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Euphoria cover art

Euphoria

By: Lily King
Narrated by: Simon Vance, Xe Sands
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Summary

From New England Book Award winner Lily King comes a breathtaking novel about three young anthropologists of the '30s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and ultimately, their lives.

English anthropologist Andrew Bankson has been alone in the field for several years, studying the Kiona river tribe in the territory of 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 when a chance encounter with colleagues, the controversial Nell Stone and her wry and mercurial Australian husband, Fen, pulls him back from the brink. Nell and Fen have just fled the bloodthirsty Mumbanyo 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.

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 fromaccomplished author Lily King.

©2014 Lily King (P)2014 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

  • Audie Award, Literary Fiction, 2015

What listeners say about Euphoria

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love triangle among anthropologists in the Pacific

This is a terrific book and would be enjoyed by those who want to be transported to another setting in another era as well as those concerned about knowledge generation and management, research ethics, and international development.

Beautifully written, poignant and redolent with early 20th century colonialism and paternalism, we also learn of the competition between junior academics, their 'ownership' of tribes and contact with Indigenous communities, and ethical guidelines maintained and broken.

Strongly recommended for those looking for an interesting novel (in part based on Margaret Mead) at the interface of development and the Pacific, 'modernity' and tradition, agency and dependancy...

Excellent!

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Wonderful, delicately told story

the plot, loosely based on the life of anthropologist Margaret Mead, is set over a few months or less. in New Guinea three anthropologists live in two tribes they are studying. story of their relationships is told with restraint and sort of mental lassitude, but communicates raw and passionate emotions. everything of modern life is stripped away and the researchers are surrounded only by essential possessions and alone with most fundamental emotions. the characters (one Australian, one American, one Brit) all felt quite real to this English woman. it was one of new York times 10 best books of 2014. well read by US woman and UK man.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Not a soppy romance

This hit the right note for me. It is a wonderfully researched history of science, evoking the early anthropologists exploring the new world, and discovering new tribes. Yes, it has a romantic element, but it lacks cliche. It has the same restraint that is so typical of people of that era, and therefore is never soppy.

I particularly liked the gent who narrated Bankson. Although he sounded older than Bankson's thirty years, he brought a gravitas that I enjoyed.

All in all, thoroughly diverting and enjoyable.

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Delicious Read!

A poignant use of snippets of real history weaved into a heartbreaking story. Loved it!

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Transportation to another time

I really enjoyed this book. Listened to it in record time.

Perfect for anyone with an interest in anthropology and love triangles.

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Excellent reading

Wonderful story. A warning against anthropological interference in primitive cultures. Exciting to the end and a love story

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Fascinating and emotive

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narration was excellent and captured the mood of the story perfectly.
Well paced and thought provoking.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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I didn’t enjoy this at all

I didn’t enjoy the story. I really
didn’t like the narrators’ voices - quite irritating. Shame.

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  • Overall
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Fascinating insight into anthropology

fascinating insight into anthropology in the 1930s, very believable . plus a compelling story line,

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Incredible

Such an interesting & absorbing story. I needed to listen to something which would take me far far away from my life. The unfolding strange drama in an unfamiliar place was compelling.

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