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    State of Wonder
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    State of Wonder
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    State of Wonder
    Ebook422 pages7 hours

    State of Wonder

    By Ann Patchett

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION

    There were people on the banks of the river.

    Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever. Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors, whose patience is fast running out. Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate.

    A curt letter reporting his untimely death is all that returns.

    Now Marina Singh, Anders' colleague and once a student of the mighty Dr Swenson, is their last hope. Compelled by the pleas of Anders's wife, Marina leaves the snowy plains of Minnesota and retraces her friend's steps into the heart of the South American darkness, determined to track down Dr. Swenson and uncover the secrets being jealously guarded among the remotest tribes of the rainforest.

    What Marina does not yet know is that, in this ancient corner of the jungle, where the muddy waters and susurrating grasses hide countless unknown perils and temptations, she will face challenges beyond her wildest imagination.

    Marina is no longer the student, but only time will tell if she has learnt enough.
    ________________________________
    'The best book I have read all year. It made me laugh and weep and left me in a state of wonder: perfect from first page to last ... a masterpiece' EMMA DONOGHUE

    'A triumph ... Pachett's best book yet' GUARDIAN
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateJun 6, 2011
    ISBN9781408818794
    Unavailable
    State of Wonder
    Author

    Ann Patchett

    ANN PATCHETT is the author of eight novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, Commonwealth, and The Dutch House as well as three books of nonfiction: Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment.

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    • 5/5
      State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

      'State of Wonder' is the story of a woman, Marina Singh, on a journey to find a coworker, who was reported dead from malaria and his already body buried in the jungle according to his Christian beliefs. Marina, (age 42), is a doctor working as a pharmacologist in a lab for a pharmaceutical company named Vogel, in icy Minnesota. Her coworker, Anders had been sent months ago into the Brazilian jungle to check on a research project concerning the development of a fertility drug. His wife, Karen, is not satisfied that her husband is dead and already buried. She wants to know more in order to provide closure for her children. Karen and Marina's boss, Mr. Fox, (also Marina's secret lover), ask that she travel to Brazil to check both on the death of Karen's husband and on the research grant of Dr. Swenson, (age 72,) Marina, formerly a student of Swenson's, agrees but reluctantly, as she and Dr. Swenson have not spoken since a surgical accident. After the accident that occurred while Marina was in residency under Swenson, Marina abandoned her major in obstrectics.

      Once in the jungle, Marina finds that things are never as they appear. Swenson is working not only on a fertility drug that can reactivate a woman's menstruation and eggs after menopause, allowing them to have children late in life, but also on a drug made from the same compounds that can inoculate against malaria. She is using funding from Vogel to finance her drug, unbeknown to Vogel executives. Further, Marina struggles with the ethical and moral questions that arise from doing research on native cultures. Swenson has also made herself a test subject and is now pregnant in her advanced age. The other doctors at the facility have agreed to work on the project and Marina must choose between her employer/lover Mr. fox, and a drug that can save millions through an inoculation that prevents malaria.

      During her longer than planned stay, Marina meets a native young boy, (Easter), who is completely deaf, yet extremely resourceful. She has come to love Easter like a mother. Easter had been stolen from his own tribe several years ago, a tribe who are or had once been cannibals, by Dr. Swenson, and her presumed deceased coworker Anders. Marina begins to understand that morality and ethical consideration are often difficult and that no decision is ever without consequence. Her time with the Lakashi women teaches her that sometimes medical science should not try to improve on nature, and that simply because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be. Swenson is at about 27 weeks into her pregnancy when she tells Marina the baby has died. Marina does a crude surgical C section to remove Swenson's own dead child all the time knowing that nature holds a delicate balance and to damage that balance can be dangerous. By the end of the novel, Marina has learned that sometimes, to act in the best interest of nature, one should merely allow nature to function without intervention. 'State of Wonder' shows readers the delicate balance between ecosystems, ethics, morality, and self preservation and asks readers to evaluate their own beliefs.

