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A flawed perspective on an exotic land
I cannot at all trust the credibility of this book in its portrayal of New Guinea and its people. Three times in descriptive passages monkeys are referred to. For example, on page 36 we are told of 'monkeys caterwauling on high branches'. As New Guinea has no monkeys this is a fundamental error revealing that the author has little knowledge of the country, its flora and fauna and probably of its people, and so may have misled us in other ways. An unforgiveable mistake, a failure of essential research by an author and a display of embarrassingly ignorance of the country in which the novel is set. No mention of tree kangaroos. The story is very much focussed on the relationships between the three main (European) characters while the depictions of the local people and their culture, and the natural world, is scanty and little more than a backdrop to the interpersonal drama. Euphoria may be a good read as an adventure story, and stimulating of reflection on the undertaking of anthropological field work at that time, albeit with all its colonialist baggage. There was, however, little real attention given to the perspective of the local people and their response to the presence of these western visitors, and to the shock of 'first contact', again revealing that the colonialist mindset is extant today.
July 2014 · Books · verified purchase