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frasersimons 's review for:
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
A circuitous, yet rigid structure make this book novel, unconventional, and absolutely riveting. It helps that the prose absolutely stunning. In a nested, Russian Doll type structure (because I just finished watching that show), we get the setup for the book in the longest section of it: the beginning.
Every chapter in the start is from a different person giving details they know about the murder and circumstances only they are privy to, and believe to be true. Then each part jumps around in time and slowly reveals details, sometimes doubling back to help the reader out. Because it’s so intricate this is really needed too. When the first part summary was given by a character (seamlessly) I was thanking the lord.
What I loved about this is the adherence to the structure, which must have been very difficult to write. In addition to the word/page count restrictions, every character is mapped out astrologically from birth chart and then the astrology pertinent to the location, time, and year are factored into the character design and plot. Which means they trade characteristics as they “bump” into one another; influence each other in ways they’re often unaware of. And it means, if you pay attention and know astrology, you’re clued in on a meta level what will happen, as every chapter has a brief summary and the relevant astrological information, and the reference for each character is in the preface glossary for their own information.
Genius in of itself to be transparent with regards to astrology to the plotting of a book and the creation of characters. Readers usually want to not see the seams or the buttressing and the fiction, or the lies, to be as believable or “realistic” as possible. Yet this eschews that completely. We know the writing of this is structured and designed and practiced. Some reviewers, and people in general I know, don’t like the idea of “fate” because it means there is no free will. But that is simplistic and wrong, because fate IS a man made construction, should it exist.
The predestination occurs because we make those decisions. It doesn’t mean we don’t have a choice, it follows our act and the larger pattern emerges. This actually shows, if anything, that within the fiction characters can _break_ their fate. The exchange of qualities and attributes charts a new path. The importance is in people finding one another and breaking all manner of chains; seen or unseen, forged by man or otherwise.
Needless to say, conventional readers will hate this with a passion, I think. It is not particularly concerned with conveying an empirical truth to the reader regarding what happens. You can get the truth of some events, from a certain point of view. Others you have to infer. Still others, you must take on blind faith. Or, at least, take the blind faith of a character as true, because it is why they do The Thing that they do. Intrinsic to their own motivations and actions is the same faith the readers put in a construction like this novel. Like always, when form meets function I glow with joy for the thing, as I do this. And unconventional too. So much to admire about this.
For those that say it’s not concerned with character, I laugh! The only thing that matters in this entire book is the characters. They do exchange qualities and, in the end, it is only about souls that come together.
Every chapter in the start is from a different person giving details they know about the murder and circumstances only they are privy to, and believe to be true. Then each part jumps around in time and slowly reveals details, sometimes doubling back to help the reader out. Because it’s so intricate this is really needed too. When the first part summary was given by a character (seamlessly) I was thanking the lord.
What I loved about this is the adherence to the structure, which must have been very difficult to write. In addition to the word/page count restrictions, every character is mapped out astrologically from birth chart and then the astrology pertinent to the location, time, and year are factored into the character design and plot. Which means they trade characteristics as they “bump” into one another; influence each other in ways they’re often unaware of. And it means, if you pay attention and know astrology, you’re clued in on a meta level what will happen, as every chapter has a brief summary and the relevant astrological information, and the reference for each character is in the preface glossary for their own information.
Genius in of itself to be transparent with regards to astrology to the plotting of a book and the creation of characters. Readers usually want to not see the seams or the buttressing and the fiction, or the lies, to be as believable or “realistic” as possible. Yet this eschews that completely. We know the writing of this is structured and designed and practiced. Some reviewers, and people in general I know, don’t like the idea of “fate” because it means there is no free will. But that is simplistic and wrong, because fate IS a man made construction, should it exist.
The predestination occurs because we make those decisions. It doesn’t mean we don’t have a choice, it follows our act and the larger pattern emerges. This actually shows, if anything, that within the fiction characters can _break_ their fate. The exchange of qualities and attributes charts a new path. The importance is in people finding one another and breaking all manner of chains; seen or unseen, forged by man or otherwise.
Needless to say, conventional readers will hate this with a passion, I think. It is not particularly concerned with conveying an empirical truth to the reader regarding what happens. You can get the truth of some events, from a certain point of view. Others you have to infer. Still others, you must take on blind faith. Or, at least, take the blind faith of a character as true, because it is why they do The Thing that they do. Intrinsic to their own motivations and actions is the same faith the readers put in a construction like this novel. Like always, when form meets function I glow with joy for the thing, as I do this. And unconventional too. So much to admire about this.
For those that say it’s not concerned with character, I laugh! The only thing that matters in this entire book is the characters. They do exchange qualities and, in the end, it is only about souls that come together.