Lily King

Frustrated by his research efforts and depressed over the death of his brothers, Andre Banson runs into two fellow anthropologists, a married couple, in 1930s New Guinea and begins a tumultuous relationship with them. 25,000 first printing.

A Novel

Euphoria

Poh Bao Li

Rereading old favorites. This one stands the test of time. Beautiful, heartbreaking.

Sarah Erle

Trish

'Do you have a favorite part of all this? she asked. 
'All what?' I said.
'This work.'
Favorite part? There was little at this point that didn't make me want to run with my stones straight back into the river. I shook my head. 'You first.'
She looked surprised, as if she hadn't expected the question to come back to her. She narrowed her grey eyes. '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.'

I am absolutely enamored and awestruck by everything about this novel. This book is exactly my cup of tea. There is a mystical, otherworldly, luscious setting, adventure, marital disfunction, forbidden romance, philosophical contemplation, murder, and mystery. The writing is fluid, the prose lyrical. It's sensual, languid. The characters' loneliness and longing, attraction and frustration were so tangible I swear I could feel it emanating off the pages. 

I love this book for all the reasons some people might find it irritating or difficult to get through. The multiple POVs were impeccably done, in my opinion. After the first few chapters I could sense who was narrating before I finished reading the first sentence. Nell's journal entry chapters were so ominous and foreboding; it was the perfect balance between first person POV, third person narration, and stream-of-consciousness writing in the journal. I'm not an anthropologist and I haven't read anything by Margaret Mead so I'm not offended by King's portrayal of the profession or the creative liberties she took. This book is 'inspired by' true events... it's not historical fiction, it's fiction fiction. I can certainly appreciate it as that. And King has a way of weaving her own literary favorites into the fabric of her characters. In Euphoria, it is Nell who offers this insight in a reference that carries through the novel. 

'I loved that Amy Lowell poem when I first read it, how her lover was like red wine at the beginning and then became bread. But that has not happened to me. My loves remain wine to me, yet I become too quickly bread to them.'

Decade, Amy Lowell

When you came, you were like red wine and honey, 
And the taste of you burnt my mouth with its sweetness. 
Now you are like morning bread, 
Smooth and pleasant. 
I hardly taste you at all for I know your savour,
But I am completely nourished.

Honestly, I’m speechless. I always sensed that I would love this bright, colorful book on my shelf, but I couldn’t fathom how much I actually adore it. I just finished it but already I want to start over and read it again. Nell, Fen, Bankson - their tumultuous, volatile menage a trois emotionally wrecked me. And this may sound like too high praise for a an averagely rated book on goodreads, but what can I say? It fed my romantic soul. It's an 11/10 for me.

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Siya S

Intriguing. And why the heck am I crying in the public transport ?

THE NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE 2014 KIRKUS PRIZE FOR FICTIONInspired by the true story of a woman who changed the way we understand our world.In 1933 three young, gifted anthropologists are thrown together in the jungle of New Guinea. They are Nell Stone, fascinating, magnetic and famous for her controversial work studying South Pacific tribes, her intelligent and aggressive husband Fen, and Andrew Bankson, who stumbles into the lives of this strange couple and becomes totally enthralled. Within months the trio are producing their best ever work, but soon a firestorm of fierce love and jealousy begins to burn out of control, threatening their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives . . .'Dazzling' Emma Donoghue, author of Room

very good, i love the love story but i’m giving it 3 stars because i didn’t love how it ended

olivia meintel 

Cheri McElroy

4.5 stars for this heartbreaking and heartwarming book. Lily King creates such an atmosphere with her writing. I felt like I was there with Nell, Fen, and Bankson, learning from the various tribes.

The characters were so real to me. Nell was free spirited, Fen self-absorbed, mean and selfish, Bankson compassionate and lonely.

I am rambling. This book had every element in place to make it a story that will stay with me.

Kaitlin Cassell

One of the most fascinating and unique books I’ve read. Reviewing years later, I still have a book hangover. Evocative, gritty, exotic and thought provoking. Based on the life and work of Margaret Mead.

Katie Chua

Lily King can write a damn good story ... there's some kind of yearning in her narrator's voice that feels so familiar and resonant. I was skeptical of the premise going in but I think she did her research, plus this is a work of fiction, and honestly, she just pulled it all off well ...

read if you get turned on by intelligence, find the study of cultures fascinating, are into forbidden love

Jenna

This book was enjoyable. Some love triangle action. I would have like to learn more about why Nell hated the Mumbanyo and Fen didn't. I could have used more background on Nell and Fin, and what they ever had in common, because it seemed like Fen was a villain the whole time to me. 

