THE BOOK : Ann Patchett, State of Wonder

so so [Music] if one could guarantee my safe passage through the amazon jungle i would go in a heartbeat but since that is very unlikely unpatched state of wonder is the closest i could get to that extraordinary frightening life altering experience it is undoubtedly one of my favorite contemporary novels and i will attempt to explain why without spoiling your own discovery of the book so here we go after the death of a colleague in the amazon jungle dr marina singh embarks on a journey of a lifetime in trying to discover the circumstances of his death and the scientific advances of the team sent by her pharmaceutical company to research a cure for malaria it is a testimony of the admiration i have for the way anne patchett constructed her main character that i chose marina singh as my favorite throughout the story she lives very intense moments in extreme situations and she is without the shadow of a doubt transformed by this whole experience however she manages to maintain the observer status for most of the time and i find that particularly enriching of course she has internal moments of taking sides of judgment faced with so much novelty but what remained with me long after i finished the book was the respect she had for a culture so different to hers number one the moral puzzles and patchett touches on some delicate and morally sensitive subjects like the entitled attitude of westerners or the elaborate advancements in fertility medicine and the questions of interfering or not with natural circumstances the debate is never ending and my point here is not to launch a discussion but i have to admit that the subtle conclusions of the book agree with my point of view either way it is thought provoking if nothing else number two the value of respect from the very basic survival in the jungle up to the ethical conundrums of medicine respect seems to be the very fine yet powerful underlining of the book there is value in courage and there is value in being a visionary no doubt about it yet being respectful of every living entity may ensure the vision does not surpass the most valuable part of our humanity balance is our natural state and yet so difficult to reach at times number three the surprising construction of the action for a book with so many subtle messages i was surprised to find them amongst passages of thrilling action yes it is the jungle so one might expect some intense adventures but nothing prepares you for the sudden bursts of danger and fast thinking reactions that make the reading experience so exciting the question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived that is how one respects indigenous people if you pay any attention at all you'll realize that you could never convert them to your way of life anyway they are an intractable race any progress you advance to them will be undone before your back is turned you might as well come down here to unbend the river the point then is to observe the life they themselves have put in place and learn from it even though the story itself could be almost a thriller novel i sense a very yin vision of the world in the book i truly believe in the message of equilibrium and moral balance that it sends out not to mention it is a very enjoyable read consider yourself challenged thank you for joining me on a brief cruise through the jungle of ann patchett and don't pack your bags just yet we're still in brazil for saturday's ritual video and i can tell you it will be exciting until then enjoy your reading

Channel: The Ritual of Reading

Views: 52

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: book, books, reading, bookish, bookworm, booklover, review, bookreviews, bibliophile, bookaddict, bookreview, readersofyoutube, booklovers, ann patchett, state of wonder, patchett, brazil, amazon, jungle, amazonia, travel, booktravel, bossa, samba

Id: Rjr243PBy9o

Length: 7min 30sec (450 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 26 2021