State of Wonder

A Novel

By: Ann Patchett

Narrated by: Hope Davis

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times best seller

Orange Prize nominee

A Time Magazine’s Best Books of the Year

A Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Top Ten Best Books

A Wellcome Trust Book Prize nominee.

“Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett’s fiction.” (New York Times Book Review)

Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author Ann Patchett returns with a provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest.

Marina Singh is a research scientist at Vogel, a pharmaceutical institute in Minnesota, and inconveniently in love with her boss, Mr. Fox. When one of her colleagues is reported to have died while following up on the progress of a field team based in Brazil, Marina is dispatched by Mr. Fox to the Amazon to uncover the truth of his death. And his widow wants his effects.

She travels to Manaus, then down into the Amazonian delta, deep into the dense, dark, insect-infested jungle. The research team is looking into the development of a new miracle drug that could revolutionize Western society. A local tribe has the bark of a certain tree, it yields a substance which allows them to conceive late into middle age: many of the women are getting pregnant into their 60s and 70s.

The problem is that the team is taking too long: they have been silent for two years, and Marina has been tasked to find out what is holding back their progress. The second problem is more serious: the team is being headed up by the daunting figure of Annick Swenson, an eminent and fiercely uncompromising scientist who was once Marina’s colleague, and towards whom Marina has very complicated feelings. What Marina learns will change her life. In a novel that is packed with amazing twists and surprises, Ann Patchett returns with immense confidence to a broad canvas, teeming with atmosphere and characters and rich with narrative.

Remarkable events - fights with anacondas; encounters with cannibals; deaths; re-births - and profound moral decisions come together in a novel that will enthrall her many listeners and fans and is guaranteed to be a major best seller.

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 enthralling, 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.

©2011 Ann Patchett (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

“An expansive page-turner . . . Patchett’s fluid prose dissolves in the suspense of this out-there adventure . . . that readers will hate to see end.” (Publishers Weekly)

“An engaging, consummately told tale.” (New York Times)

“A superbly rendered novel. . . . Patchett’s portrayal is as wonderful as it is frightening and foreign. Patchett exhibits an extraordinary ability to bring the horrors and the wonders of the Amazon jungle to life, and her singular characters are wonderfully drawn. . . . Powerful and captivating.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Such a great story!

The narration was wonderful! The book started out annoyingly slow, but once Mirena gets to the Amazon, it takes off. The writing even seems more beautiful once the story moves to the Amazon. The ending was frustrating and satisfying at the same time. Is Mirena pregnant? It would make sense - given all her trips to the tree and the fact she instantly loses all interest in the tree. Did Easter come back? Did Mirena return to the Amazon? Did Dr Swenson recover? What happened with Mr. Fox? I think this book would have been better with a bit shaved off the front end and more added to the back. But still, it was a surprising, beautiful book.

I write these for myself ...

So I’ll remember if I liked this book, whether I’ll read another by the same author.

So ...
Totally ridiculous, unlikely but well-written story. I loved being on the Amazon. I was swept up in it. I would be too embarrassed to recommend this to a friend - though I loved and would wholeheartedly recommend other books by Patchett.

Ugh, the ending bummed me out.

Creative and enthralling

I loved this book. The originality of the story and how it brought to a life a totally different world. It was the perfect escape. Plus, I really enjoyed the narrator. Her voice was soothing but kept me hanging on her every word.

worth reading

worth reading. an interesting adventure. in the amazon. rain forest. great performance. xxxcc
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Fizzled out strangely

The story started out fairly slow and dry but became much more interesting and engaging in the middle of the book. It was interesting because it has some complicated characters and a unique plot. It allowed me to escape into an unfamiliar, imaginative space. Sadly, it fizzled out into a strange and rather abrupt ending that failed to resolve or fully address the long, slow setup of the story. The ending left me confused and unexpectedly disliking the main characters. It seemed to me like the author started with a good idea for a story and then floundered to work it through all the way.


The performance was overall great, but why does the narrator pronounce the main character’s name 3-4 different ways throughout the book?

mesmerizing

this is a spellbinding book. it may seem like a slow buildup but worth it. the narrator is topnotch doing different characters' voices without being gimmicky.

What a wonderful read

I loved this book. One of the best ones I have listened to, lately. So sad when it ended.
Ann is an amazing writer. You never feel that the writer is just trying to make the book last longer

Had no idea

Never heard of the author until now. I picked this book I believe because it was once on NY Times bestseller list. Loved the ending, got a little bored throughout, but overall enjoyed the rich array of personalities. This book delved into what makes us all so different and yet so similar. What a paradox! Give this book your time, even when it seems to drone on. You’ll find this story seeping into your every day thoughts.

Spellbinding

Another excellent novel by my favorite author. Loved the narrator. Could hardly put it down.

Fantastic subject matter, best possible mix of fantasy and humanity

fantastic story with such an interesting and imaginative subject matter. it wove science and enotion and fantasy and deep character building together.