The Luminaries
Published on 7. March 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
848 pages
978-1-78378-726-5 (ISBN)
Description
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE
'A breathtakingly ambitious mystery ... as beautiful as it is triumphant' Daily Mail
An astonishing, epic story of promise, deceit and desperation in New Zealand's gold rush.
'What brings a fellow down here, you know, to the ends of the earth - what sparks a man?'
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 woman 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, both a ghost story and a gripping mystery. Set amidst the promise, deceit and desperation of the mid-19th century goldrush, the lives of its rich, complex cast unspool through a labyrinthine, celestial pattern. Fiendishly clever and vividly rendered, The Luminaries established Catton as one of the brightest stars in the firmament.
'A book to curl up with and devour, intricately plotted and extravagantly described, a pastiche of the Victorian sensation novel in the same smart yet playful vein as Sarah Waters' Guardian
'A breathtakingly ambitious mystery ... as beautiful as it is triumphant' Daily Mail
An astonishing, epic story of promise, deceit and desperation in New Zealand's gold rush.
'What brings a fellow down here, you know, to the ends of the earth - what sparks a man?'
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 woman 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, both a ghost story and a gripping mystery. Set amidst the promise, deceit and desperation of the mid-19th century goldrush, the lives of its rich, complex cast unspool through a labyrinthine, celestial pattern. Fiendishly clever and vividly rendered, The Luminaries established Catton as one of the brightest stars in the firmament.
'A book to curl up with and devour, intricately plotted and extravagantly described, a pastiche of the Victorian sensation novel in the same smart yet playful vein as Sarah Waters' Guardian
Reviews / Votes
Irresistible, masterful, compelling. It has a gripping plot that is cleverly unravelled to its satisfying conclusion, a narrative that from the first page asserts that it is firmly in control of where it is taking us... The things that most impress are the cunning withholding of information, the elegant foreshadowing, the skilful looping back on the narrative -- Lucy Daniel, five star review * Telegraph * An immense feat of structuring and plotting which means that this novel starts as a gentle stroll and ends with the exhilarating sense of running downhill... Ambitious, intricate, spectacular -- Natalie Haynes * Independent * A breathtakingly ambitious mystery... Catton's playful and increasingly virtuosic denouement arrives at a conclusion that is as beautiful as it is triumphant -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail * Remarkable... A true achievement. Catton has built a lively parody of a 19th-century novel, and in doing so created a novel for the 21st, something utterly new. The pages fly, a world opening and closing in front of us, a human soul revealed in all its conflicted desperation [and] glory... Dazzling * New York Times * Every sentence of this intriguing tale is expertly written, every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin. [It] has been perfectly constructed as the consummate literary page-turner... Extraordinary -- Kirsty Gunn * Guardian * The Luminaries blew me away. Such a wild, strange world, such unforgettable characters, all brought together with such devilish charm and ingenuity. A novel like this from a writer so young gives me hope for the future of the artform. Stellar in every sense of the word -- Paul Murray, author * Skippy Dies * Sometimes - rarely - a novel arrives that is so good all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Brilliant in design, masterful in execution, and intensely pleasurable to inhabit, The Luminaries is a masterpiece, the work of a writer of apparently limitless range and talent -- Peter Hobbs, author * The Short Day Dying * A bold mixture of Victorian sensation novel and avant-garde constraint... Even on a fourth reading it still delivers -- Stuart Kelly, Books of the Year * Scotland on Sunday * Carefully executed, relentlessly clever, easy to read... Catton sustains a human comedy that sweeps through the hope, the mud, the lies and the secrecy underlying gold fever. It is not so much a morality play as an astute celebration of the power of the story -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times * [A] sweeping, sprawling tale... a triumph from a phenomenally talented young writer -- Best Books of 2013 * Stylist * A dense, intricate historical saga, criss-crossed with literary eccentricities... Wonderfully inventive -- Kate Saunders, Books of the Year * The Times * [A] cunningly design[ed] mosaic of tales -- Boyd Tonkin, Books of the Year * Independent * Slowly reveals a complex structure raising questions about fate, free will and the human search for meaning -- Justine Jordan, Books of the Year * Guardian * Intricately constructed... An accomplished work of traditional storytelling -- Isabel Berwick, Books of the Year * Financial Times * Incredible... virtuoso... You will devour [this book], only to discover that you can't find anything of equal scope and excitement to read once you have finished. Sheer rip-roaring readability -- Simmy Richman * Independent on Sunday * A virtuoso performance... [It] is resplendent: a twenty first century Victorian novel that couldn't be more original... Steeped in history, The Luminaries feels completely fresh... The literary firmament has birthed a new star * The Millions * Quite unlike anything I've ever come across, so graceful is its plotting and structure... A dazzling feat of a novel -- Lucy Scholes * Observer * A dream novel: stellar in every way -- Books of the Year * Economist * Expansive and quite superb... Catton writes with real sophistication and intelligence -- Lesley McDowell * Scotsman * This epic novel of light and shadow affirms the radiant talent of its author -- Brian Morton * Independent * With astonishing intricacy and patient finesse, Catton brings to life the anomalous nature of 19th-century New Zealand -- David Grylls * Sunday Times * An impressive