      I would love a sequel and I feel like I have been to the jungle by reading this book.
    • 3/5


      I very much enjoyed Bel Canto, and State of Wonder was good, too, but not great. Easter was the most lovable character. I wish the story had been about him. The ending was just awful, in my opinion, however the writing was descriptive, the plot kept my attention, and the pace was fast. It was just a bit too unbelievable for me to give any more than 3 stars.
    • 3/5
      Sometimes I wonder what is the purpose of a book when I get done with it. I kind of feel that way with this book. Yet it drew me in and showed what it can be like for researchers out in the jungle for years. It seems like you can lose yourself out there and lose touch with reality. I felt for Marina who was sent into the jungle to find out what happened to Anders. And she almost forgets why she is even there and starts to adapt to the Lakashi tribal ways. Dr. Swenson is there to develop a new drug and over the years it's almost like she has either lost focus or has slowed down what she is doing because she has "become" part of the Amazon. This is a good book and well written. I didn't truly get emotional until the very last 2 paragraphs.
    • 5/5
      Many of the books I have read lately have been character driven. This book is both character (unforgettable characters) and plot driven. The plot unfolds slowly, and along with it we are faced with really thought provoking moral and ethical questions. The story s also very much an adventure/action tale. As the story progressed I found myself changing my views on many of the interesting issues the book raised. The author skillfully brings up the "issues", we are not hit over the head with them, which allows for the readers opinions to shift and grow. I found the ending rushed, and since I did not want the book to be over, this was a bit annoying. I would LOVE to see this made into a movie, but only by a skillful director who would not focus only on the "adventure" aspects of the novel.
    • 5/5
      This is my 4th novel by Ann Patchett. When I read Bell Canto, I thought it was one of the better written novels of that year. So I started to go backwards reading The Magician’s Assistant and Run and realized that there is something about her construction of characters that resonates. The same is true here. In State of Wonder we meet Marina, a 42 year old doctor who is working for a pharmaceutical company because her medical career took a bad turn. She has spent many years working side by side with a co-worker whose death is announced in the first page. Seeking answers only found in the Brazilian Amazon, Marina agrees to be persuaded by her boss and love, Mr. Fox, to visit the scene of the death and where the company's money has been spent researching a fertility drug based on a lost tribe whose women give birth in their 60's and even 70's. Dr. Swenson is the other character of note - a Kurtz-like seemingly rouge scientist in this female tribute to Heart of Darkness. Swenson is interestingly tied to Marina's career change and she is convinced that the end justifies the means. Her "for the good of science" attitude has some flaws and Marina is the perfect counterpart to question her. I have to say it all works. Marina is someone you want to read about, and the description of the Amazon - its insects, its snakes, its mushrooms and even its tree bark is very involving. Mixed with this is also the thread that is hallmark Patchett - the relationships of people in strange situations. Marina is intelligent and skeptical enough to question appropriately, yet she becomes a favorite of the lost tribe. She is also wrestling with her own confused feelings about Mr. Fox, Dr. Swenson and her former co-worker Anders Eckman. The combination of action and character relationships build to what I felt was a satisfying solution. I continue to look forward to and recommend Ann Patchett’s works.
    • 3/5
      Beautifully written with a crazy, non-sensical story. Didn't like it.
    • 4/5
      State of Wonder was completed 7/20 and rated 4 stars, from the author of Bel Canto, one of my alltime favorites. Mr. Fox sends Marina Singh to the Amazon to query former med school instructor Dr. Swensonre status of fertilitydrug only to discover there is also a malaria drug under development, and the where abouts of Anders, her predecessor. Some great scenes but no where near BC.
    • 5/5
