The Luminaries

By: Eleanor Catton

Narrated by: Mark Meadows

Length: 29 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Longlisted – Baileys Women’s Prize 2014

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2013

Canadian Governor General's Literary Award, 2013.

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 12 local men, who have met in secret to discuss a series of unsolved crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore 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. Written in pitch-perfect historical register, 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. It is a thrilling achievement for someone still in her mid-20s, and will confirm for critics and listeners that Catton is one of the brightest stars in the international writing firmament.

Eleanor Catton was born in 1985 in Canada and raised in New Zealand. She completed an MA in Creative Writing at Victoria University in 2007 and won the Adam Prize in Creative Writing for The Rehearsal. She was the recipient of the 2008 Glenn Schaeffer Fellowship to study for a year at the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop in the US and went on to hold a position as Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing there, teaching Creative Writing and Popular Culture. Eleanor won a 2010 New Generation Award. She now lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

©2013 Eleanor Catton (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"The Luminaries is an impressive novel, captivating, intense and full of surprises." (Times Literary Supplement)

"The Luminaries is a breathtakingly ambitious 800-page mystery with a plot as complex and a cast as motley as any 19th-century doorstopper. That Catton's absorbing, hugely elaborate novel is at its heart so simple is a great part of its charm. Catton's playful and increasingly virtuosic denouement arrives at a conclusion that is as beautiful as it is triumphant." (Daily Mail)

"It is awesomely - even bewilderingly - intricate. There's an immaculate finish to Catton's prose, which is no mean feat in a novel that lives or dies by its handling of period dialogue. It's more than 800 pages long but the reward for your stamina is a double-dealing world of skullduggery traced in rare complexity. Those Booker judges will have wrists of steel if it makes the shortlist, as it fully deserves." (Evening Standard)

Engaging complicated plot

It was a challenge to keep straight all the characters with their back-stories and interconnections, but that is part of what made this such an engaging book. I cringed at the racism exhibited by some of the characters, but I think that the author was describing in reality at the times depicted.

The narrator was one of the best I have encountered so far. His ability to render the various characters in distinct voices was truly amazing.

Great read

I saw the Starz series and while that was worth a watch, it plodded a bit. What blew me away was the story, so I searched out the book and was not disappointed. This is a well-rounded read, beautifully written, with terrific pacing, always keeps track of what could have been a sprawling storyline and brings all the threads together in a very satisfying way. It is narrated masterfully by Mark Meadows.

Complex to follow

I generally enjoyed the book but it was definitely hard to get into and a bit hard to follow. I believe this to be one of the few times when reading an actual book would have been helpful particularly if it had a map of characters.

An Astrological Wonder

I have to say that this book was extraordinarily clever. You would probably have to read it more than once to really appreciate the extent of the acumen that was needed to write it. The ability to combine astrology with a unique place and time (1860's Gold Rush in New Zealand) signals a very talented writer. The swirling of characters as they mirror the night sky made for a great tale, and yet there was something lacking. The attention was placed so much on the "mechanics" of it all that it lacked emotion. And, real attachment to any one character was just not possible. In the end, all the players were just living descriptors of the signs and planets, seemingly lacking any soul...which is why any good astrologer knows that a chart is nothing without the influence of spirit.

Excellent novel made more exceptional be narrator

A wonderful, captivating story that could've gone on even longer. Simply fantastic. Excellent novel made more exceptional be narrator.

enjoyable listen

the narrator was great at creating distinct believable characters. I just felt the story dragged after the trial.

My favourite book of all time!

Mark's narration is immense, unique, diverse, deep, strong and charming! Stunning audio quality! Highly recommended!

Brilliant

This was a fantastic story brought to life by an incredible performance. I can't remember the last time I was so thoroughly drawn into a story.

Ilumminating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! The author's ability to weave the stories of several complex characters stands out among writers. I felt as if I had been sucked into a swirling whirlpool that drew me deeper and deeper in the the plot.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Luminaries?

The final chapter of the book in which all is revealed stands out.

Which scene was your favorite?

With a book of this length, selecting a single scene as a favorite is virtually impossible.

Who was the most memorable character of The Luminaries and why?

Anna became my most memorable characters for her depth.

Great writer. Good story. Brilliant reader.

The author slowly unfolds the story and the reader learns more about the characters as the story progresses. Although this is a long book, it never flags. The reader is exceptional.