The Luminaries By Eleanor Catton

 

The Luminaries

By Eleanor Catton

 Walter Moody is planning to dig for his fortune during the New Zealand Gold Rush of the mid-1860s when he falls into a mystery told to him by twelve men in the parlor of his hotel. As their stories unravel, their connections to one another and the others in the tale lead to Moody defending a case related to the crimes the men tell of.

A man has been found dead, another has gone missing, and a cast of characters each have something to do with the proceedings. A fortune has been found in two places, and to whom it belongs forms the backbone of the story told in parts, all bound up with the zodiac, the planets, and their influences over the story. It is a richly layered novel full of fast-paced intrigue that reads like many genres bound into one, with a bit of murder mystery, a drawing room drama, a bit of wild west and a dash of The Pirates of the Caribbean. Add in a hint of courtroom drama and you have The Luminaries.

This book was compulsively readable with a varied and distinct cast of characters, whose personalities and personality clashes keep the reader enthralled for all of its over-800 pages. The structure of the book is deep and deliberate, complex and mysterious, but mind-bogglingly genius. Catton proves to be a master of the craft with this story I didn't want to put down. It is an easy 5 stars!