      Superb. There is so much to be found in this book. Things to think and ponder upon for a long time. I heard the author discussing this book on NPR and was not sure I would like it. But what a treat to read a book of this quality. thank you Ann Patchett.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely loved this novel! My first experience reading Ann Patchett - looking forward to reading her other works!
    • 4/5
      Dr Marina Singh heads off to the Amazon jungle to discover what has happened to her colleague and friend Anders. He had been sent by their employer, a drug company who had formerly dispatched a researcher to investigate a tribe whose women continued having children into their old age. There are many twists and turns to the plot in this enjoyable and thought-provoking story.
    • 4/5
      I thought it had a good plot and character development. Her descriptions of the settings and wildlife are very visual. Looking forward to reading more of her works.
    • 4/5
      The first book I've read by Ann Patchett, I will try more. It is slow in parts, but overall worth the read. A few twists at the end.
    • 3/5
      What an odd story. The plot focuses on The Amazon River with its jungles, snakes and uncivilized tribes. The main character, Marina, never seems to know who she is -- a romantic partner of Mr. Fox, employee of Mr. Fox, student of Dr. Swenson or savior of the deaf boy Easter. As the reluctant traveler she goes to search out her dead college, Anders. Scientific data unrealistic. This book definitely not the caliber of “Bel Canto” Patchett’s earlier work.
    • 3/5
      I love watching The River on Tuesday nights. I am a little bit obsessed with all things concerning the Amazon so I thought this would be a great pick for me but ultimately it fell flat. I really had to prod myself along in order to finish it and I just didn't have that overwhelming urge to keep reading. I am glad I finally got to the end though because there was a payoff that made it worth while but it felt like it took as long as did for Marina to find Dr. Swenson to get there. In other words, too long. My favorite Amazon adventure story is The Lost City of Z. It was far more exciting than State of Wonder and is true to boot. This was my first Ann Patchett novel and she seems to have quite a fan base but this novel just didn't fully click for me.
    • 3/5
      Okay, so why do I keep picking up these books that have such great undertones related to undertaking research? It may be because I am now embarking on my dissertation research for my doctoral thesis that such undertones are coming forth. However, I prefer to think the great, good book gods have put these gems in my hands for a purpose. They are telling me to listen. If I were to teach research ethics, this book would be on the reading list accompanied by class discussions. In academia, Human Subjects through our Institutional Review Boards requires we do no harm in the research we undertake. The difficulty comes in determining what 'do no harm' means. In State of Wonder, readers become intwined with U.S. researchers in their arrogance determining what is right and wrong with questionable consequences. These consequences stick with you well past the last pages providing much food for thought.
    • 3/5
      Maybe all the hype surrounding this book got into my head, but I didn't love it. Sure it's good enough, but the middle of the book REALLY dragged. The beginning made me interested in what Dr. Swenson was doing in the middle of the jungle. During the Manaus portion I was pretty close to giving up. Then we got to the jungle and we found out something interesting. So the book picked up a teensy bit then, but at the same time I completely forgot about Anders. He IS the reason Marina is in the jungle. He is quickly brought up again and then the book kind of just ends. [Spoiler]First, everyone just lied to Marina about Anders going missing? Did they NEVER notice this missing canoe he floated away in? So maybe they did believe that he died -- but they were totally fine with never seeing a body?! People in the jungle are sketchy. [End Spoiler]
    • 4/5
      Marina Singh, a research scientist for a large pharmaceutical company, heads into the Amazon in search of details about her colleague's death and to check on the progress of her elusive mentor's research on a startling new fertility drug.This is a dark, suspenseful, mesmerising, adventurous thrill ride. Once you've jumped on, you don't want it to end!
    • 3/5


