The Undiscovered Country

This is a story about a young family struggling with inter-personal issues who convince themselves that a self-funded expedition to do research on parasites in the back country of Papua New Guinea will enrich humanity and themselves in the process. The warning signs are all there to re-evaluate this effort; the clingy, uncomforted pre-schooler, the moody, unfulfilled woman, and the conflicted man that chooses not to see anything that causes him discomfort. The warning signs become symptoms as the young child runs wild with the natives and has been found with suspicious rashes around her genitals while her behavior becomes more and more abnormal. But, the couple plug on, convinced that they are making some enormous contribution to humanity and their efforts will somehow smooth over all the sacrifices they are incurring. The undiscovered country is not the place to try and find yourself and your life's work, as this beautiful tale demonstrates.

This isn't the type of book that I normally pick up, I'm not big on "literary fiction". It was given to me as a gift. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down, though. The story is extremely sad but told in this hypnotic, poetic way. I couldn't get enough of the place, Abini, in the book. Papua New Guinea, as rendered by the author, is an intense and strange place, overwhelmingly beautiful, frightening and inviting all at the same time. I do a lot of outdoor exploring, back packing and hiking etc and I found myself imagining a walk through the rainforest near Abini. Perhaps Gillison got some of the place names wrong or confused her directions but she clearly knows this place and makes you feel it too. Try this book, you'll like it. At the very least you'll be moved by it.

I read this book because a good friend is going to Papua New Guinea and I wanted to learn more about the island. Wow! What a book. This story is set in the 1970s when the country was still under the colonial control of the Australian government. However, the novel is about an American couple and their child who go to the country to do medical research -- yet it's about so much more. It's about life and marriage and the disappointments one can find in one's mate and in oneself. There were points when I wanted to know more, especially about the culture of the aboriginal people in the village. But for me, what was really captivating about this upsetting book was the background. The rain forest in Papua New Guinea really came alive. The animals and birds and insects are all vividly described as is every aspect of the Campbells (the family in the book) relationship to each other and to the country. I wound up re-reading it. This is the kind of book you lend to a friend because you want to talk about it so much.

This is an amazing book. The story is captivating and set in a lush and beautiful place. I couldn't put it down. The Campbells are a sad family, at first I pitied them but ultimately I admired them and their quest for something real in their lives. I also enjoyed all the chapters with characters who weren't part of the main narrative.

This extraordinary novel follows the Campbells, Peter, June and their young daughter Taylor, into the depths of Papua New Guinea. The story revolves around their experiences in the rainforest, the dissolution of a marriage and the integration of a young girl into the lives of the natives. An eerie, compelling book. Once inside the rainforest and the Campbell's story this novel is impossible to put down!