I liked this book, but it wasn't life changing and I didn't learn a whole lot from it. Three stars.

Carroll Lachnit

Remember how you got bogged down at times in "State of Wonder" and wondered if maybe it weren't just a little contrived (I did--though I did like the book, ultimately). That never happens in Euphoria. Three anthropologists in New Guinea between WWI and WWII study tribes--and each other. Taboos are broken, things go wrong, lives and lost and saved, and you do really have to wonder who is civilized and who isn't.I n the recorded versions, you get two excellent his & her narrators.

Capucine Fachot

I felt a thirst for this book quite unknown before, which reminded me of why I started reading so much in the first place when I was younger. The world around me stopped existing, I was not reading to raise questions and reflexions, but for the simple pleasure of expanding my world view and get lost in another time frame and another space frame. Euphoria is a magnetic book, I was drawn to it without a clear sense of why, and I still don't know really what happened, except that I couldn't breath properly for I was eager to continue, know more, clearly drinking no, gulping every page. 
Thank you Lily King for this escapism, thank you.

English anthropologist Andrew Banson has been alone in the field for several years, studying the Kiona river tribe in 1930s New Guinea. Haunted by the memory of his brothers' deaths and increasingly frustrated and isolated by his research, Bankson is on the verge of suicide. Then he encounters the famous and controversial American anthropologist Nell Stone and her wry and mercurial Australian husband, Fen, who have just fled the bloodthirsty Mumbanyo. Nell and Fen and, in spite of Nell's poor health, are hungry for a new discovery. When Bankson finds them a new tribe nearby, the artistic, female-dominated Tam, he ignites an intellectual and romantic firestorm between the three of them that burns out of anyone's control.

Melody Izard

I thought I was lost when I first met these guys on the boat. Coming into 'civilization" after studying some remote people in some remote jungle. Then it seemed evident that there was something fishy going on. These people. These anthropologists. Were misfits. They should be studied themselves. This is the wacky world of that kooky time when rich people could somehow afford to just go sit themselves in the midst of an undiscovered tribe of people and learn about all their sexual/drug stuff and journal about it and perhaps win some sort of prize. The word normal is not really defined. Civilization is hard to digest. Artifacts are precious and mysterious. And you can get away with murder.

Olivera Mitić

Joj da mi je svaka knjiga kao ova gde bi mi bio kraj. <3

Antonella Romani

The story is essentially a love triangle between the 3 main characters, Nell, her husband Fen, and fellow anthropologist Bankson. I actually really appreciate how King wrote their relationships and how their lives become deeply involved with one another.
I also really appreciate that while she did take some creative liberties with these made up tribes, she put in the research and based them off of real ones and described them beautifully. I felt like I, myself, was observing some never before seen native cultures that were never touched by anything or anyone outside of their own society.

Dorian Avers

Marie Rogowski

Leonie

Mal etwas völlig anderes, als ich sonst lese, aber definitiv lohnenswert. Mir war es zeitweise ein wenig langatmig, zum Ende hin dann wiederum zu sprunghaft.

b.andherbooks

A fictional tale loosely based on Margaret Mead's time in New Guinea. Set in the 1930s, a tale of passion (educational and erotic) as well as possession and betrayal, this will be a great book to discuss in my upcoming Book to Art Club.

A short read, but chock full of beautiful imagery, difficult subjects, and burning questions.

Rebecca Light

Rachel

Euphoria is so good! It took a few pages to get into the story and understand what was going on like understanding who is who, where they are and what they do. Once you get that down though, you are sucked in. I had to pace myself and not rush to finish the book in a night (made myself go to sleep). The main characters Nell, Fen and Bankson are anthropologist in New Guinea during the 30s. I know very little about anthropology, Lily King did great explaining what it is and showed how the three do their work, but honestly it sounds like boring work but she makes it interesting. Nell and Fen are a toxic couple and Bankson is lonely since he’s been on his own. Fen is selfish and extremely jealous of Nell, and even though Bankson is into his wife and he knows it, having him around helps them get along somewhat better. I loved how into Nell is in her work and so comfortable with the tribes she studies and just genuinely cares about them (especially true towards the end of the book). Wished it was longer!

Euphoria A Novel

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