Lorna Cook
asked
Lily King:
Lily, 'Euphoria' was my favorite book of the year! I loved the complexity of the characters and how their lives entwined and clashed. I thought the ending was stunning...My question: at what point in the writing did you know how it would end for the three, and who would be left? Thank you. And thank you for such a wonderful, memorable story.
Lily King
Hi Lorna—Thanks so much! I'm grateful. I don't want to spoil the ending for people who haven't read it, but I will say that I had a completely different idea for the ending when I thought Nell was our narrator. Once I realized Bankson was telling the story, things began to change. As I said in my last answer, I really had to feel my way through. I didn't always know what would happen until I got there and felt what felt right. It's strange in that way. And as I just said, I really didn't know about the events in the last chapter until after I had handed it in.
More Answered Questions
Madona
asked
Lily King:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
Thank you for a wonderful read! I was wondering if you considered any alternative endings for Nell? I was heartbroken over her violent death. I understand that given the historical basis of the novel, you were working within the constraints of a 'true' story. However,was this particular outcome a decision that you made in order to present a cautionary tale of sorts concerning domestic violence?
(hide spoiler)]
Narci Drossos
asked
Lily King:
I absolutely immersed myself in Euphoria - although the cover description wouldn't have made me pick it up. I read it for ELLE. I think having read Under the Wide and Starry Sky helped me immediately "get" Euphoria. Do you find any parallels in the novels? What inspired you to write about women who were so far ahead of their time? I can't imagine having boarded a boat back then, destined for islands unknown......
Carly Micó
asked
Lily King:
I'm intrigued by the process of creating characters based on real people; how was it different from unraveling a protagonist who exists only in your imagination? Did your prior research on the true anthropologists inspire you or did it somehow constrict your own creative process?
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