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Euphoria by Lily King

April 15, 2015

euphoria

Euphoria by Lily King
Published by Grove Press
Publication date: April 14, 2015
four-half-stars
Bookshop, Amazon

It’s that moment about two months in, when you think you’ve finally got a handle on the place. Suddenly it feels within your grasp. It’s a delusion—you’ve only been there eight weeks—and it’s followed by the complete despair of ever understanding anything. But at that moment the place feels entirely yours. It’s the briefest purest euphoria —Nell  

We meet Fen and Nell as they are hauled aboard a boat in New Guinea. They have abandoned the native community known as the Mumbanyo they’ve been living with and studying for five months and are heading back to the governor’s station to plan their next move. While there they reunite with a colleague, Andrew Blankson, another anthropologist and, in an effort to assuage his horrible loneliness, he finds a new tribe along the same river for them to study. Set in the 1930s this is the uncharted world of Euphoria by author Lily King.

Blankson leads them to a tribe completely different from the aggressive Mumbanyons. The Tam live on a large lake and it is the women who hunt and gather and the men who are the artisans. In this female centric society Nell flourishes in her study of their culture while Fen spends his time doing manly tasks such as building canoes and visiting the men’s house, where no women are allowed. Blankson returns to his village but visits the couple many months later and they fall into an easy camaraderie, sharing ideas and even going so far as to create what they call the Grid- an all-encompassing chart of as many cultures as they can quantify, based on temperament. It is only as Fen coerces a member of the Tam tribe to accompany him back to the Mumbanyo to recover a totem he believes will bring him great fame and recognition that events overcome what has been a harmonious time for them all.

King uses the life of Margaret Mead as the basis for this novel but it is her prose, her observations of Nell’s observations that make Euphoria such intense reading.  In the same way an anthropologist will define and categorize what they observe so King clearly delineates her characters. Nell and Blankson assimilate to the Tam but Fen, in his refusal to adapt to any of the rituals beyond drinking and obeying only the most rudimentary manners, tries to force his role as the alpha male—with disastrous consequences.

Fen didn’t want to study the natives; he wanted to be a native. 

Just as the anthropological work that yields the best results is done with as little interference of the culture as possible and over a longer period of time so King assembles Euphoria with an almost scientific care. Evidence on each character appears to alternately contradict and corroborate the readers’ thoughts and feelings as they read. And yet, while King observes, she also quietly moves beyond the professional and social aspects of the trio into their private hearts and minds, in all their darkness and tenderness. As the novel reaches its conclusion, it is this depth, this intimacy far beyond their professional goals that makes Euphoria ultimately heartbreaking.

 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I get a small commission (at no cost to you).

four-half-stars

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6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural, historical fiction, literary

Comments

  1. tanya (52 books or bust) says

    April 15, 2015 at 1:26 am

    Loved this book so much. I think i have to read it again. it would be a great choice for the Socratic Salon – so much to discuss. But maybe i feel this way because i’ve dabbled in Anthropology and have always loved that period.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 15, 2015 at 10:14 am

      Good idea! I’ll mention it and see who else has read it.

      Reply
      • Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf says

        April 16, 2015 at 6:43 pm

        I haven’t read it yet but if we cover it, I’ll get on that ASAP! (It’s going on my TBR list regardless)

        Reply
  2. Allison @ The Book Wheel says

    April 20, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    This one’s on my list because it was recommended during last year’s #30Authors event. This might be the best synopsis I’ve read, though.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 21, 2015 at 11:01 am

      Thank you! It was one of my favorites of the year and it’s not a big book so will fit into your busy schedule! 😉

      Reply
  3. Marisa @ The Daily Dosage says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:02 am

    So glad you enjoyed it! It was one of my favorites last year and I think I annoyed everyone around me suggesting they pick it up. It felt much more than a historical fiction/science story and that’s due to King’s writing. I’ll have to check out her backlist soon.

    Reply

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