In 1950, a young doctor called Norton Perina signs on with the anthropologist Paul Tallent for an expedition to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu'ivu in search of a rumoured lost tribe. They succeed, finding not only that tribe but also a group of forest dwellers they dub "The Dreamers," who turn out to be fantastically long-lived but progressively more senile. Perina suspects the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle; unable to resist the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat back to the States. He scientifically proves his thesis, earning worldwide fame and the Nobel Prize, but he soon discovers that its miraculous property comes at a terrible price. As things quickly spiral out of his control, his own demons take hold, with devastating personal consequences.
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[Bethesda, MD - Dr Abraham Norton Perina, the renowned immunologist and director emeritus of the Centre for Immunology and Virology at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland was arrested yesterday on charges of sexual abuse]***
(@picadorbooks, 13 August 2013, 384 pages, ebook, #popsugarreadingchallenge 2020, a book you picked because the title caught your attention, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I bought this book soon after I read the author's incredible novel, A Little Life. So to say I had high expectations is an understatement. Thankfully, this proved to be every bit as brilliant as A Little Life. Phew! I'd have been gutted otherwise. This uses a non-linear narrative, starting in the present when Norton's demons catch up with him and uses extracts from Norton's journals and diaries to tell the remarkable story of his discovery in Ivu'ivu which turns him into a legend among the scientific community and the events that spiral his life out of control. This is a challenging read. Norton is not a hero or, as it turns out, a good man but his story is compelling and unforgettable. Yanagihara also uses unreliable narration with expert precision, of course Norton's diaries and journals edited by a friend and admirer twist things to show what happens in a better light. I love unreliable narration and it works perfectly here. This is an incredible book.