The Luminaries
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3.8 • 269 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2013
It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men, who have met in secret to discuss a series of unsolved crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely patterned as the night sky.
The Luminaries is an extraordinary piece of fiction. It is full of narrative, linguistic and psychological pleasures, and has a fiendishly clever and original structuring device. Written in pitch-perfect historical register, richly evoking a mid-19th century world of shipping and banking and goldrush boom and bust, it is also a ghost story, and a gripping mystery. It is a thrilling achievement and will confirm for critics and readers that Catton is one of the brightest stars in the international writing firmament.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Luminaries is an epic novel about a series of interconnected, mysterious events in a 19th-century gold rush town. New Zealander Eleanor Catton weaves her intricate plot with awe-inspiring historical detail and lovely small moments of humanity. Catton is the youngest writer ever to win the Man Booker, which makes The Luminaries’ authentic details, phrasing and dialogue all the more remarkable.
Customer Reviews
Luminaries
This may well be the longest ever winner of a Man Booker Prize, however the diversity of the central ‘luminaries' and more never leaves you bored and the next intrigue is always around the corner. Catton encapsulates the west coast of New Zealand in a unique way and I for one found it hard to put down. Would highly recommend it to anyone who is up for a novel full of wit and mystery that will leave you wishing you’d never finished!
Superbly interwoven
If you tackled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and made it through, and loved it, you'll breeze through this 1800's entanglement. Its like a really satisfying home cooked meal.... In a cottage by the sea.... With the wind blustering.... Sitting reading in a big colourful handknitted jumper with a glass of wine. Comfortable and complicated, intriguing and delightful. Loved every page! Leonie
The Luminaries
Possibly the most engrossing & captivating book I have ever read. Thoroughly & utterly enjoyable.
Michael Sanchez
Sydney Australia