![]() ![]() Otherwise, the basic plot of State of Wonder is more directly indebted to those classic tales where Western explorers delve deep into the primitive "off the map" places left on the planet and in their own psyches. State of Wonder revisits the South American locale and even features a key scene that takes place in the Manaus Opera House deep in the Amazonian rain forest of Brazil. ![]() The idea of terrorists invading the South American estate of an opera-loving Japanese businessman sounds like a premise for a disposable thriller in Patchett's hands, of course, it turned out to be a riveting mediation on how love can reveal itself in unexpected human and artistic forms. ![]() If you're familiar with Patchett's work, particularly her most famous novel, Bel Canto, you know that her imagination roams far afield without sacrificing authenticity or lyrical power. The numbness has worn off by now, but for days, all I could say to friends who asked me about it was the one-word review "Wow." But Ann Patchett's new novel isn't called State of Wonder for nothing, because that's exactly the state I've been in ever since I first opened it. It's not often that a novel leaves me (temporarily) speechless. ![]()
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