The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

[Lindach]

This year's Man Booker Prize winner is a really good read. Set in the 1860s Gold Rush era on the west coast of New Zealand it is a rollicking good tale of  romance, murder , intrigue and deception. The main characters are many but all are flawed in some way which contibutes to the way the story develops as they become embroiled in the mystery which keeps you intrigued until the end.

It is well written and it reminds me of Dickens in some ways. Eleanor Catton uses the language and style of the 19th century and astrology to weave the rich plot. It also contains a lot of humour which adds to the many layers of this very unique novel.

Don't be put off by the large size of this novel it is well worth the time and effort spent on reading it.