Reviews

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

kitbam's review

I will come back for u 💔

sminismoni's review against another edition

5.0

What can I say? This is a complex marvel of a book that combines layer upon layer of thickly woven plot with a lightly ironic style of writing. It is not easy to understand, and much like the signs of the zodiac, the characters represent archetypes and common human motives rather than being detailed individuals. But this is necessary to drive a mystery where everyone's fate is intertwined. It kept me guessing even after the last page was turned; there is nothing obvious about this book, and that's what kept me reading all 800+ pages until the end.

bakefield's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

How beautiful

p_t_b's review against another edition

4.0

A zero to 5 rating system is not quite subtle enough to reflect how I feel about this one. I would give it a deep five stars for worldmaking, imagination, weirdness. And then like a three for occasionally being shaggy or outright boring. It's a novel about the inconstancy of humans, fortunes (both money and mystic). There's a mostly decorative zodiac/astrology theme shaping the plot. This is basically Deadwood but in 1865 New Zealand. There is a fortune, that started with this one guy, then it gets stolen and smuggled but lost, then found by a hooker, then stolen by a Chinese digger while the hooker is passed out from drugs, then stolen from the Chinese dude in a weird sort of illegible moment, then buried, then there is this idea to give half of it to the hooker for reasons unrelated to any of the preceding, then it sort of belongs to the very first guy again but he dies mysteriously, and another guy gets it, but then there is a trial and they give it back to the guy who stole it from the chinese guy (said guy being mostly a sweetheart but also not a real character but just an aspect of this fallen woman/rising man dongle that the whole book revolves around. but all of the foregoing is related in reverse order, and disputed a bunch along the way from like sooo many directions.

At times this is breathtaking; it's never less than really impressive from a technical standpoint. At other times, it is annoying as hell and definitely could have been at least 300 page shorter. The tail end is a bit tacked on. This book frustrated and bored and entertained and satisfied me? It's too long though.

minimumhead's review against another edition

4.0

This book was a whole lot of fun. Part murder mystery, part other forms of mystery, part historical(ish) fiction, part character study. Would be 5 stars except for the rushed format of the ending. The flashback scenes could have easily been interspersed with the rest of the ending without taking away from the suspense. Wells' death (not a spoiler, I swear) was never really clarified. Would have liked a short epilogue.

jpyper's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ghajk's review against another edition

adventurous sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

jasmineting's review against another edition

4.0

slow start, sooo many characters to follow w different plotlines happening at the same time. however, once everything started connecting it got GOOD & i honestly was hoping there would be more when the book ended. catton knows how to write a poetic end for sure. also the undercurrent of astrology was def there but you dont need to understand it (i didnt) but would be super interested to reread & chart everything out the 2nd time around 

i’m not usually a big historical fiction reader but this one ate fr

sian_hughes_jones's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.25

Set in New Zealand gold towns there is a confusing story surrounding 13 people one just off the boat, there is a dress with gold seen into it and Chinese guys and opium addictions. Think I should have read this not listened to it

ekh2310's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0