One of margaret meads favorite phrases, inspired by amy lowells poem a decade. Euphoria by lily king book club discussion questions. Euphoria, written by awardwinning author lily king, is a historical novel based on margaret mead s experiences in the 1930s in new guinea. Euphoria is the story of three anthropologists who work with tribes in new guinea. Euphoria is selling well and may renew public interest in margaret mead. Her husband fen is her opposite, cynical, greedy and dismissive of local sentiments. Derek freemans deeply flawed critique of meads samoan work severely damaged her reputation.
Perhaps mead did get under the skin of the local natives and learn their hidden motivations and sexual mores. Euphoria i read this book for a book club i belong to and had no idea what i was in store for. The novel, euphoria, by lily king, published in 2014, became a national bestseller and won several major literary awards. Euphoria is the story of three anthropologists whose work has echoes of that done in new guinea in 1933 by margaret mead above, gregory bateson, and reo fortune. It really is based on a portion of the life of margaret mead. The love lives and expeditions of controversial anthropologists margaret mead, reo fortune, and gregory bateson are fictionalized and richly reimagined in new england book award winner kings fat. Fortune and gregory batesonneither a slouch in his own right. However, euphoria is not how i felt when i closed the book much too soon on the fictionalized version of the famous margaret mead, her second husband reo fortune, and third husband gregory batemen.
The main charcter is nell stone, modeled after margaret mead, a freethinking, insightful, deeply empathetic student of native cultures. Nell, an american already known for her first book in the field. I just wanted to add that there is a new book about margaret mead, reo fortune, and gregory bateson, titled gods of the upper air. Set between world war i and ii and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is an enthralling story of passion, possession. Inspired by events in the life of anthropologist margaret mead, a captivating story of desire.
Based loosely on a brief period in the life of margaret mead as she hesitated between reo fortune to whom she was married and gregory bateson who the couple met while conducting research in new guinea, the book brought wide. At the same time euphoria is a wellresearched book. Euphoria was inspired by anthropologist margaret mead and her experiences along the sepik drafts of euphoria are stacked in descending towers along one wall, each draft a stairstep lower. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Lily king on margaret mead, the inspiration for her novel. Tribal loyalties and a tragic love story american anthropologist margaret mead, whose career took off in the 1920s with the publication of a groundbreaking work. Now that episode of literary obsession has yielded euphoria, a reimagining of the weeks spent by margaret mead, reo fortune and gregory bateson circling one another in an evertighter orbit, even as they lived among and studied the tribespeople of an isolated tropical jungle. American nell stone who is inspired by margaret mead already has a best selling book on natives of the solomon islands. Euphoria is a best book club book for discussion, a story of three young anthropologists in 1933 caught in a love triangle that threatens their bonds, careers, and lives. Margaret mead s most popular book is coming of age in samoa.
Lily king makes no grand claim that euphoria explains margaret mead, though her bibliography suggests extensive research. Euphoria by lily king the colourful love life of margaret mead books. Now, as a character in euphoria, mead is once again an engaging presence. Lily king on margaret mead, the inspiration for her novel euphoria we spoke to lily king about margaret mead, the inspiration behind kings acclaimed new novel, euphoria. Poetic in its compression and efficiency, euphoria presumes some familiarity with mead s biography for context and background, and yet it also deviates from that history in promiscuous ways. Love and work were inextricably entangled for mead. Inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is a captivating story of three young, gifted anthropologists of the 1930s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens. Euphoria is a thrilling pageturner by lily king about three talented anthropologists caught in a torrid love triangle. Euphoria is a fascinating historical novel based on a complex woman.
I picture a writer chipping away at her words, like a sculptor to marble, until the true work reveals itself. Euphoria by lily king a fictionalized margaret mead. The story revolves around margaret s anthropological study of the tribes there, but it also is a love story. Specifically, king looked at the time in 1933 when mead, the woman whom protagonist nell stone is based on, went to what was then known as the. Margaret mead has 82 books on goodreads with 17539 ratings. Euphoria is a meticulously researched homage to meads restless mind and a considered portrait of western anthropology in its primitivist heyday. Books by margaret mead author of coming of age in samoa. Euphoria, a novel based on margaret mead, by lily king. King has resisted the temptation to lard her book with the fruits of her research.
