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While I didn’t read as much as I had hoped over my vacation, I did manage to finish reading The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I can’t say I was blown away by it but I did enjoy it very much.
In spite of reading a number of blog posts by those of you who have read the book already I still managed to be surprised that the book is, at its core, a murder mystery. While the mystery itself is pretty run-of-the-mill, the interesting thing about this book is its structure.
We begin with Walter Moody fresh off the boat in Hokitika, New Zealand, 1866, during the gold rush. He has taken refuge in the club at his hotel after a bit of a harrowing boat ride to shore and finds himself intruding upon a meeting of twelve very different men that include a Maori, a Chinese, a newspaper editor, an apothecary, and a bank clerk. Because the twelve discover Moody arrived on the ship Godspeed owned and captained by a man who is part of the reason they are all meeting, Moody is taken into their confidence. And here we are spun a tale by each of the twelve men of their part in the mystery. None of them have the whole story and only by putting all the pieces together can they begin to make sense of it. But even then we don’t have everything we need to solve the crime. The telling of the twelve tales is full of character and detail and Catton takes her time in the spinning so that nearly half the book is done by the time all twelve have their say.
Then we move forward in time for a bit, still with different perspectives of various characters as they keep the secret of their meeting, or not, and as they find out more information, some that clarifies and some that muddies. Eventually we reach a point where the timeline breaks apart and we alternate between moving forward in the present and learning the details of what happened in the past that led up to the crime and we discover this is also a kind of love story as well.
The structure and the pacing and the lush language keep this huge book from bogging down too much (it does get a little boggy but only a little which isn’t bad considering it is over 800 pages). The style also helps. It has a bit of a Victorian novel flavor right from the start with each chapter heading containing a brief description of what happens in the chapter. This does not give anything away before you read it because it is so general, things like Frost tells a lie and a secret is revealed. At the beginning these little chapter outlines (is there a technical term for them? Does anyone know?) are short and the chapters very long. As the book progresses, the outlines get longer and the chapters shorter until at the end the outlines are no longer outlines but narratives and the chapters are snips of moments and conversations and the outline/narrative becomes longer than the chapter. It totally works to balance out the book with its long, slow beginning and galloping conclusion. Really well done.
Each chapter is named from an astrological star chart but I didn’t bother to look up what they meant. I presume they are related to what happens in the chapter, an additional layer of interest but not a necessary one to either understand or enjoy the book.
Catton must have had quite a time juggling the complexity of the structure and the book’s various layers not to mention the large cast of characters. I’d love to see her notes and outlines or however it was that she managed to keep track of it all. How to plan out and keep something like that organized would be a fascinating conversation all on its own.
Ah, so you are pretty much like me Stefanie – you enjoyed it but didn’t love it. I really liked her writing, her characterisation and particularly her ability to nail character. So perceptive about people. But I’m not much of a one for complicated plots. I don’t really want to be bothered with such intricacies – am more interested in the intricacies of the characters. I like clever structures – usually – but like you I didn’t bother to look up the astrological stuff. That was too complicated and extra-textual for my liking.
And no, I don’t know what, if anything, those little chapter summaries are called. I did a little search at the time of writing my review but couldn’t find anything. I bet they do have a name but …
Overall, I’m glad I read it but it’s not one of those long books like, say Mistry’s A fine balance, that will stay with me for a long time. What, really, was its heart do you think?
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This book half appeals to me! I do like some neo-Victorian novels – I enjoyed Michael Faber’s Crimson Petal and the White for instance. It shows the enduring power of the three decker Victorian novel as a meme – so many writers who would like to be Wilkie Collins! It is a book I might try in the winter.
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Oh do Ian … and let me know what you think when you do. I enjoyed the Faber book too. While I’m not always a big book fan, the big Victorian-like book often appeals to me.
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Ian, heh, it is amazing how many writers want to be like Wilkie Collins! Maybe if the book had had a Count Fosco I would have loved it. Nonetheless, it is well done and enjoyable.
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whisperinggums, yes, I think we both had a similar experience of it. I liked her writing too but definitely didn’t need all the plot complications. And out of all the marvelous character development, I would have really liked to have known Anna better she never really comes clear. I think if it weren’t for the interesting structure to book would be just a little above average. What was its heart? I can’t say and maybe that’s why I didn’t end up loving it.
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Yes, I think that’s exactly why I didn’t love it, Stefanie.
