Her just released novel, euphoria inspired by the life of anthropologist margaret mead is heading to the silver screen. Euphoria is a thrilling pageturner by lily king about three talented anthropologists caught in a torrid love triangle. Her fourth, euphoria a smart, sexy, concise work inspired by anthropologist margaret mead should solidify the critical approval and bring her a host of new readers. Margaret mead, the first of five children, was born in philadelphia, but raised in nearby doylestown, pennsylvania. Im not very bossy, although maybe my kids and my husband would disagree. 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. We think of margaret mead if we think of her at all as the julia child of anthropology. Euphoria is the story of three anthropologists studying tribes in new guinea. 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.
Suspense along the sepik with the young scientists. Nell is already famous for, and fen is already jealous of, a book. The novelist on how an episode torn from the life of margaret mead blossomed into a novel. Margaret mead, american anthropologist whose great fame owed as much to the force of her personality and her outspokenness as it did to the quality of her scientific work. Euphoria by lily king reading guidebook club discussion. Paul is an anthropologist of samoa, and author of numerous articles about margaret mead and the meadfreeman controversy including the trashing of margaret mead. 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. Euphoria is a novel to devour for its nuanced and complicated characters made all the more intriguing due to novelists lily kings incorporating the legendary anthropologist margaret meads life and experiences into the unforgettable nell stone. She earned her bachelors degree at barnard college in new york city and her ma and phd degrees from columbia university. Margaret meads most popular book is coming of age in samoa. Euphoria by lily king book club discussion questions. But thats certainly what i read about margaret mead. The main charcter is nell stone, modeled after margaret mead, a freethinking, insightful, deeply empathetic student of native cultures. Jun 22, 2014 her just released novel, euphoria inspired by the life of anthropologist margaret mead is heading to the silver screen.
Suspense along the sepik with the young scientists of euphoria. 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. Well, they shouldnatnot when the novel is as wonderful as this one. 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. 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. Her father, edward sherwood mead, was a professor of finance at the wharton school of the university of pennsylvania, and her mother, emily nee fogg mead, was a sociologist who studied italian immigrants. Euphoria 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. You have stated that the book was inspired by a chapter in jane howards 1984 biography of margaret mead. 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. Jun 05, 2014 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.
At its center is a romantic triangle, and it tells a story that. Euphoria, a novel based on margaret mead, by lily king. I tried to have a firstperson narrator who was a margaret meadlike character. Nov 29, 2014 but euphoria, lily kings fourth novel, offers a brilliant reimagining of meads pioneering exploits. But euphoria, lily kings fourth novel, offers a brilliant reimagining of meads pioneering exploits. Karl marlantes, new york times bestselling author king changes the names and the outcome in this atmospheric romantic fiction set in new guinea and clearly based on anthropologist margaret mead s relationship with her second and third husbands.
That kind of personality is very different than mine. The novel, euphoria, by lily king, published in 2014, became a national bestseller and won several major literary awards. Dec 24, 2014 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 meads reputation, but its humanising. Lily king on margaret mead, the inspiration for her novel. She was best known for her studies of the nonliterate peoples of oceania, especially with regard to various aspects of psychology and culture. Jun, 2014 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. Fortune and gregory batesonneither a slouch in his own right. We forgot that mead was a vocal supporter of sexual experimentation in adolescence, womens rights, the legalization of marijuana. Dec 10, 2015 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, exploration and sacrifice. Lily king, author of euphoria atlantic monthly press, june 2014. Jun 06, 2014 after three fine works of fiction focused on contemporary families, lily king broadens her horizons, geographically as well as emotionally, in a novel inspired by a reallife trio of.
Euphoria i read this book for a book club i belong to and had no idea what i was in store for. 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, exploration and sacrifice. King plays with some of the facts of meads life, in order to spin a love story of an unusual nature. 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.
Aug 20, 2015 euphoria is a thrilling pageturner by lily king about three talented anthropologists caught in a torrid love triangle. Jun 17, 2014 euphoria, a novel based on margaret mead, by lily king. Margaret mead december 16, 1901 november 15, 1978 was an american cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and 1970s. Euphoria by lily king the colourful love life of margaret mead. 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.
Its about three young anthropologists of the1930s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately. Lily kings novel euphoria, inspired by the life of margaret mead, is about a love triangle in new guinea. 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. Euphoria presents a classic love triangle among three anthropologists in new guinea between the world wars. Karl marlantes, new york times bestselling author king changes the names and the outcome in this atmospheric romantic fiction set in new guinea and clearly based on anthropologist margaret meads relationship with her second and third husbands. A psychological study of primitive youth for western civilisation, and sex and temperament in three primitive societies, and more on. 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.
The following is an edited transcript of our conversation. 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. Lily kings euphoria heading to the screen the washington. 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. At its center is a romantic triangle, and it tells a story that begs to. Based loosely on a brief period in the life of margaret mead as she. Lily kings euphoria, a shortish novel based on a period in the life of pioneering anthropologist margaret mead, is an exception. Euphoria by lily king a fictionalized margaret mead. Margaret mead books list of books by author margaret mead. 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.
Jun 08, 2014 lily kings novel euphoria, inspired by the life of margaret mead, is about a love triangle in new guinea. Its not a literary form known for its great romances, either, although of course love and sex play a role in most fictional characters lives. See all books authored by margaret mead, including coming of age in samoa. Sep 04, 2014 paul is an anthropologist of samoa, and author of numerous articles about margaret mead and the mead freeman controversy including the trashing of margaret mead. Its funny, because i tried to write it from her perspective. This book was selected as one of the new york times book. 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. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. 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.
Books by margaret mead author of coming of age in samoa. Lily king has built her reputation as a gifted novelist steadily over three books. I was completely transported to the setting in new guinea and three days after finishing im still thinking about it. 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.
From page one and nells broken glasses i was spellbound and riveted. 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. 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. Fen is the husband of nell an allegorical margaret mead, and andrew bankson is a young anthropologist trying to discover an unknown tribe to make his name. Coming of age in samoa by margaret mead sex and temperament by margaret mead blackberry winterby margaret. Her husband fen is her opposite, cynical, greedy and dismissive of local sentiments. Margaret mead has 82 books on goodreads with 17601 ratings. Jun 04, 2014 the novelist on how an episode torn from the life of margaret mead blossomed into a novel. After three fine works of fiction focused on contemporary families, lily king broadens her horizons, geographically as well as emotionally, in a novel inspired by a. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Euphoria, a novel based on margaret meads life the. Apr 14, 2015 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. Michael apted, whose prolific career has included coal.