State of Wonder: A Novel [L0075]

2012 - french-flap PB in nice clean condition. New York Times Bestseller.In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity. As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness. Stirring and luminous, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss beneath the rain forest's jeweled canopy.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A thriller with something to say. On the surface, State of Wonder is a 21st century update of Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness. There's an epic trip upriver into the heart of a primordial jungle. Native peoples are exploited. All manner of horrors abound. But that's where the similarities end. Platchett's remake is less straightforward; the more you find out about the remote outpost in her novel and the deeper you peer into the foreboding jungle canopy that surrounds it, much of the impenetrable darkness starts taking on some unexpected shades of gray."; "The narrative keeps us balanced between the wonders of the remote rainforests and the dangers ready to inflict damage at any moment. The wonderful writing creates imagery that enables us to step inside this world and see the expanse and allure of the rainforests, feel the humidity and atmosphere of the jungle, and get a sense of the hidden tribes in these regions. Patchett is such a fine writer that you become an unseen guest on this quest into the Amazon rain forest."; "Loaded as the story is with profound ethical issues, Patchett also knows when to pack light to keep the adventure moving. In fact, as the end approaches, "State of Wonder" crashes toward a breathless conclusion as though she's being chased by a swarm of Amazonian wasps. This is surely a book to keep you spellbound in the setting, and bound to the characters, the plot and the mystery."