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I generally agree with your opinion of the book, in the sense that I liked it but didn’t love it.
The structure was very well thought-out, that’s true, but amidst the whole complexity, I felt there was something “lacking” all throughout. Perhaps I would have liked the story to be told in a simpler way (the KISS principle, you know).
This is what I wrote about the book on Goodreads, in case you want to take a look:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/910249551
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marsar2, I agree with your review that Catton is a potentially great writer. I totally know what you mean about there being something lacking. I feel that too but can;t quite put my finger on what it is.
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I haven’t read this book, but your descriptions of Victorian, beguiling etc. make me want to pick it up. 800 pages though – quite a chunkster!
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Nish, like many Victorian novels and most of the neo-Victorians, it is a chunkster. But it reads fairly quickly and as I mentioned only gets a little boggy in the middle. It’s a clever book but sometimes its cleverness gets in the way a bit. Still enjoyable though!
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The 832 pages just set me back. At one time, I even had it from the library, after waiting in line for a while, but couldn’t get to start reading it. But sure glad you did so I can see what it’s all about. Thanks Stefanie for a thorough and informative review.
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Arti, I borrowed my copy from the library as an ebook so while I knew it was a big book, my brain was tricked since all it ever saw day to day was the kindle 🙂
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I believe there is a term for those summaries; I think I came across it when reading about the book in one of the traditional print reviews. Whatever they are called, I loved them in Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog. They made me laugh out loud. I didn’t laugh at Catton’s, but I did enjoy them.
It’s a novel that I admire greatly and I quite enjoyed it. What I most appreciated about it, and the way that I approached writing about it, was her skillful finagling with the idea of time, which I thought tremendously sophisticated. However, I also enjoyed her first novel, which has some of the same puzzle-ness to it, and it is much shorter.
Regarding your curiosity about her notes/outlines, I heard her speak last autumn and she said that she actually still had nightmares on occasion, waking up certain that she had left some thread dangling but (at that time, anyway) as of yet she had not discovered the loose end which haunted her. (I remember Willis speaking about her outline for her chronicles too and being just amazed by that process as well.)
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buriedinprint, I do enjoy those summaries whatever they are called. They definitely impart a tone and flavor to the book, especially contemporary ones and especially when authors use them in interesting ways. Yes, her “finagling” with time was well done, it is part of what made the book enjoyable. I can imagine she would have had nightmares, poor woman. I wonder if she has discovered a loose end or whether she has ceased to worry about it?
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I know I am going to have to read this one since it’s on my Booker prize winner list. But i can’t work out the logistics. It would be perfect to take on a long flight but then do I really want to lug around such a big book. I could of course just get the e-version but then I would;t be able to flick backwards and forwards to remind myself of who is who.
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BookerTalk, I read it as an ebook borrowed from the library and took it with me on my kindle every day on my commute to and from work. I didn’t have any trouble keeping everyone straight, Catton is very good at making sure you know who is who. So don’t worry about that! 🙂
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I succumbed and bought the paperback…
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I hope you enjoy it!
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I am glad you liked it…my only problem with the book was that while there was so much effort in the narrative, style and structure of the book, the story, which I always believe is at the core of a book, was a let down…I mean its ORDINARY!! I guess there was too much time spent on the structure and not enough on the plot!!!
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cirtnecce, I totally agree the story itself was very ordinary and is one reason why I didn’t love the book. I wonder though if the story were more complex whether it would work against the complexity of the structure? Maybe that was the trade off? And if so, I would rather have a more complex story.
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I love the sound of this (not least since it is a mystery at heart) and can’t wait to read it. You have done so well with reading longer novels this year and with every one you make me want to pick them up, too! (this one, the George Martin Game of Thrones books and now Knausgaard’s My Struggle–which I am tempted to start along with you but had better not….though I think I am going to dive into Lonesome Dove–have you read it?). And I love those chapter summaries, too!
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Danielle, I don’t know how I’ve managed to get myself into so many long novels this year but I have. I almost started another long one but held back thinking I wanted a short one or two before diving in again. I have not read Lonesome Dove nor did I see the TV miniseries back in the day though I know many people who saw and read and loved them both.
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Now I’ve read it, I’ve reached the same conclusion as you did that while it was an enjoyable read and much to admire in her plotting and depiction of setting, there’s was something missing. A case of form over function?
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