Search Results for: state of wonder

State of Wonder

I heard this was the “It” book of last summer, enthusiastically backed by the legion of Ann Patchett fans that now seem to be everywhere. I was just a tad leery because I didn’t care for her last novel called “Run,” but alas, “State of Wonder” is a whole different can of worms and much better. Like the Amazon world it conjures, “State of Wonder” is teeming with a wide range of issues, layers and characters.

It’s about a pharmacologist in Minnesota, Marina Singh, who is sent to the Amazon to find out the circumstances surrounding her work colleague’s death and the scientist he went to meet, the eccentric Annick Swenson. Swenson is Marina’s former medical school mentor whose research on a new fertility drug in the jungle has been shrouded in mystery. Marina is sent to find her and investigate the progress on the new drug. But once she gets there, her world is turned upside down by the tribulations she faces and the miracle drug she witnesses.

Part “Heart of Darkness” mixed with a little “Island of Dr. Moreau,” “State of Wonder” is influenced by various works, including “Orpheus and Eurydice” and the Werner Herzog film “Fitzcarraldo,” according to Patchett. (In light of this, I’m curious to rent the 1982 Herzog film, which I haven’t seen.) I found the novel to be an adventurous, engaging read; it definitely keeps you going and places your feet firmly in the heat of the Amazon. But I thought the surprise ending a bit abrupt, flung together and sort of dropping off after its initial jolt, leaving one like a wet rag to wonder about the loose ends it leaves.

After wading through its dense jungle and contemplating malaria and the fertility of women over a certain age, I’m sort of Ann Patchett’d out at the moment but will definitely return to her books in the future. For more on her and “State of Wonder” check out her recent appearance on the Colbert Report, the independent bookstore Parnassus she co-owns in Nashville, and her hour on the Diane Rehm show. Continue reading

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This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

Well the polar vortex ended last Friday and a glimpse of spring has arrived today in western Canada with 55 degree weather. That translates into Miami temps for this time of year here. We’re loving it for sure!

I’ve been meandering a bit with my reading, but just finished Ann Patchett’s nonfiction book of essays called “This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage,” which came out last November. My sister gave it to me for Christmas. I love the title; it makes you want to know if she’s being real, or if she has some secret cornucopia of knowledge about marriage. I was sure I would devour the collection in no time at all, but I’ve been enjoying it this past week more slowly like a glass of fine wine. I find there seems to be more to absorb in nonfiction and it takes me a bit longer than a novel to get through, generally speaking.

But I liked reading it slowly as it’s a great book and I would highly recommend it, especially to people who are interested in writing, or in the aspects of a writer’s life. It’s quite personal and the combined 22 essays flow together almost as if you were reading a memoir. There’s chapters on just about every facet of Patchett’s life including her childhood and family, how she became a successful writer and co-bookstore owner, her divorce and eventual second marriage, and her life in Nashville. It’s all there: her loves, losses and how writing has always been her mission in life, which she’s worked very hard at doing both as a journalist and as a novelist.

The way she writes these essays it’s almost as if you know her and she’s telling you like she would a friend, candidly and confiding. She’s often funny and self-effacing. The essays are a genuine treat to read, her descriptions and observations reveal truths about life in various episodes. I was lured into them eagerly like a bee to a bonnet. It made me wonder if Patchett’s actually a better nonfiction writer than she is a novelist. This collection made me think so. Granted, I have read just two of her novels so far, one of which “State of Wonder” I liked quite a bit; the other “Run” I didn’t care for that much. But I’d like to read her novel “Bel Canto,” which I’ve heard is her very best.

Meanwhile this nonfiction collection knocked it out of the park for me. I especially appreciated her essay “The Getaway Car,” which gives useful advice if you’re interested in writing, and a candid perspective on being a writer. I also found interesting her foray into becoming a bookstore co-owner, which she writes about in “The Bookstore Strikes Back.” And the title essay “This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage” about the long road to love she found with her second husband is a poignant piece that might remind one that sometimes you don’t realize the really good thing or person you’ve got till they’re (almost) gone.

I enjoyed about all of the essays in this book. She even writes about her very dear dog Rose in “This Dog’s Life” and “Dog Without End,” which made me happy being such a dog lover. I guess only one essay “The Mercies” about the former Catholic nuns who taught her school and befriended her I found a bit convoluted and didn’t draw me in as much as the others. But on the whole, I was quite taken with this volume and will keep it to reread pieces again in the future.

What about you — have you read this book or others by her? Or do you plan to? Continue reading

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September Preview

Greetings, it’s been a while. I was away a bit in August and now I’ve returned; see Stella in the woods at left. The tennis tournament in Toronto was fun and went fairly well — I made it to the … Continue reading

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February Preview

Hi all, are we ready for February? Yes, let’s move on from January. We are now beyond the hyped start of the new year. Meanwhile we’ve had some crazy warm temperatures up here that have been melting away the snow. … Continue reading

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Let It Snow

Hi all. I hope everyone is well and enjoying their holiday break. We are getting close to 2024 now, so I hope you have chosen your first book to read in the new year. I plan to share my first … Continue reading

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Replacements and Prophets

Hi. How is everyone doing? I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. I have been off the blog for a while due to my knee replacement surgery last week. I came home from the hospital on Friday afternoon and … Continue reading

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The Last Ranger

Hi all. I hope everyone in the States has a very Happy Thanksgiving or wherever you may be. My relatives are gathering in Southern California for the holiday and it should be fun there. Though we are staying put for … Continue reading

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Study for Obedience

Hi. How is your week? Lately we’ve had many clear days with windy conditions. It was so windy a few days ago it sheared off some large branches from our poplar trees. We spent some of the weekend picking up … Continue reading

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Blooms and Silver Alerts

Hi. We had a nice visit in California and are now back home. There was a trace or so of snow last night and that’s how I know we’re back in the North, ha. But the days have been warm … Continue reading

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Sleigh Bells Ring …

Hi everyone. We still have about 10 days left before Christmas and I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or your own tradition, I hope it’s great. On Monday, I picked up our tree and we … Continue reading

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