The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara - REVIEW
The People in the Trees is the 2013 debut novel by Hawaiian author Hanya Yanagihara. Partly inspired by the real-life case of Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, the book is presented as the memoirs of renowned anthropologist Norton Perina. The good doctor is studying a remote, Micronesian tribe when he discovers a rare species of turtle that, when consumed, grants exceptional longevity to human lifespans. Publishing his findings back in the United States, Doctor Perina at last achieves the scientific acclaim that he has been pursuing for years. He is lauded by the world, respected by his colleagues, and has already secured his place as one of the most influential men in history. This, however, does not appear to be enough for the Nobel Laureate and soon his demons catch up with him. Eventually, Doctor Perina is incarcerated for molesting one of his adopted children.
Yes, this is a dark book. Yanagihara passes no judgment on Doctor Perina for his heinous misdeed, instead she allows him the space to tell his own story, to explain himself before a world that first neglected, and then celebrated, him. Indeed, as the fictitious memoirs are being edited by Perina’s good friend and admirer, Ronald Kubodera, the novel possesses a somewhat sympathetic slant towards the disgraced scientist, bordering on the apologetic.
There can be no doubt that Doctor Perina is an utter car-wreck of a person, but he is for sure a captivating one. He is vain, arrogant, conceited, and perversely likeable. I don’t know what it is about the character that makes him so compelling, but I cannot help but enjoy Perina’s character. He is, of course, an extremely unreliable narrator – and potential psychopath – who twists every little circumstance to make himself appear the victim. Anyone who isn’t Norton Perina is portrayed as an abject idiot, lesser men and women who would scarcely be able to tie their shoes if it weren’t for the input of our good doctor.
Perhaps it is the sheer audacity of Perina’s account that makes The People in the Trees such a good read. This condescending, bitter, sanctimonious memoir is the authentic voice of someone who believes that the world was out to get him from the start, and doesn’t give a damn whether or not anyone will believe a word he writes. Yanagahira doesn’t write a Perina who tries to justify his actions, who tries to wrangle sympathy from his readers. Such a character would not be true to the callous scientist she created – a man who firmly believes that he is in the right until the very end.
There are a plethora of other reasons to read The People in the Trees, besides the phenomenal characterisation and depth of psychology surrounding Norton Perina. The politics that surround academic science is portrayed exceptionally well, with a cynical accuracy that convinced me that Yanagihara must have had some experience in the field. Perina’s account of his time on the Pacific island of Ivu’ivu is incredibly immersive, and truly evokes the feeling that one has entered a lost world. Ultimately, The People in the Trees measures up as one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it poses the question as to whether a great mind that does terrible things is a messiah or a monster. Victor Frankenstein’s guilt and remorse leads him to forsake the genius that led him astray. Norton Perina, however, refuses to be judged.
Rating – 9/10