novel, captivating, intense and full of surprises -- Kate Webb * TLS * A gorgeously elaborate fabrication -- Catherine Taylor, Books of the Year * Sunday Telegraph * Brilliant... wonderfully intricate -- Philip Hensher * Spectator * All really good books shatter their generic origins, becoming a thing unto themselves. But rarely has this axiom held more firmly than in [this] thrilling novel... [Catton] is among the finest of storytellers... Time falls away in her writing, and the mystery of creation shimmers through the cracks in the story. I didn't want this novel to end, and - in a sense - it doesn't. Catton's illuminations last -- Jay Parini, author * The Last Station * Every now and then you get to read a novel that elevates you far beyond the bric-a-brac of everyday routine, takes you apart, reassembles you, and leaves you feeling as though you have been on holiday with a genius. Eleanor Catton's astonishing new novel does just that... Essential reading * New Zealand Herald * Irresistible... The kind of book that really doesn't come around often. Everyone should read it -- four star review * Stylist * The reviewer says it's so good he's been unable to read another book since * Independent on Sunday * A great addition to my impressive pile of great novels -- Julian Baggini, Books of the Year * Observer * A rollicking mystery... rivals almost any Victorian triple-decker... Fascinating * We Love This Book blog * It is a pacey and beautifully written tale of love, lust, greed and murder... It could well be regarded as the first great New Zealand novel * Bookseller * A remarkable tour de force... Breathtaking * Brisbane Times * Wonderfully vivid... The characters are so lush and the mystery is so complex... Exceptional * Booker Marks blog * Highly original, meticulously constructed, thematically convincing, this is a richly evocative mystery * Good Book Guide * It might be the Great New Zealand Novel -- Kira Cochrane * Guardian * Addictive [and] very clever -- Paul Dunn * The Times * Irresistible and gripping... the things that most impress are the cunning withholding of information, the elegant foreshadowing, the skilful looping back on the narrative -- Lucy Daniel * Irish Independent * Remarkable... I found myself frequently slowing down to savour Catton's characterisations and gentle wit. The Man Booker judges have really struck gold -- Jack Kerridge * Sunday Express * For the scale of her ambition and the beauty of its execution, somebody should give that girl a medal -- Lucy Daniel * Daily Telegraph * A book to curl up with and devour, intricately plotted and extravagantly described, a pastiche of the Victorian sensation novel in the same smart yet playful vein as Sarah Waters -- Justine Jordan * Guardian * One of the most purely enjoyable novels to have appeared in recent years... [It] offers large rewards for the reader's diligent attention. It dividends are both narrative and linguistic... Remarkable -- Jonathan Barnes * Literary Review * 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 * Hindu * A tremendously technically accomplished piece of work * Evening Standard * A highly innovative, structurally experimental project that tells a captivating story * Bustle * Experimental [and] bold... A gripping read... Catton's star is definitely on the ascendant * The Lady * Utterly immersive reading -- Jenny Colgan * Metro * Fine storytelling, plenty of plot twists and a colourful cast of characters -- Books of the Year * Mail on Sunday * Perfect -- Books of the Year * New Zealand Herald * Mesmerising -- Nick Rennison, Books of the Year * BBC History * A beautifully-wrought minuet -- Katy Guest, Books of the Year * Independent on Sunday * A fantastic achievement and a gripping read * Vice * Ingeniously arranged * Recorder * Spin for a while in this novel's orbit, then return to terra firma with a tighter grip on your own resolve * Independent * Here is a book to lose yourself in... If you haven't yet succumbed to the hype of this huge saga, don't resist. A delight from start to finish * Oxford Times **** * Every sentence of this intriguing tale is expertly written, every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin. Great -- Kirsty Gunn * Guardian * With patient finesse, Catton brings 19th-century New Zealand to life -- David Grylls * Sunday Times * Intricate... On every page you are aware of minute design -- John Mullan * Guardian * Exceptional and phenomenal... As gorgeous and complex as an orrery -- Robert Macfarlane * Intelligent Life * A page-turner * Observer * Truly dazzling * Sunday Herald * Catton's irresistibly intricate plot makes the pages fly by. Snappy dialogue, crisp humour and grand vision sets this far above its rivals * Daily Telegraph ***** * Big, bold and beautiful... A literary thriller that keeps you hooked * Daily Gazette Colchester * A carefully crafted door-stopper of a novel * Observer * [It] has got me gripped -- Neil Morrissey * Independent * Daring and colourful -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times * A modern masterpiece... Catton deserves her praise * Stylist * I enjoyed The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton's game of literary Cluedo, so much I had to ration myself to 50 pages a day -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * 'Books of the Year' Observer * The Luminaries portrays the lush landscapes of New Zealand in exquisite detail * Good Housekeeping *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 65 mm
Weight
558 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78378-726-5 (9781783787265)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Person
ELEANOR CATTON is the author of Birnam Wood (Granta, 2023), shortlisted for the Orwell Prize; The Luminaries (Granta, 2013), winner of the Man Booker Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award; and The Rehearsal (Granta, 2009), winner of a Betty Trask Award, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize, and longlisted for the Orange Prize. As a screenwriter, she adapted The Luminaries for television, and Jane Austen's Emma for feature film. In 2023 she was named as one of Granta magazine's Best of Young British Novelists. Born in 1985 in Canada and raised in New Zealand, she now lives in Cambridge, England.