Summary
Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries burst onto the literary scene in 2013, captivating readers with its intricate plot and innovative structure. Set in 1866 New Zealand during the gold rush, this sprawling 848-page novel weaves together mystery, astrology, and historical fiction. Catton's masterful storytelling earned her the prestigious Man Booker Prize, making her the youngest author ever to receive this honor.
At its core, The Luminaries follows Walter Moody, a prospector who becomes entangled in a complex web of relationships and unsolved crimes upon his arrival in the frontier town of Hokitika. The novel's unique structure is based on astrological charts, with 12 main characters representing zodiac signs and others embodying celestial bodies. This ambitious framework adds layers of meaning to an already rich narrative.
Plot
Set in 1866 at the height of New Zealand’s West Gold Rush, The Luminaries follows Walter Moody, a young prospector who arrives in the West Coast settlement of Hokitika. On his first night, he stumbles upon a secret meeting of a dozen local men discussing a series of mysterious events. These include the disappearance of a wealthy man, a prostitute's apparent suicide attempt, and the discovery of a large fortune in a drunk's home.
As Moody becomes entangled in the mystery, he learns of the complex web of relationships and fortunes connecting the 12 men and other key figures in Hokitika. The story revolves around the death of a hermit named Crosbie Wells, whose cabin contained a hidden fortune in gold. Meanwhile, a wealthy young man named Emery Staines has vanished, and a prostitute called Anna Wetherell was found unconscious with gold sewn into her dress.
At the center of these events is Francis Carver, a scarred and violent ship captain with a dubious past. As the plot unfolds, it's revealed that Carver and his mistress schemed to steal Crosbie's gold. The story jumps back in time to explore the interconnected histories of the characters, including Anna and Emery's first meeting on a ship to New Zealand.
The novel culminates in a dramatic trial where many truths come to light. Emery Staines is sentenced to hard labor, while Anna Wetherell is acquitted. Carver is murdered on his way to prison, likely by Te Rau Tauwhare, a Māori character seeking revenge for his friend Crosbie Wells. The novel ends with Walter Moody leaving Hokitika to begin his gold prospecting.
Themes
Coming of age and self-discovery
The power of friendship and loyalty
Facing fears and overcoming adversity
Family secrets and inherited burdens
The conflict between tradition and change
The blurred lines between good and evil
The importance of community and belonging
Setting
Set in 1866, The Luminaries takes place during the height of New Zealand's West Coast Gold Rush. The story unfolds in the bustling frontier town of Hokitika on the South Island, a remote settlement that attracts fortune seekers from around the world. This rugged coastal region, with its treacherous forests and promising goldfields, forms the dramatic backdrop for the novel's intricate plot.
While the town of Hokitika serves as the primary setting, Eleanor Catton vividly depicts other locales crucial to the story. These include the surrounding wilderness where prospectors seek their fortunes, the dangerous waters off the coast where ships arrive with new settlers, and the hidden cabin of the mysterious Crosbie Wells. The author's meticulous research brings 19th-century New Zealand to life, from the gritty streets of the growing town to the isolated claims in the gold-rich hills. The harsh and unpredictable environment mirrors the complex web of relationships and motivations among the characters. Catton's Hokitika is a place where fortunes can change overnight, secrets lurk in every shadow, and the line between civilization and wilderness is thin.
Characters
Walter Moody: The novel’s protagonist, who arrives in Hokitika seeking his fortune. He stumbles upon a secret meeting and becomes entangled in the town's mysteries. Intelligent and observant, Moody serves as both an outsider perspective and a central figure in unraveling the complex plot.
Anna Wetherell: A young prostitute who becomes central to the mystery. She is found unconscious on the night of Crosbie Wells's death, with gold sewn into her dress. Anna has a mysterious connection to Emery Staines and plays a pivotal role in the unfolding events.
Emery Staines: A wealthy young man who disappears on the same night Crosbie Wells dies. He has an enigmatic relationship with Anna Wetherell and is at the center of many of the story's mysteries. Staines reappears later in the novel, injured and with a seemingly supernatural connection to Anna.
Francis Carver: A violent and scarred ship captain who is implicated in many of the novel's criminal activities. He is connected to Lydia Wells and is a central antagonist, involved in blackmail, theft, and murder.
Lydia Wells: Crosbie Wells's widow and Francis Carver's mistress. A cunning and manipulative woman, Lydia orchestrates séances and is involved in various schemes throughout the novel.
Crosbie Wells: A hermit whose death sets much of the plot in motion. His hidden fortune and mysterious past are central to the story's intrigue.
Te Rau Tauwhare: A Māori greenstone hunter and friend of Crosbie Wells. He represents the Aries zodiac sign in the novel's astrological structure.
Alistair Lauderback: A politician who discovers Crosbie Wells's body. He has a hidden connection to Wells and is blackmailed by Carver.
Quick facts
The Luminaries won the 2013 Man Booker Prize, making Eleanor Catton the youngest author, at 28. to win this prestigious award.
The novel's complex structure is based on Western astrology, with 12 main characters representing zodiac signs and others representing planets.
At 832 pages, The Luminaries was the longest book ever to win the Booker Prize.
Catton spent two years researching and reading about the New Zealand gold rush before writing the novel.
The story is set in 1866 in Hokitika, a real town on New Zealand's South Island.
Catton used historical documents and star charts to accurately recreate the night sky over the novel's timeframe.
The Luminaries is divided into 12 chapters, each shorter than the last, mimicking the waning of the moon.
Many character names were inspired by real people or businesses Catton encountered in New Zealand.
The novel was adapted into a BBC/TVNZ miniseries in 2020, with Catton serving as screenwriter.
By August 2014, The Luminaries had sold 560,000 copies and been translated into 26 languages.
About the Author
Eleanor Catton is a New Zealand novelist and screenwriter. Born in Canada in 1985, Catton moved to New Zealand as a child, grew up in Christchurch, and completed a master's degree in creative writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters. Her award-winning debut novel, The Rehearsal, written as her Master's thesis, was published in 2008 and adapted into a 2016 film of the same name. Her second novel, The Luminaries, won the 2013 Booker Prize, making Catton the youngest author ever to win the prize (at age 28) and only the second New Zealander. An international bestseller, The Luminaries was adapted into a BBC/TVNZ miniseries in 2020, with Catton as screenwriter. Her third novel Birnam Wood was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and named by The New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2023.
Catton’s screenwriting credits also include the 2020 film version of Jane Austen’s Emma, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and directed by Autumn de Wilde. In 2023, she was named on the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list. She lives in Cambridge, England.