      I very much enjoyed Bel Canto, and State of Wonder was good, too, but not great. Easter was the most lovable character. I wish the story had been about him. The ending was just awful, in my opinion, however the writing was descriptive, the plot kept my attention, and the pace was fast. It was just a bit too unbelievable for me to give any more than 3 stars.
    • 4/5
      I knew I was loving this book, its setting, its themes and its characters when I started carrying it around with me to read at every free moment (eating breakfast, waiting on hold, waiting in line at the store). I don't believe I've ever before gasped out loud at the reappearance of a beloved character ("Oh! Milton!") who I'd missed and was glad to see again.

      In a book that stretches believability, mine got stretched too far too many times. But this is a beautiful book, one well worth praise and study.

      Petrea Burchard
      Camelot & Vine
    • 3/5
      I liked this almost as well as Bel Canto. A doctor working for a pharmaceutical company is sent to the Amazon to investigate the death of her colleague and to discover what progress has been made toward a new drug that the team there has been working on. Once there, she finds that nothing is quite as she expected, but she also finds that she is able to respond to the situation the way she needs to in order to survive. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the ending. Not that it was a happy ending, I was fine with that, but I felt something was lacking in the end. Can't quite put a finger on what.
    • 5/5
      I didn't think any book could be better than Bel Canto but State of Wonder has upped the ante. This is a book that leaves you with a lot of questions but the author isn't going to answer them for you. At least I don't think so. I guess you could say she leaves you in "a state of wonder".The book opens in Minneapolis in the wintertime. Marina Singh is sitting in her lab at Vogel Pharmaceuticals where she does research on statins and blood lipids. Her boss (and lover) Mr. Fox comes in to the lab with a letter in his hand. The letter is from the Amazon where Marina's lab associate, Anders Eckman, was sent to try to talk sense into Dr. Annick Swenson who has been developing a drug to assist fertility for Vogel. Dr. Swenson has been very reticent with details about her progress and Vogel is starting to wonder if she is squandering their money. Eckman was supposed to bring Swenson back or at the very least find out how far the research has progressed. The letter is from Dr. Swenson and says that Eckman has died of a fever. Marina was a student of Dr. Swenson when she taught obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins. So she is the natural choice to go to the Amazon to try to discover what happened to Eckman and also finish the job he was sent to do. What she discovers in the Amazon is far more than a mysterious lab.Ann Patchett doesn't seem to have ever studied any science subject or medicine. That might be an asset for imagining things that would never happen in real life such as a scientist that is allowed to disappear for years without providing any reports and still retain funding. But that is about the only false note in her portrayal of scientists and doctors. Other things strike so true, like the scientists blatant disregard for safety concerns that might hinder their research. I've seen that so often at the research institution where I work.This book would never be classified as an suspense novel but it seemed to me that there was always some surprise turning up or some question that I needed to have answered. I could hardly tear myself away from the book at times.
    • 3/5
      I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Most of the time I think that's a good thing; I feel, as long as you are giving the book your full attention and aren't merging on the interstate, you can really appreciate an author's work, especially when it comes to crafting sentences. You can also (whether fortunately or not) hear the flaws more acutely, especially when it comes to pacing, dialogue, and the author's over-reliance on pet vocabulary. "State of Wonder" turned out to be slightly disappointing to me, and I can't help wondering if I would have been better off reading the book. Or maybe it was better to hear the clank-clank-clank of elements that just weren't working. (Having a narrator who was mediocre but wasn't bad enough to shut off didn't help matters, I admit.)

      I try not to scan any reviews or interviews of books that I have already decided to read, and as I had been looking forward to "State of Wonder" for months, I didn't know anything much about it. I didn't know, for example, that Patchett had auctioned off character names for charity. You could certainly hear the artificial quality, though, of the Bovenders being mentioned by their first and last names every single time they were on the stage. ".....and then the BOvenders said..." or "Barbara BOvender stood at the door..." BOvender, BOvender, BOvender. Everytime the narrator mentioned their names, it was like she was hitting a nail on the head. (The Saturns, too.) Ugh. Other name choices bothered me, as well. It was always "Mr. Fox." Yeah, it was an unequal relationship, but she WAS sleeping with him, for God's sake. Had I unwittingly strayed into a Henry James novel? AND the Lakashi themselves. I didn't know, either, that Patchett had, indeed, named the tribe after her favorite cereal (a bit of cutsie-pieness that I find objectionable) but I think I did pick up on it subconsciously, and I just couldn't take them seriously as a faithfully constructed Amazonian tribe. At least I didn't confuse them with "Snap, Crackle, and Pop", so that's something I guess.

      The entire pacing of the first part of the book dragged for me; I seemed to have listened to entire CDs where nothing much happened except Marina trudging slowly through Manaus while she waited for Dr. Swenson, the researcher gone-off-the grid, to show up. Being blocked by the BOvenders at every turn, of course. Things got better when maniacal Dr Swenson finally strolled out of the jungle (I do have to say I thought the set piece at the opera was brilliant) and Marina got to the Amazon. At last.

      I had other problems with the book that had nothing to do with the audio book format. Marina did more than a few things that made her seem like a bit of an idiot. The phone going astray, for example.I sympathize with Ann Patchett's dilemma. In the modern world, where family members can pick up the phone or e-mail and moan about car problems to deployed spouses in Afghanistan, it's hard to really isolate your characters sufficiently when the plot requires it. The satellite phone loss should have been handle better--it should have been broken or stolen, not packed away in checked baggage. I never really regained my respect for her, it was such a tyro's mistake. Marina also had another huge lapse of judgement at the end of the book, one that I didn't find completely believable. Some people might. It's a toss-up, for me.

