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We have a buddy read planned for this month's trim #2 pick - Euphoria by Lily King

I am looking forward to reading this and it looks short.

I am ready to start. Where do others stand?

I've just finished reading another book, so ready to start with Euphoria tomorrow.

So let's start. I have to finish my IRL Feminerdy BC book but it will be done tomorrow too. Euphoria will be a quick read before I need to read a fatter book.

Everyone just be careful with spoilers until all 3 or 4 of us in this BR have read it. Can put behind tags.

I started reading it this morning - on page 40 and it's pulling me right along, though very much in the early introductory stages of the story, though seeds being planted for what's to come.

You want to know something funny? It took me 2 chapters to realize this is historical fiction! 😂 It shows just where my head isn't, *snort*. I had read the blurbs, knew about the Margaret Meade connection, months ago discussed with a friend who read it, and still... sometimes I have to laugh.

It is particularly absurd that I just didn't really think about it as HF because of it's basis in the story of Margaret Meade and her work among the Samoans, memorialized for the general public in her Coming of Age in Samoa published in 1928. Meade was an alumnae of Barnard College, as am I. When I attended there from 1973 - 77, she was lauded as just about its greatest graduate, certainly published graduate, despite the fact that there were then and continue to be so many notable groundbreaking women in all fields, but especially writers - Zora Neale Hurston and Mary Gordon. Of course, the debunking had yet to happen. I never read her book though I did take a cultural anthropology course where we read about the Yanamamos (paternalistic warrior tribe along the Amazon) and the Trobriand Islanders (matriarchal agricultural). But lordy was Margaret Meade lionized!

I am curious about how and why Lily King was inspired to write this work of HF. But I'm holding off looking it up until I finish reading the book.

BTW King has one of her characters mention the Trobriands in passing around p. 40 and I actually laughed. I'd been trying for 20 pages to remember which tribe besides the Yanamamo we had read in that Barnard seminar and it just would come to me, though their 'free sex' and very young marriage culture, and of course being a matriarchy, was remembered. -- and you'll get why that now amuses me when you read that mention in the book.

I am over half-way. Not sure what I think yet. I am finding the way the different perspectives are handled rather effective, especially (view spoiler)[Nell's journal from those first months with the Tam. (hide spoiler)]

I do find myself thinking quite a bit about the impossibility of the whole concept of studying remote tribes, this idea of living among them allowing you to observe and learn without your influencing or changing them. It's interesting to see the differing techniques represented by Nell, Fen, and Bankson. Is one more 'correct' or 'pure' than the others? Are any correct as in more likely to gain true and accurate results? I hope that King doesnot present any conclusion on that subject.

I had to laugh (view spoiler)[at the description of the very English, albeit on stilts, house Fen and Nell had built for them by the Tam, and all their western civilization belongings surrounding them. Bankson's musing comment about how this and their hiring of locals as servants, could possibly do anything but skew all results. (hide spoiler)]

Theresa wrote: "I started reading it this morning - on page 40 and it's pulling me right along, though very much in the early introductory stages of the story, though seeds being planted for what's to come.

You ..."

I'm on page 44 and it's not an easy read for me because I have no knowledge at all about those tribes or even about Margaret Meade and her work. But I'm glad to learn more and understand more thanks to your comments, Theresa.

Theresa wrote: "I am over half-way. Not sure what I think yet. I am finding the way the different perspectives are handled rather effective, especially [spoilers removed]

I do find myself thinking quite a bit abo..."

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it gave us a view of how the anthropologists really worked. They were far from invisible observers, but the characters were really interesting, I liked this as a first contact story, showing us how two cultures attempt to communicate and learn about one another.

(view spoiler)[I thought that their housing was hysterical. When it comes to observing how other cultures lived, I think the tribes got almost as much information as they gave.

I think King does a good job of showing us some of the things that deviated from objective observation, allowing us to come to our own conclusions about that. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. I somehow ended up with a more sympathetic view of Mead anyway.

Though when they talked about the earlier book she wrote - the one about the sex lives of teenagers - it all seems so ridiculous now.

When I read this book, I don’t recall thinking about it in terms of colonialism. If the tribes knew just a fraction of the things white men did to other cultures, killing them on sight seems reasonable.
(hide spoiler)]

Diana wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I started reading it this morning - on page 40 and it's pulling me right along, though very much in the early introductory stages of the story, though seeds being planted for what's..."

