The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton

Published by Victoria University Press: Wellington NZ, 2013. 

After my previous encounters with 'Booker books' I was really hoping for something good with The Luminaries.

It did not disappoint.

The story in itself, set in Hokitika, New Zealand during the gold rush of the 19th century, is enough to draw the reader in, with its central mysteries unfolding gradually but with just enough pace to keep the reader engaged. But the way it is structured adds so much to the reading experience!

As with Life and Times of Michael K, a little extra knowledge on a certain subject (in this case, astrology) would probably help understand the themes of the book better, but unlike the former book this one presents the reader with enough information about what is going on to highlight the theme. Therefore, even if (like myself) a reader comes to The Luminaries with very little understanding of the planetary movements in relation to the various constellations, the book in itself provides enough information to help them gather the idea of how those elements affect the plot, and the structure.

But more importantly, even without this knowledge, the story works on its own. I can understand that Emery Staines is represented by the moon, and that its position within a particular constellation highlights the influence a particular character will have over him at that point, but I don’t need to know that in order to enjoy the story. On the other hand, Life and Times was less enjoyable for me as a story once the parallels to The Trial were removed.

The way that The Luminaries is structured also helps the plot to stick with the reader more. There are layers and patterns to the story in the order that it is told. The miniseries based on this novel told the story in a far more chronological order and somehow lost some of that spark while retaining the bleakness.

Perhaps the scale I have to judge this book on (being a 'Booker book') has meant that I am overly positive about this book, but it is definitely my favourite Bookerworm read yet.

Completed 20 July 2017.

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