      Of course, the entire premise of the book--naive behind-the-desker is sent off by her company to find her lost colleague in the Amazon--is also improbable, as is the biological/ecological basis of the lost world that she encounters. I was willing to overlook these sticking points in the spirit of adventure; other readers may not be so forgiving.

      There were sections of the book I really enjoyed. Marina's introduction to the jungle--her stumbling disorientation-was great. The bug-slapping, skin swelling stickiness of it all made me feel as if I were there, in the Amazon, where I never want to go. And I enjoyed the supremely self-confident and arrogant-to-the-point of obliviousness Dr Swenson, even if she was a bit of a cliche. In the end, though, the book turned on a literal bend-in-the river coincidence that I just didn't buy. The entire book came crashing down, which was a pity.

      I was sorry I couldn't like this book more. I wanted to. I YEARN for big sweeping novels, with active heroines doing amazing things, and stories that grapple with big ideas. But at the end, Patchett seemed to drop all those grand themes, the ones that she always seemed a bit tentative about all along, in favor of a cheap Hollywood ending. It made me rather sad. Really.

    • 3/5
      the first third was slow. I was not really connecting with the characters. Then, when the main character arrived in the Amazon and went into the jungle I was interested. THe lasat quarter was a rushed ending with lost of loose ends hastly tied together to make it an almost happy end. Why was she all in a sudden attracted to Milton? Why she sleep with Anders? does not make sense. I read this book first very slowly and then end was a fast read. However, I was never really into teh cahracters and felt with them and could phantom their emotions.
    • 4/5
      Good story and well enough written, but not a lot to discuss. We all agreed that we didn't get the title.
    • 5/5
      Starts at a relaxed pace, builds gradually and compellingly. Vivid, memorable characters. Open the book and enter an enchanted place -- with a rather dark side. Wonderful book, although not quite the divine achievement of Bel Canto.
    • 4/5
      State of Wonder is a sort-of estrogen-infused version of Heart of Darkness. A major drug company sends Dr. Marina Singh deep into the Amazon rainforest to track down a rogue doctor working to develop a a blockbuster drug that will end menopause and enable women of any age to get pregnant, something that is common in the remote Amazonian tribe that the doctor is living with. Dr. Singh is the second person the drug company has sent down there and part of her mission is to find out more about the circumstances of the death of the doctor that came before her.

      The writing is consistently enthralling, especially the descriptions of the rainforest that range from the insects to the snakes to the wonderous and unique ecosystems that are at the heart of the mystery of permanent child bearing.

      At its best, the plot is also very good -- and I will not spoil the ending but suffice it to say that the last third or so of the novel was particularly exciting.

      The characters are much less consistent -- the rogue doctor, Dr. Swenson, is an outstanding portrayal of a larger-than-live figure who feels as tangibly alive and real as any character in a recent novel. But a number of the other characters are more flat backdrops, which would not be a major issue if they did not occupy so much space in the book -- including an unnecessary third of the book spent in a Brazilian city before Dr. Singh heads out into the rainforest.

