Title: State of Wonder
Author: Ann Patchett
Genre: Fiction
Year: 2011
Acquired: Library
Rating: 
One Sentence Summary: A young pharmaceutical scientist heads into the heart of darkness that is the Amazonian rain forest to find her lost coworker and confront a scientist on the loose.
One Sentence Review: Anne Patchett’s beautiful writing alone is enough reason to read this book.
Why I Read It: I have a special place in my heart of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, so hearing this one compared to it was enough to make me want to read it.
Long Review: When Dr. Marina Singh, a pharmaceutical research scientist, is sent to the jungle in search of an elusive colleague and former mentor, it looks like a lost mission. Dr. Annick Swenson is supposed to be working on a miracle fertility drug. Instead, she’s cut of communication with her funders and refuses to tell anyone where she actually is. Marina’s research partner, Anders Eckman, was sent to find Dr. Swenson first, but died before he could complete the mission. As Marina heads into the Amazon, it’s unclear what she’ll find and how she will be able to battle her own demons while dealing with complicated ethical questions and the ire of Dr. Swenson.
One of the big reasons this particular popular fiction title stood out to me was a repeated suggestion that Patchett has written the female Heart of Darkness. I mean, it’s almost impossible to read any professional review of the book and not have some reference to Joseph Conrad’s book. Even the book description from the publisher ends with the line, “It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side.”
In my view, that’s a good thing, since I’ve always held a special place in my heart for Heart of Darkness, but that’s not the case for everyone. While it’s possible my Heart of Darkness expertise is fading, I didn’t see much connection between the two other than the premise of the book — a person is sent into the Amazonian wilderness to search for a lost colleague and deal with someone that has, potentially, gone crazy out in the jungle.
Plot questions aside, this book is worth reading if only for Patchett’s beautiful writing. She had this way of moving back in forth in time and space, from Marina’s present to her past, from the Amazon to Minnesota to India, without ever missing a beat or leaving the reader behind. Her descriptions of people and the jungle were intense and captivating. I was drawn in throughout the entire story.
I’m not sure how I feel about the ending of the book or the questions it raised, or even, in some ways, what I thought of the book as a whole… but the writing, wow. I cannot wait to try another one of Patchett’s books to visit her beautiful prose again.
Other Reviews: Caribousmom | Words and Peace |
If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to the review in the comments and I will add your review to the main post. All I ask is for you to do the same to mine — thanks!
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Glad that you had a chance to read this one. I love the writing as well, and thought the story was good as well. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m glad we got to read this one as well, I liked it quite a bit.
I am reading this now and am loving it. It was a book club pick and I was hesitant because I couldn’t get through Bel Canto but this seems completely different to me.
I haven’t read Bel Canto, but I did pick up a copy while I was out shopping over the weekend. I’m curious about it now, especially since you say it’s different.
I completely agree with your review – her writing is gorgeous, and for that alone the book is worth reading. I was not fond of the ending at all. My review is here: http://www.caribousmom.com/2011/10/18/state-of-wonder-book-review/
I loved her writing, it was just so beautiful.
I read this book last summer and enjoyed it very much. At the same time, I listened to Bel Canto, so I reviewed them together. I think Patchett has a special thing for endings: http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/bell-canto-and-state-of-wonder/
I don’t know what I thought of the ending… it didn’t seem like much closure, but I’m not sure if that matters much.
lots of other bloggers make a big deal about her conclusion, I mean, they usually say it’s lousy and they hate it. But I thought it was good in its originality, same thing for Bel Canto
I didn’t really hate it… I just wasn’t sure what to think. I have read lots of people who didn’t like it at all. I’m really curious about Bel Canto though.
I’ve never read Heart of Darkness but I do love Prachett’s writing, so am adding this one to my list.
I hope you like it!
This one is high on my wishlist and I have a gift card to burn, so it’s a good possibility I’ll be reading this in the near future.
Ooo, awesome. I thought it was beautifully written, easy to get drawn into.
I thought the writing was gorgeous, but I wasn’t crazy about the ending – it just seemed out of character for Marina. I also thought the middle of the book dragged a bit.
Yeah, I don’t know about the ending either. It seemed abrupt, perhaps, or just a little off.
I’ve had this one in my bookcase for a while and keep meaning to grab it, and I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read Heart Of Darkness! I remember seeing it on our optional summer reading lists in high school, but I always chose something else.
Heart of Darkness is, I think, an acquired taste. It’s a very strange little book, but it has a special place in my heart.
Sometimes it is enough to read a book for the language alone.
For sure. Beautiful writing is key for me.
I loved this book too! The ending was a bit meh to me, but other than that, it was just beautiful!
Yes, totally agree. Her writing was just stellar.
I still can’t decide whether or not I want to read this. I even sat down with it in the bookstore for awhile and ended up leaving it behind. It didn’t grab me, but I’m still a little curious. I’m sure I’ll get to it, just not any time soon.
The beginning could have been a little bit slow, but I did think it picked up. And like I said, the writing was just gorgeous.
Sounds like the writing is well worth the ride!
Absolutely!
I enjoyed this book too! http://leeswammes.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/book-review-state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett/
I thought the events towards the end were rather far-fetched. But I read this book less than 6 months ago and already I’m considering re-reading it, as I did enjoy it a lot.
I might reread this one, just to see if some of the plot pulls together better on a second read.
Seeing this book around has made me think I am going to have to check it out one of these days.
I hope you can give it a shot!
Thinking about the ending and whether this novel is like Heart of Darkness (I hadn’t read that before I read it, but react as you do, that it’s a surface similarity) makes me like the ending better. It’s a sort of satiric ending, I think, made to require the reader to make up her mind about how a modern woman should act in a first world country, based on what Marina learned in the jungle.
Hmmm, that’s a really good point. That makes a lot of sense. Smart as always, Jeanne 🙂
I haven’t read Heart of Darkness, but I know what it’s about and it’s major themes, and like you, I don’t really see how many/any of them apply to this novel. I think critics got overly influenced by the similar settings and so just ran with it, but I think this novel is really about other things altogether. I didn’t think it was perfect, but I did admire Patchett’s storytelling so I’m sure I’ll read some of her other works in the future as well.
Yes, I think it’s very much the setting, although the plot does have some similarities too (the whole heading into the jungle thing). I loved the way she was able to tell so many stories at the same time.
I with Jill on this one. It sounds like a great book and I’ll probably get to it someday but not soon. Great review.
I feel that way about quite a few books 🙂
I felt the same way – I like her writing even though this is not my genre, but her writing is very atmospheric. I don’t know how I feel about the ending either. Here’s my review: http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-state-of-wonder-novel-by.html
Yes, atmospheric is exactly the right word for her writing.
I was impressed by the writing too, and enjoyed the book far more than I expected to. I am not normally sustained by beautiful writing. But I’m glad to hear you say that this doesn’t have as much in common with Heart of Darkness as everyone’s been saying! I haven’t read Heart of Darkness, and am not a hundred percent sure I want to, and I’m relieved to hear that my State of Wonder reading experience wasn’t necessarily damaged by that omission in my reading history.
Nah, I don’t think so. Maybe if I reread Heart of Darkness I’d think differently, but being dull on the details didn’t seem to hurt my reading experience any.