A review by miamcmillan
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

a massive achievement of a novel. to be quite honest the astrological structure and the complexity of it is astounding and it is a real work of art. the writing is beautiful, sticks to the victorian style (which i think had been criticised but read very well for me and suits the tone of the plot), and is not condescending or too showy, which is refreshing. the reader has to work things out for themselves which makes it all the more mysterious. the first bit is slightly slow but it picks up a bit more as you get into it, which from what i’ve read was catton’s intention and she does it brilliantly. the use of extremely racist and derogatory language is VERY liberal. overall it’s a gorgeous exhibition of a book, and id highly recommend if you don’t mind a slower read.

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