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Loading... State of Wonderby Ann Patchett
 usefuljack | May 17, 2013 |  I was definitely all over this book, and I have to say that I enjoyed every page because I love Ann Patchett and I always believe her. Her sentences are just always terrific. That said, this book quickly became problematic for me. I really couldn't figure out how the natives could remain so anonymous, their language so impenetrable. I see how Patchett meant to avoid the "white folks find selves among natives in the Amazon" trope, but I had many questions about the other resarchers' abilities to remain so closed for so long. The effect is disconcerting. They become a mass of indistinguishable natives, for the most part. I actually think that slow character build and quiet depth are Patchett's strong suits (even though I read an interview with her in which she lauded plot as her strength), and my favorites are still The Patron Saint of Liars and Magician's Assistant for that very reason. The atmospheric sadness of those books lingers. (  ) usefuljack | May 17, 2013 | I probably would never have picked up this book, but Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors and I am always willing to read anything she writes. While I enjoyed the book overall, it's not my favorite. I found most of the main characters rather distant and wasn't particularly invested in their journey. Although Dr. Swenson's matter-of-fact, no-nonsense attitude began to grow on me eventually. I found the final third of the book more compelling as the main character was less in her head and more present with her colleagues and the native people. There also seemed to be more energy in Patchett's prose as the narrative gained momentum. CynA | May 10, 2013 | Oh, I loved it. I think she's a great storyteller here, with a very sure touch, knowing just when to pull away and when to get in tight. And the writing is very nice, literary but not showy -- again, just right. I really, really enjoyed it all the way through. Full review here. (  ) lisapeet | May 8, 2013 | Another great story by Ann Patchett. Dr Marina Singh, a pharmacological researcher with a drug company in Minnesota travels to the Amazon jungle to find her colleague Anders Eckman. He's been reported as dead but something is suspicious. The research station is under the care of Annick Swenson who is a rogue researcher for the company Marina works for. Great story, fabulous character development and a wonderful ending. (  ) MaggieFlo | May 4, 2013 |
In her latest novel, Ann Patchett, author of the beloved Bel Canto, takes her readers down the Amazon and deep into the rain forest in a book that is part adventure story, part morality tale...This book may be on a lot of book club lists already — but with good reason...  State of Wonder is heavy with literary parallels (to Henry James, to Greek myth), but in this respect the strongest links are to Heart of Darkness, a novel that Patchett substantially rewrites, with Conrad's male text repopulated with female characters (Swenson is this book's Kurtz). It lacks the developed emotional core of Patchett's earlier books, but it is her most mature work to date, a novel that tries to be more alive to the nerve ends of philosophical life than to the simpler machinery of character motivation. “State of Wonder” is an engaging, consummately told tale. Patchett’s deadpan narrative style showcases a dry humor that enables her to wed, with fine effect, the world of “Avatar” or the “Odyssey” with that of corporate board meetings, R&D reports and peer review... “State of Wonder” is an immensely touching novel, although as with much of Patchett’s work, its emotional impact is somewhat muted by her indefatigable niceness.  Nail-biting action scenes include a young boy’s near-mortal crushing by a 15-foot anaconda, whose head Marina lops off with a machete; they’re balanced by contemplative moments that give this gripping novel spiritual and metaphysical depth, right down to the final startling plot twist.
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“Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett’s fiction.”—New York Times Book Review
Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett returns with a provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest. Infusing the narrative with the same ingenuity and emotional urgency that pervaded her acclaimed previous novels Bel Canto, Taft, Run, The Magician’s Assistant, and The Patron Saint of Liars, Patchett delivers an enthrallingly innovative tale of aspiration, exploration, and attachment in State of Wonder—a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.
(retrieved from Amazon Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:29:58 -0400)
A researcher at a pharmaceutical company, Marina Singh journeys into the heart of the Amazonian delta to check on a field team that has been silent for two years -- a dangerous assignment that forces Marina to confront the ghosts of her past.
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That said, this book quickly became problematic for me. I really couldn't figure out how the natives could remain so anonymous, their language so impenetrable. I see how Patchett meant to avoid the "white folks find selves among natives in the Amazon" trope, but I had many questions about the other resarchers' abilities to remain so closed for so long. The effect is disconcerting. They become a mass of indistinguishable natives, for the most part.
I actually think that slow character build and quiet depth are Patchett's strong suits (even though I read an interview with her in which she lauded plot as her strength), and my favorites are still The Patron Saint of Liars and Magician's Assistant for that very reason. The atmospheric sadness of those books lingers. (