State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Selected by amazon.com as one of 2011's Best Books of the year, State of Wonder is reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness with female characters. Thankfully, it lacks the savagery while at the same time exploring indigenous tribes of South America as well as the heart and soul of two very complicated women physicians.

As the novel begins Marina Singh, a pharmacologist for the Minnesota based Vogel Pharmaceuticals, receives an aerogram from the Amazon jungle that informs her that her colleague, Anders Eckman has died and been buried in situ. Sharing it with Mr. Fox, head of the pharma company, the two prepare to deliver the news to Eckman's wife Karen. The distraught widow does not believe her husband has died and Marina agrees to travel to South America to discover what exactly happened, find his body, and return with it and his possessions. She goes, also, with the charge from Fox, to check on the progress of Dr. Annick Swenson's research on a revolutionary new drug - the reason for Eckman's trip.

Much of Marina's life is explained and told in flashback technique as she experiences hallucinatory side effects from taking the drug Lariam as a precaution to guard against malaria. The reader learns of her life in India, the daughter of a prominent physician, and her medical school experience at Johns Hopkins where she worked under Dr. Swenson. Her trepidation in embarking on the journey to the jungle and becoming reacquainted with her mentor is painfully revealed.

With all the background as a prelude, the adventure becomes engrossing upon Singh's arrival in South America. Swenson's research involves the development of a drug that allows women to bear children into their 70s. (Who would want to is beyond me !!) She has witnessed this first hand among the Lakishi tribe. There are enough adventures in the Amazon to keep the readers' interest as Marina struggles to get to the bottom of the story. On her journey memorable characters provide insight and guidance. Who will every forget Easter, the deaf boy, who is in tune with his surroundings and the people who have adopted him. One of the most harrowing times involves an anaconda that throws everyone into a panicked situation. 

Meeting Ann Patchett (11/21/11)

Marina adjusts to her new surroundings and as she does she becomes closer to the memory of Anders. Although foreshadowed, the stunning twist at the end of the book leaves the reader taken aback. Adding to this ending was a revelation added by Ann Patchett herself in her Literary Evening's Lecture at Carnegie Music Hall.  Patchett is a gifted speaker - at ease and extemporaneous - and was a real pleasure to meet and hear. State of Wonder is an excellent read that delves into so many topics and situations. The commentary, tho somewhat masked, about large pharma, the relationships between and among the characters, and the self-reflection of her characters give the reader plenty to think about even after the last page is read.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I had heard much about Bel Canto in the last few years and how it was a must read. It was not a book that I would have normally picked out as a must read for me, but it is included on my 2 book club reading lists this year and I will be hearing Ann Patchett lecture in November, so its time has come!

Katsumi Hosokawa has traveled from Japan to an unnamed South or Latin American country where his birthday will be celebrated at the home of the Vice President. He is being wooed by the country so that he will build a factory in the country, but he has come on the occasion of his birthday to hear Roxanne Coss, an operatic diva with whom he has been enamored. He is an operatic aficionado and the evening will be made special with her performance. However, immediately after her performance, the lights go out and the house is stormed by terrorists. The guests, including Hosokawa, Coss and the Vice-President are taken hostage by three generals and accompanying soldiers, most of whom are teens.

Throughout the course of the siege and novel that spans over four months, the reader sees a transformation in not only the hostages but also the captors. Since we know how the scenario will be played out, our attention is riveted to the changing relationship among the cast of characters. The lives of all are centered around music and the opera. Coss continues practicing, a new accompanist is found, and a prodigy is discovered. Love affairs are initiated even among the least likely of people. It is almost as if life inside the house has come to a sense of normalcy and comfort.

As much as music is a central theme in Bel Canto, so is language. Gen Watanabe, Hosokawa's interpreter, is a pivotal character. Through his translations from Russian to Spanish to Japanese to French, the the secondary characters become able to communicate in another way. Despite his facility with the language, Gen has a very difficult time expressing himself until he works with Carmen, a terrorist, in helping her learn Spanish. Realizing that language is devisive in this situation the characters become dependent upon the Gen's ability to bring them together.

Patchett's strength in Bel Canto is her ability to describe situations, characters, and setting in an almost poetic way. It mirrors the opera in its lyricism and rhythm. The reader sees in the following the metaphor for the captivity.

"The garua, the fog and mist, lifts after the hostages are in captivity for a number of weeks. "One would have thought that with so much rain and so little light the forward march of growth would have been suspended, when in fact everything had thrived"

I had expected to be blown away by this book considering all the press that has been devoted to it and its inclusion on the list of recommended reading for AP English, but I wasn't. Patchett's strength is in her mastery of words. Unfortunately, for me, at least, with the inclusion of the epilogue, she had too many. An interesting premise, to be sure, but not as gripping as I had wished.