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lizflynn 's review for:
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
Oh, The Luminaries, I was expecting a lot more from you. Don’t get my wrong, it was a good book. Great, even. But it wasn’t as mind-blowing and breath taking as other reviews and people made it out to be.
Eleanor Catton tells a story that masterfully intertwines a mysterious disappearance, a rising politician, and an opium-loving prostitute in the town of Hokitika, New Zealand. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so I will just say that Catton does a fabulous job of introducing a wide cast of characters that are all unique and pretty well developed. I did occasionally get some of the older white-guy characters mixed up, but that may have been because I read this book over a long stretch of time and my memory was a little rusty. However, I stuck with the story despite my slight confusion, and it paid off. The story dragged on at times, but never in a way that was immensely dry or cringe-worthy. It dragged on in more of a “I’m taking a leisurely walk through the park to get to the grocery store” type of way. It was enjoyable once I realized that it was about the journey, not the destination. Catton wrote The Luminaries in the style of the time it takes place in, 1866. She uses this to her advantage, making wry comments about females that can (and should) be read with scorching sarcasm. The writing style helped me further immerse myself in the time and setting of the story, which is something I always enjoy doing whenever I read a book.
I do feel that there was a whole other layer to this book that I just didn’t understand. Catton uses zodiac signs and other astrological elements to structure her characters and plot. I know next to nothing about astrology (only that I’m a Cancer and I’m ruled by the moon…) and I felt that my limited knowledge made me miss out on a lot of the nuances of Catton’s characters. I didn’t take the time to do any in-depth research, though. Instead, I decided to just read the novel and take what I got at face-value.
All in all, it was an entertaining story and I’m glad I invested the time in reading this hefty novel.
Eleanor Catton tells a story that masterfully intertwines a mysterious disappearance, a rising politician, and an opium-loving prostitute in the town of Hokitika, New Zealand. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so I will just say that Catton does a fabulous job of introducing a wide cast of characters that are all unique and pretty well developed. I did occasionally get some of the older white-guy characters mixed up, but that may have been because I read this book over a long stretch of time and my memory was a little rusty. However, I stuck with the story despite my slight confusion, and it paid off. The story dragged on at times, but never in a way that was immensely dry or cringe-worthy. It dragged on in more of a “I’m taking a leisurely walk through the park to get to the grocery store” type of way. It was enjoyable once I realized that it was about the journey, not the destination. Catton wrote The Luminaries in the style of the time it takes place in, 1866. She uses this to her advantage, making wry comments about females that can (and should) be read with scorching sarcasm. The writing style helped me further immerse myself in the time and setting of the story, which is something I always enjoy doing whenever I read a book.
I do feel that there was a whole other layer to this book that I just didn’t understand. Catton uses zodiac signs and other astrological elements to structure her characters and plot. I know next to nothing about astrology (only that I’m a Cancer and I’m ruled by the moon…) and I felt that my limited knowledge made me miss out on a lot of the nuances of Catton’s characters. I didn’t take the time to do any in-depth research, though. Instead, I decided to just read the novel and take what I got at face-value.
All in all, it was an entertaining story and I’m glad I invested the time in reading this hefty novel.