<p>Our February CC Book Club selection is The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. This novel, set in 19th century New Zealand, is the story of a man who sets out to make a fortune in the gold rush and becomes caught up in a complex mystery. </p>
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"Irresistible, masterful, compelling...The Luminaries has a gripping plot that is cleverly unravelled to its satisfying conclusion, a narrative that from the first page asserts that it is firmly in control of where it is taking us...[Catton is] a mistress of plot and pacing."
*-The Telegraph<a href="5-star%20review">/i</a></p>
<p>"Every sentence of this intriguing tale set on the wild west coast of southern New Zealand during the time of its goldrush is expertly written, every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin." -The Guardian
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<p>The Luminaries is the winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize. Per Wikipedia, "It is the longest book (at 832 pages), and she the youngest author (at age 28), ever to win the award." Don't be put off by the length: "The pages fly by," says the New York Times Book Review. </p>
<p>Discussion begins February 1st. Please join us!</p>
<p>I’m on p. 552 of *The Luminaries<a href=“I%20was%20the%20one%20who%20suggested%20it”>/I</a>, and it is quite a journey! It’s unlike any other book I’ve ever read… </p>
<p>I’d suggest giving yourselves plenty of time to read it. I wouldn’t exactly agree with The New York Times Book Review statement that the pages fly by – in the first half of the book, at least – but do be patient. It gets better and better, and I suspect that the ending is going to be just terrific. </p>
<p>When we read Possession last year, I discovered that a very satisfying ending can more than make up for a degree of long-windedness in the exposition.</p>
<p>I’m very much looking forward to discussing The Luminaries with you guys. Some of the members of our group are very detail-oriented, and there is plenty of detail here to chomp on!</p>
<p>So far, I have been completely ignoring the astrological aspects of the book (much as I ignored the predictive card game in our recent selection The Stockholm Octavo!), but I may go back and try to puzzle it out…or, I just may wait for my CC book club friends to enlighten me. :)</p>
<p>NJTM, I think I will take your advice and start this book earlier than I typically do. Thanks for the introduction to the story. I am intrigued.</p>
<p>It’s headed for 16 below zero here – perfect reading weather. And I’ve been going at it, but I think I will need every hour allotted to me over the next four weeks, as I’m finding The Luminaries a tough go. Comments on the “best book” thread suggest I’m not alone.</p>
<p>I’m sure there will be a grand payoff when all is said and done, but maybe those of us in the thick of it could use this thread to bolster one another after 200 or 400 or 600 pages…without spoilers, of course. :)</p>
<p>Agree with you, Mary–it’s time for a mini-break as we deal with a frosty winter and a daunting book. Passing out hot chocolate and cookies to all…or should that be tea and biscuits? Stay warm!!</p>
<p>For those (like me) who are trying to get a grip on how to approach this tome, here is a great article about the organization of the novel. It does not contain any spoilers. (However, I did not read the comments posted after the article – you might want to avoid those, just in case.) Many thanks to this blogger, who has put me in the right mindset to really appreciate the work. (I’m currently on page 200.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up on the book being a little tough going. I’ll start after I finish my current entertaining (but somewhat mindless) mystery.</p>
<p>The second half of the book has been much easier to read, imo, and the pace keeps picking up as I approach the end. I find I am much more interested in understanding the details, whereas earlier I felt detached and uncaring about the characters’ fates.</p>
<p>Thanks, NJTheatreMOM, I needed that! I’m about halfway through and hanging on by a thread, thinking about all the other books I could be reading instead, and debating if I should just call it a day. The most difficult aspect to me is keeping the characters straight. By the time the story gets back to one of them, I’ve forgotten who he is and how he fits in. For whatever reason (well, I think I know the reason, but will save it for the discussion), none of them have come alive for me.</p>
<p>^ Hey, careful there. Don’t make me start wildly guessing what’s ahead. :)</p>
<p>I’ve also struggled to keep the characters straight, but more than that, my problem was that I went into the novel knowing nothing about it and assuming (incorrectly) that it was some sort of bildungsroman with Walter Moody as the protagonist. Consequently, I began the book by pondering his description and thinking about his potential “journey” – only to ultimately realize that this isn’t a study of character development. It’s a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Like any such puzzle, there are a few pieces that are easily found and many others that are like putting together the sky. Having decided to just let the pieces fall gradually into place, I am enjoying the story much more. You people can help me sort out all the characters and their various motives on February 1st.</p>
<p>I am on p. 105 now and all is well. I like it so far.</p>
<p>(I just wanted to let those considering whether or not to join us know that it’s not to late to start the book with an eye on finishing by Feb. 1. I only started four days ago and have moved right along.)</p>
<p>I’m having the same issue with the characters - they are well delineated, just a lot of them! I was never any good at reading mysteries, so the puzzle aspect tends to just irritate me. I’m a little over 200 pages in and it’s getting easier and easier the further in I get.</p>
<p>I’ve decided to cut my losses and abandon ship with about 200 pages to go–I think it’s been years since I’ve given up on a book, and I’ve never given up on one I was three-quarters through, so reading The Luminaries has certainly been an unusual experience. I did peek at some Goodreads discussions to get a sense of the rest, so I think I know enough to come back and get the benefit of everyone’s thoughts. I salute you stalwart souls who are continuing the journey. See you in a few weeks!</p>
I like it so far.</p>