Books
by Eleanor Catton
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Birnam Wood |
A death at a farming commune spirals out of control. Heavy on character description and motivation, and perhaps a bit contrived. After The Luminaries, which knocked me out, I expected more. Still, a less than stunning Catton novel is better than most available. Like the Luminaries, the ending left me in mid-air a bit.
(Herb Roselle - bwl 115 Winter 2025) |
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The Luminaries |
You will either love this book or be extremely irritated by it - always supposing you have the stamina to read beyond page 300. I loved it, and found the artificial construction fascinating. At heart it is a murder mystery, in which twelve men whose characters reflect the signs of the zodiac are all unreliable narrators. Following the pattern of the moon, the narrative ends where it began. Very clever, beautifully written.
(Ferelith Hordon - bwl 76 Spring 2015) |
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The Luminaries |
It's about a gold mining community in New Zealand in the 1860s. And a murder mystery. And about 12 fascinating principal characters. And about the ethnic variation of the population. And about the South Sea and Oriental Trade. And about the Zodiac. This is an amazing and profound book. This snapshot doesn't begin to describe how remarkable this book is. The 2013 Man Booker winner.
(Herb Roselle - bwl 110 Autumn 2023) |
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The Luminaries* |
New Zealand's 1860s' gold rush - on one level, a riveting tale of murder, intrigues and betrayals, lust and greed, manipulation and exploitation; on another, a carefully plotted astronomical allegory. The list of characters is long and seemingly disparate but all are involved, albeit often unwittingly, in the mystery that embroils Walter Moody, a lawyer and prospector, on his first night on the edge of the goldfields. Enjoy it on either level. See the final comment in this issue's Feedback.
* Winner of the 2013 Booker prize.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 74 Autumn 2014) |
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