- I'd feel terrible if you didn't. There was just something about it that really worked for me. It could have been that the subject matter was just so entirely different than what I feel like I've been reading lately. I think I may avoid Bel Canto and try The Magician's Assistant instead.

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  4. I'm so glad you liked this Beth. We're putting together suggestions for next year's book club reading, and I was planning to put this on my list. Now it's a definite! Thanks for the review.

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    1. Col,
      I definitely think there is much to discuss with this one. I'll be interested to see what the group thinks. I loved it! Hope you enjoy too!

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  5. I'm so excited to read this one for the Orange Prize longlist. I own it, so it'll have to wait until I finish up the ones I already have checked out of the library.

    I find Ann Patchett intimidating too, but I hope I find the reading experience as pleasurable as you did :)

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    1. Oh Sam,
      I can't wait to read your review. While there were moments of eye-rolling, the story was just so good. I hope you enjoy!

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  6. My book club was considering this one - I wasn't so sure at first, but now you've got me interested! A good storyteller sells me on a book, and it's kind of fun to venture out into such different subject matter sometimes too.

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    1. Anne,
      I think it's a great pick for a book club discussion. Especially the bits about human reproduction later in life and cures to known diseases and the ways this would affect our world. If you do choose it, please share with me!

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  7. I haven't read anything by Patchett, so I'm excited to hear this is the one to get! I've seen this book around and read the summary but couldn't tell if I'd like it. A good review from you means it's definitely getting added to my list!

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    1. Yes, I really loved State of Wonder, but I've heard that many were disappointed. I'd be interested to see what you think if you decide to pick it up!

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  8. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one despite your feelings about the ending! I think many people have those same feelings, and my oldest best friends and I had a thrilling discussion about it over email. I need to get back into my Patchett groove and read the rest of her backlist too, as I've loved both of her novels that I've read.

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    1. Carrie,
      I picked this one up on account of your review and loved it! I need to find more readers so that I can discuss the ending as well! I'm thinking of finding her other work from the library after I tackle some of the stuff I have checked out now.

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  9. I had some mixed feelings about this one overall, but I did think Patchett did an admirable job setting up the tension between Marina and Dr. Nasty (my pet name for her). :D

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    1. Andi,
      I would agree that there is certainly some tension. Dr. Nasty has got a sharp tongue. The name's hilarious. For the most part, I really REALLY really enjoyed it.

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  10. I found a lot of the book interesting and enjoyed the different settings (MN lab, the city in Brazil, the remote location of the tribe). I thought the places were well-developed, at times moreso than the characters. I also found the research topic interesting and it raised some good questions about what we should and shouldn't do physically and about the complexities of research funding. The prose was easy to read but I didn't find it as engaging as I found Patchett's work in Bel Canto. I tend to be a reader of characters and style and felt more like this was a plot book....nothing wrong with that, just not my style.

    So, through most of the book it was a solid like but definitely not a love, which put it in 3.5 stars territory. However, I really didn't like the way the ending went. It felt like the author rushed to wrap it up neatly in 20 pages and just did so to make it all clean and "complete." I tend to prefer messier endings. So, it got rounded down to 3. It's an easy read and I'd encourage folks to read it if they want a book that's easy but does have depth to the story and raises issues worth talking about.

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