Euphoria presents a classic love triangle among three anthropologists in new guinea between the world wars. Euphoria is lily kings nationally bestselling breakout novel of three young, gifted anthropologists of the 30s caught in a passionate love triangle that. By the end of the book, i didnt much care for mead as a. A new york times bestseller, winner of the 2014 kirkus prize, winner of the 2014 new england book award for fiction, and a finalist for the national book critics circle award. Euphoria, a novel based on margaret mead, by lily king the. Lily kings novel euphoria, inspired by the life of margaret mead, is about a love triangle in new guinea. In euphoria, king cleverly infuses some of mead s life and work into a story about fictional anthropologist. If i tell you that euphoria is a novel loosely based on the life of the anthropologist margaret mead, your eyes will start to glaze over.
Nell stone is margaret mead, fen is her husband reo fortune and andrew bankson is supposed to be gregory bateson. Set between two world wars and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration, and. The love lives and expeditions of controversial anthropologists margaret mead, reo fortune, and gregory bateson are fictionalized and richly reimagined in new england book award winner kings father of the rain meaty and entrancing fourth book. Its an appropriately feverish story in which three scientists quickly discover that their ability to.
Reading it made me feel as if i could understand at least partially what it might have felt like to be margaret mead among the tribes with malaria and big ideas and between two men. Inspired by the 1933 meeting of anthropologists margaret mead, reo fortune and gregory bateson meads second husband and her third, and interweaving many other real characters and theoretical. I was completely transported to the setting in new guinea and three days after finishing im still thinking about it. The steam the book emits is as much intellectual as erotic.
Euphoria, the engrossing fourth book from king, is based on a chance encounter between the anthropologists margaret mead, ron fortune, and gregory bateson in 1930s papua new guinea. Euphoria is a meticulously researched homage to meads restless mind and a considered. However, euphoria is not how i felt when i closed the book much too soon on the fictionalized version of the famous margaret mead, her second. Suspense along the sepik with the young scientists of euphoria lily kings new novel was inspired by a reallife moment in 1933, when the lives of anthropologist margaret mead and two of her. The book is loosely based on the lives of anthropologists, margaret mead and her first and second husbands, and left me wanting to know more about each of them. And yet euphoria is also clearly the result of ferocious restraint. It begins with her second husband, and they together encounter the man who becomes, in real life, the standin for her third husband.
Inspired by the 1933 meeting of anthropologists margaret mead, reo fortune and gregory bateson meads second husband and her third, and. A new york times bestseller winner of the 2014 kirkus prize winner of the 2014 new england book award for fiction a finalist for the national book critics circle award a best book of the year for. Margaret mead in pursuit of fame and sex washington post. But euphoria, lily kings fourth novel, offers a brilliant reimagining of mead s pioneering exploits.
Lily king on margaret mead, the inspiration for her novel euphoria. Lily kings euphoria, a fictionalised account of a brief period of field work along new guineas sepik river in 1933, does not set out to redeem mead s reputation, but its humanising portrayal of. The beginnings of the study of anthropology were fraught with peril and make it a great jumping off point for discussion. Euphoria by lily king reading guidebook club discussion. Finely crafted though it is, euphoria feels more like a book the author felt she should write than a story she had to tell. Set between two world wars and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration, and sacrifice from accomplished author lily king.
A new york times best seller and winner of the 2014 kirkus prize for fiction, lily kings novel euphoria is inspired by the life and fieldwork of eminent american anthropologist margaret mead. King is a sinewy, disciplined writer who wisely avoids the temptation to evoke the overwhelming physicality of the jungle the heat, the steam. Euphoria by lily king the colourful love life of margaret mead the 1933 meeting of an anthropologist and two of her husbands is thrillingly reimagined camilla gibb. Coming of age in samoa by margaret mead sex and temperament by margaret mead blackberry winterby margaret. Lily kings euphoria, a shortish novel based on a period in the life of pioneering anthropologist margaret mead, is an exception. Set between two world wars and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration and sacrifice from accomplished author lily king. How a circle of renegade anthropologists reinvented race, sex, and gender in the twentieth century, by charles king, professor of international studies and government at georgetown university. As they were leaving the mumbanyo, someone threw something at them. The novels protagonist, nell, whose brilliant, controversial book on sexuality and samoan children has made her famous, is adrift and mourning. Suspense along the sepik with the young scientists. You have stated that the book was inspired by a chapter in jane howards 1984 biography of margaret mead. Set between the two world wars and inspired by a year in the life of revolutionary anthropologist margaret mead, euphoria is the story of three young scientists caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives. Perhaps margaret mead was as brilliant, dedicated, and observant as lily king portrays her in the historical fiction euphoria.
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