      Overall, very good and well worth reading.
    • 4/5
      I liked it better than Bel Canto, but they are obviously written by the same person in the same vein. Fans of Bel Canto will enjoy this.
    • 5/5
      Set mostly in the Amazon jungle of Brazil, this tale follows Dr. Marina Singh as she searches for answers. The pharmaceutical company she works for is concerned about the secretive research Dr. Annick Swenson is involved in. Just recently, another colleague, Dr. Anders Eckman, has died while searching for the same answers. Now Marina is dually tasked in discovering the status of Swenson’s research and digging up the details of Eckman’s death.Where to start with this book? It was intense and kept me riveted to my audiobook player. Let’s start with Dr. Swenson. She once worked at a hospital and taught interns some of the finer points about birthing babies. Marina was once such a student but a mistake changed the trajectory of her career and she ended up in pharmaceuticals. Throughout most of this story, she has vivid dreams where memory and fears collide and some of those concern Dr. Swenson and her opinion on Marina’s worthiness. Dr. Swenson is a terribly blunt person who has high standards for everyone, including herself. This makes her rather abrasive. Yet the fact that she’s often logical and correct makes her a fascinating character. Nearly all her actions and words are calculated without giving a fig for people’s feelings.Then we have Marina. She starts off a bit timid. She’s in her 40s and her past mistakes seem to haunt her and cause her to question her decisions. She also seems to be a bit of a pushover, letting the company boss ship her off to Brazil in this quest for answers. Yet it is there in the heart of the jungle that she gains confidence and becomes a stronger person for it. I really enjoyed her story arc.This book made me question some of my assumptions about medical ethics. This tale shows me that what is right in a modern hospital with sanitary conditions and a pretty universal understanding of the most basic medical ideas isn’t always applicable in a jungle field office where there isn’t a mutually understood language. There were several great scenes where Dr. Swenson, who has been working with this jungle tribe for decades, is doing what she’s been doing for decades and Marina questions the ethics of the situation. The punch comes when Swenson calmly lays out the facts and why what they are doing is the best choice. It was hard to disagree with Swenson.Now there is Easter. He’s perhaps 12 and he comes from a neighboring tribe that is rather combative to any outsiders. Swenson treated him when he was very young and now acts as his surrogate parent. He’s deaf but can make verbal sounds (though he usually only does so when he has a nightmare). He’s clever and Dr. Eckman taught him the very basics of the alphabet. Easter knows something of what happened to Eckman but Marina isn’t sure she will ever get answers about Eckman’s passing.The medical mystery they were researching was interesting as well. The women of the local tribe stay fertile well into their 70s or 80s. Plus there is a side mystery that Swenson is very excited about and that involves a possible vaccination for malaria. The story has just enough science and medical talk to add to the story but not enough to leave the non-science person scratching their heads.All around, it was a most excellent novel. It does wrench the emotions out of the reader later in the book. I loved that it made me question some central medical ethics. The characters were also very interesting. Ah! Easter!The Narration: Hope Davis was just fabulous! She had distinct character voices and was great at switching between them swiftly and clearly when the characters were in conversation. She also had believable male voices. Her Dr. Swenson was clipped and brutal in her speech, just as I expect she would be in real life.
    • 3/5
      I really liked this book all the way until the end. The last chapter ruined it for me. There were things in there all along that I didn't like, but I kept telling myself they were believable - just because I didn't approve didn't mean they weren't worth while. But the very end of the story threw everything off, and just made me downright made. I can't rate it lower than "liked it" because I did enjoy 90% of the reading, but....
    • 5/5
      Ann Patchett's novel Bel Canto made such an impression on me, I couldn't wait to read her latest novel, State of Wonder, out in paperback on May 8th.Dr. Marina Singh is a researcher at a pharmaceutical company sent by her employer to the Amazon jungle after they receive a letter stating that their colleague has died there. He was sent to find out why Dr. Annick Swenson, another researcher, has stopped communication with her employer.Dr. Swenson was Dr. Singh's mentor, and an incident in their past has caused Singh great concern about their meeting again. Swenson was sent to the Amazon to work on a drug that would allow women to remain fertile well into their later years. If it was true, this would make IVF treatments obsolete and the pharmaceutical company would make billions of dollars.Reading this novel drops you right into the Amazonian jungle. You can almost feel the sweltering heat and you may find yourself swatting furiously at insects you imagine to be biting you. Just like in Bel Canto, the setting of the novel is conjured up full-blown in the reader's mind.The characters are brilliantly realized, and I found myself wondering who could play 73-year-old Dr. Swenson in the movie version. (I heard Cherry Jones' voice in my head speaking Swenson's lines, but alas she is too young for the role.) Singh and Swenson don't meet up until nearly halfway through the novel, and their fascinating relationship drives the last half of the book.Some people have called this a female version of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but it reminded me of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible in the way that it handles the relationship between the American doctors and the native inhabitants, and the ethical questions raised. The Americans' presence in the jungle changes the environment, as much as Dr. Swenson would like to think she has adapted to the jungle.The story has so many twist and turns, it is the kind of book you literally can feel your heart pounding during the exciting parts. It is a book you are torn about; you want to race through it to see how it ends, yet you want to savor the exquisite writing and story.Simply put, if you like a brilliant story set in an exotic local, inhabited by complicated characters and written by a masterful storyteller, read State of Wonder.