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annaick 's review for:
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
I did enjoy portions of this and yet at other points, I felt I was trudging through parts on faith, hoping to understand what the hell was going on. A lot of characters, many of whom I felt were indistinguishable from each other when getting to know them in Part 1.
But leaving aside that complaint, the review from the guardian puts it better than I can: "It's not about story at all. It's about what happens to us when we read novels – what we think we want from them – and from novels of this size, in particular." So, keeping that in mind, I can say I did fall into the inevitable trap of seeking the best outcomes got sympathetic characters and hoping for vengeance to rain down on the dastardly types as a nice, neat counterbalance. And that once detached from that expectation, I was struck by the astounding skill with which the author renders characters through minimal or even unassuming traits, movements, behaviours, etc... You don't encounter that kind of craft every day and it was a pleasure to be 'in good hands' on that count!
But leaving aside that complaint, the review from the guardian puts it better than I can: "It's not about story at all. It's about what happens to us when we read novels – what we think we want from them – and from novels of this size, in particular." So, keeping that in mind, I can say I did fall into the inevitable trap of seeking the best outcomes got sympathetic characters and hoping for vengeance to rain down on the dastardly types as a nice, neat counterbalance. And that once detached from that expectation, I was struck by the astounding skill with which the author renders characters through minimal or even unassuming traits, movements, behaviours, etc... You don't encounter that kind of craft every day and it was a pleasure to be 'in good hands' on that count!