Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

 

Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder is about a pharmaceutical researcher, Marina Singh, and her descent into the dark frontiers of the Amazon to discover what progress a disturbingly uncommunicative colleague, Dr. Swenson, is making toward formulation of an important fertility drug. She also must try to discover the truth behind the mysterious death of a close friend and colleague, Anders Eckman.  

Patchett describes Marina’s journey as one beginning in reluctance and confusion but ending in courage, slowly stripping Marina of modern trappings and emotional insecurities to show how she learns to face the dangers of the Amazonian rainforest and sacrifices what she is just beginning to love.

Patchett describes Marina’s internal wondering and thought associations enough that we understand Marina is very thoughtful.  We see how Marina’s fears of loss have affected her and prevented her from expressing more love to her family and friends. Marina goes from being a passive character whom things happen to, to being an active character with initiative.  

Few of the plot events seemed contrived except for the sudden appearance of Dr. Swenson in Manaus at the opera performance. This seems like an unexpected burst through a plot problem that doesn’t quite feel earned and isn’t fully explained, but since it happens about midway through the book, the reader will likely forget about it as they move on through the strong second half.

Some criteria the reader might use to judge this book are the following:

• How much detail does the author use to transport the reader into the Amazon jungle?  Does this detail succeed?  I believe it does.  We are treated to descriptions of wildlife, tribal peoples and their customs, and adventures that fit with the atmosphere. 
• How much detail does the author use to describe the relationships and motivations of the characters?   Does this detail succeed?  I believe this does as well.  We are given pertinent background narrative and scenes that allow us to connect with characters or question them.
• How well does the author describe the biology and medical details that the researchers/doctors would discuss and notice?  Does this detail succeed?  I think it does as well.  We are given enough to convince us, but not so much technical terminology that we would be drowning in it.  Educating the reader without doing a data dump is a fine art and the author succeeds.

Through the narrative and dialogue of this book, Ann Patchett examines a number of questions and issues in a manner that does not feel forced or awkward. These issues are the following:

• What level of responsibility do outside researchers have toward those they research to help improve their lives and make a difference?
• How much should researchers be involved with their human subjects?
• How language barriers can lead to laziness and hurtful assumptions of other peoples.
• The appropriate time to have children and whether women should wait to have them.  Eventually the conclusion drawn is that having children is for the young, both for responsible care-taking and because it is when the body is the freshest.
• How critical a person should be of a mentor they admire, especially when they know about their private life.

Why you might like this book

A woman has to travel deep into the Amazon jungle to try to find out the truth.  Amazon jungle is interesting! 

Interesting view of pharmaceutical business and research and development. 

Seeing how researchers may interact with tribes they are researching.

Why you might not like this book

You might not like the dream sequences.  There are a number of them throughout the book, so they may get tiresome.  They seem to be used to indicate Marina’s continued insecurity and reluctance to go on the trip to the Amazon.

If you read with a moral lens, you might not like the instances of premarital sex and adulterous affairs.  They are not graphic, but you may find yourself feeling that they weren’t necessary.  You might also not care for the interest in hallucinogenic mushrooms, although the books mentions them more from the biological/medical perspective.  There is an instance of marijuana drug use, though it is not dwelt on. 

This book is meant to both provoke thought and thrill.  It’s the kind of book that you have to read slowly to take in all the imagery and reflection.  The description is careful and apt, but not over-done.  You get enough to realize that the main character thinks about things and is reminded of her past a lot by the experiences she is having.  Events raise associations in her mind and we get to see that, but it is always for some purpose.  Fans of literary fiction may find just enough description and ambiguity to interest them, while fans of genre fiction will find enough of a plot to draw them in and keep them reading.  Medical professionals would probably be perfectly at home in this book.  As it is, it gives the rest of us a bit of an insider view of the Amazon, pharmaceutical research, and conflicts that can occur when the two mix.