Day 31, 32, & 33: On My Way Home!

My last days in England were spent scuba diving off a much less challenging beach (still so cold my hands didn't work for like half an hour afterwards), visiting family, and shopping in Truro, the nearby city/town. I don't think it has as many people as Denton (?) but it's much more dense, much more city-like: it has all the fancy shops and pedestrian areas and tall buildings, which Denton, for the most part, lacks. It's a neat town, though, Truro is.

And now I'm on the first leg of my journey home: Truro to London by train. I'll be home by tomorrow night (though for me it's slightly longer than that). So now, that Beatles song is playing in my head, "We're on our way home, we're coming hoooome!" Yay! (Seriously, there's a Beatles song for every conceivable situation. Not even joking.)

Wow. I just watched a man pull up a QR code on his iPhone in place of a ticket, which the lady scanned with a machine. I swear one day no one will need wallets because it's all gonna be in a little wallet app on our phones.

Random thought. Sorry. Anyway...

As I've been training, I've been reading the book State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. For Seeley vets, you will understand why I found it funny when I read the synopsis:

"In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity.

"As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness..."

Eh, eh? Catch the references? The last phrase loses all subtlety: yes, this is basically Heart of Darkness told from a woman's perspective. Instead of the Congo, it's the Amazon, instead of Marlow, it's Marina, instead of Kurtz, it's Dr. Swenson. But the fact remains that the basic plot is the same: unassuming average person is thrown into a jungle which has a mind of its own (the symbolic "heart of darkness," the potential for evil at the hart of all mankind) to find the elusive genius hidden away within, only to discover a wealth of moral ambiguity and so-called "spiritual transformations" there. Even the titles bear the same rhythm: state-of-won-der, heart-of-dark-ness. The reviews on the cover say this book is "a masterpiece," but I feel the petulant urge to argue that it was Joseph Conrad's masterpiece first.

No, no. I am too harsh. This really is a fabulous novel, and original in ways other than the obvious. The characters are interesting, the plot is not exactly identical to Heart of Darkness (though the themes are), and it explores some very fascinating issues. It's a lot more personal than Conrad's novella, more modern and intimate and accessible (and feminine). It doesn't have that heavy existential overtone, which I kind of loved in HoD but will admit was exhausting. Also, without the hindrance of being a vocal narrative or whatever you want to call it (where Marlow is telling the story in real time) it was a much more conventional read (whether that's a good thing is up to you). I really did enjoy this book; Patchett is clearly a very intelligent writer. But it was especially interesting having just read Conrad's version. So yeah. Make of that what you will.

I am including this picture because I feel obligated to include something colorful for your poor internetted minds. I promise as soon as I'm home these posts will become much more aesthetically pleasing, and arguably more interesting for some of you. Not long now!