Euphoria

Euphoria by Lily King: 5/5

WOW. What an exhilarating, philosophical, well-crafted novel! I picked this book up after reading Lily King’s Writers and Lovers, and Euphoria completely exceeded the expectations set by W&L. It was a totally engrossing, almost feverish read with wonderful characters, dazzling setting, and exciting plot. The story follows three anthropologists: Nell Stone, her husband Fen, and an acquaintance Andrew Bankson when they meet by chance in 1933 while doing field studies on native tribes of New Guinea. Over the following months, the three characters grow closer, their work begins to intertwine, and their relationships both with each other and the world around them are irrevocably altered. To start, all the characters in this novel are smartly crafted, but Nell Stone was the unquestionable star. King did such a great job of creating an effervescent heroine, one who is unabashedly untraditional, who excels and revels in her male-dominated field of work, and is so wholly comfortable and unfazed by her sexuality. I loved Nell. She jumps off the page, and it took almost no effort on my end to invest in her, her work, and her happiness. And then there is the setting: pre-war New Guinea, before various colonial powers came in and began to “modernize” the island. King writes of the tropical world and the different tribes which populate it with rich detail without sentimentality. She does not wax on about the beauty or spirituality of the setting, but carefully constructs a world just as complex, beautiful, and awe-inspiring as any city. Moreover, she gives just as much (if not more) detail to the island natives, tribes which have their own idiosyncrasies, virtues, and flaws. It’s a fully immersive, dazzling backdrop to the novel, and a delight to see the main characters explore it. And then the story itself, - it’s half Indiana Jones-esque adventure tale, and half philosophical musings on the human condition. The story takes a look at the complexity and contextuality of romantic relationships, the way in which we interact and observe those different from us, and how those observations reflect more about us as individuals than we care to realize. The pacing is excellent, as the drama begins almost immediately and then escalates to the very end. It’s a fast read that never feels rushed, that gives enough space between events to allow the characters to respond and develop emotionally, so that by the final act the fall-out of the various decisions is both heart-wrenching and fulfilling. I loved this book. I read it in 24 hours, and want to go back and re-read it already. It’s a fully engaging, deceptively perceptive and philosophical novel with a tightly-packed plot and stellar setting. 5 stars all around.