I recommend at least reading the Wikipedia entry - it was helpful to me even though I already know the barest outlines. Following the links on each of her husbands was also very helpful. I also did a google image search last night and found some interesting images, including Mead working with Reo/Fen at desks while in the field.

I will post some links for you. It is helpful as no doubt these photos etc. were part of King's research. While we have to remember this is fiction, some photos I found of Mead from the 1930s, including ones with both Reo and Bateson, really show just where King got her image of Nell! Bankson says around p.55 They were big for her small marsupial face, but suited her somehow. I thought that use of 'marsupial' as almost cruel, but after seeing some photos, realize it is pretty accurate!

In case you had not realized ... buddy reads with me lead down all sorts of stray paths between googling while I am reading, especially with ebooks, and brining in past reading, studies, or experiences and making connections. I am not offended if you ignore or disagree!

Love your spoiler, Nancy! Will get back to it but work calls.

Theresa wrote: "Diana wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I started reading it this morning - on page 40 and it's pulling me right along, though very much in the early introductory stages of the story, though seeds being plan..."

I actually also like googling more information while reading, but it doesn't happen with every book. With this one, I still didn't learn a lot about the events so didn't feel the need to research anything. But I'll act on your advice and do at least some additional reading

Here's a link to images:



You can see on this page many from the period of the book - her young years - and if you scroll down you will see one with her and a tall man working at a desk --- That's Mead with Gregory Bateson, in the book Nell and Bankson. There's also one of Mead - who is tiny - between 2 tall men - that's Mead with Bateson and Reo -- in the book Bankson and Fen. I do think that the physical descriptions of Nell et al. are meant to reflect their real life counterparts.

I started reading the Britannica entry but decided I was getting too distracted by biography and thus distracted from the fiction I was reading so stopped.

Theresa wrote: "Here's a link to images:

..."

Thanks for the link, Theresa! You are quite on time. I've just got to that description of her on p.55.

😁. I am to please.

I should finish tonight or latest tomorrow. I am reminding myself that this is HF and King was inspired only by Mead and this time in her life, and the story of these 2 men, not retelling it.

I find Bankson's story and struggle to find his professional path and loneliness compelling. Of course he is the narrator most of the time.

I finished! Ended up giving it 4 stars - rounded up from 3.5. Much I liked about it.

My Review

Will hold off saying more until you catch up.

When Ibread the description of the Gum Tree around which Bankson's house is built, I had to find an image. When I did, I realized what the book cover represents. I found amazing images like this one:


It is a rainbow gum tree and native to Papua New Guinea.

That colorful image and the gum tree as mentioned in passing in the story at the very beginning plus the title and repeated mentions of 'euphoria' has me thinking. (view spoiler)[The rainbow gum tree is a metaphor showing an affinity between Nell and Bankson, and the title which of courses references an emotional state as is mentioned in the book as related to Nell and Bankson's work. It equally applies to the interlude of their time together. It is also a gift Nell gives Bankson. (hide spoiler)]

Theresa wrote: "When Ibread the description of the Gum Tree around which Bankson's house is built, I had to find an image. When I did, I realized what the book cover represents. I fou..."

That's so cool! I thought the cover was so colourful because they tried to render the word euphoria with it. But now when I see the pictures of that tree, it makes more sense

Diana wrote: "Theresa wrote: "When Ibread the description of the Gum Tree around which Bankson's house is built, I had to find an image. When I did, I realized what the book cover r..."

You should google images of rainbow eucalyptus - stunning. There are a few growing in US - arboretums in southern climates. San Diego has what is described as a grove! An artist on Etsy has notecards and such from paintings of the trees.

I have had fun today looking up more about these trees - they are related to eucalyptus. I also think something about the tree is poisonous. Will look further when I have time. I am fascinated.

@Diana - I do agree it is also a visualization of the idea of euphoria, and fitting to my musings, the tree is a physical embodiment of the euphoria felt by Nell and Bankson from New Guines, their work, even each other.

I'm getting closer to the end and think I'll finish it tomorrow. But I have to admit that I'm not invested in the story very much, which is probably the reason I keep postponing reading it to the late evening each day.

It was the opposite for me. I was not particulary invested in the beginning but became engaged and whizzed through the last half.

Funny how that works!