Literary Fiction Annotation

Author: Ann Patchett
Title: State of Wonder
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Date: 2011 (original)
Number of Pages: 353 (paperback)
Geographical Setting: Minnesota and Brazil (the Amazon)
Time Period: Modern day

Plot Summary:
            Dr. Marina Singh works for a large pharmaceutical company in Minnesota that is funding research for the development of a drug that will allow women to remain fertile much later into life. The research is being conducted in the Amazon by Marina’s former medical school professor, Dr. Annick Swenson. Dr. Swenson likes to run her research in her own way and on her own timeline without interference from the company that is funding her, so she remains off the grid much of the time and seldom provides the company with updates. The company is eager for Dr. Swenson to complete her research so Dr. Anders Eckman, Marina’s fellow employee and lab partner, is sent down to Brazil to find Dr. Swenson and provide an update on what is really going on with her research. When the company receives a letter from Dr. Swenson notifying them of Anders’ death in the Amazon, Marina is sent to finish Anders’ task and uncover the truth about his fate. The experiences that follow for Marina both challenge and change her as a person.

Subject Headings:
Pharmaceuticals
Fertility
Amazon Rainforest
Research

Appeal:
The following appeal factors/characteristics of the Literary Fiction genre were retrieved from The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (Third Edition) by Neal Wyatt and Joyce G. Saricks.

1.     “Literary style is important. Authors and readers pay attention to words and how they are woven together through elegant, often poetic language.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 74).

            The language of this novel is often poignant and poetic. This is particularly true in parts of the novel where heavier topics are being thought about or discussed. For example, when Marina is contemplating the fact that a lack of forethought about the possibility of bad things happening is what she believes makes it possible for people to make choices like that to have children (Patchett, 2012, p. 53), the language she uses to convey this feels perfect and well thought out. As another example, the topic of hope is portrayed in a poignant and visceral way when one character says, “[h]ope is like walking around with a fishhook in your mouth and somebody just keeps pulling it and pulling it” (Patchett, 2012, p. 43).  

2.     “The philosophical questions central to these books are explored through character development. Even secondary characters are multidimensional and richly drawn.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 74).

            The secondary characters in this novel are definitely “multidimensional and richly drawn” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 74). The character of Dr. Annick Swenson is possibly the most fully developed character in the novel (her distinct personality and way of behaving is a continuous thread throughout the entire novel) (Patchett, 2012, pp. 27, 57-62, 158-159, 309-310, 345-347), although she is not the main character. Other secondary characters who do not have as much importance in the story, such as the two Dr. Saturns, are still given some character development or backstory. The philosophical questions that this novel raises are also demonstrated through the characters’ dialog, reactions, and thoughts. For example, there is dialog between Marina and Dr. Swenson regarding the ethics of the fertility drug being developed and also the fact that a Malaria vaccine, related to the fertility drug, is simultaneously being developed at the expense of the large pharmaceutical company without their knowledge and whether that is right (Patchett, 2012, pp. 288-289).

3.     “Detailed backgrounds are popular in this genre and address an endless range of frame details…As to settings, Literary Fiction is among the most diverse of the genres, and authors transport readers across the globe…” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 78).

               This novel is full of details of all sorts. The detailed descriptions of the various settings (the city of Manaus, the river, the jungle) allow the reader to fully picture these settings and their inhabitants (both the people and the wildlife). For example, a detailed description is provided of the various other boats travelling on the river at the same time as Marina and of who their passengers are (Patchett, 2012, p. 157), which brings the setting of the river to life for the reader. Detailed descriptions are also provided for very minute aspects of the story that also help the reader fully understand what something less significant is like for the characters, such as the description of the multiple wounds and blisters Marina has on her feet after walking too long in high heels (Patchett, 2012, p. 143).

3 Relevant Fiction Works
The following three read-alikes were retrieved from NoveList Plus and were found in the Read-alikes section of the record for this book, State of Wonder (EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2020).

1.     Euphoria by Lily King

2.     Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

3.     The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment

*All information about State of Woner in this annotation came from this edition of the novel:
Patchett, A. (2012). State of Wonder. New York: HarperCollins.

*The format for this annotation was adapted from Appendix A of the syllabus, which was from Saricks (Cataldi, n.d.).

Works Cited

Cataldi, E. (n.d.). SP20-IN-LIS-S524-22855 Syllabus. Retrieved from Canvas: https://iu.instructure.com/courses/1873760

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2020). State of wonder (Jun 2011). Retrieved from NoveList Plus: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ilibrary.org/novp/detail?vid=2&sid=8119a1cd-8460-405b-a085-325237588ae1%40pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92cC1saXZl#UI=384322&db=neh

Patchett, A. (2012). State of Wonder. New York: HarperCollins.

Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (3rd ed.). Chicago: ALA Editions, An imprint of the American Library Association.