#9 State of Wonder

I think I had too high of hopes for this book.  I've had several friends tell me that they liked it, friends that I usually share a taste in books and movies with, but this time around, I have to say that I'm a little disappointed.

I my issues lie in two things.  First, I couldn't suspend disbelief long enough for the story to carry itself.  I have a limit of times that I can think to myself, "I don't think that could happen, given the characters and the situation" before I start to get annoyed.  Its not necessarily about the world being believable, its also about it being consistent and about the characters being consistent.  Second, the plot.  I don't get it.  It's slow.  The characters are one dimensional.  Nothing coalesces into a story really.

Patchett is a talented writer, I don't regret reading the book, its just that I feel like I've been told a joke that everyone around me is laughing at and I haven't figured out the punch line yet.