Publisher: Granta Publications LtdISBN: 9781803510163Number of pages: 848Weight: 567 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 48 mm

Irresistible,masterful,compelling. It 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... The things that most impress are the cunning withholding of information,the elegant foreshadowing,the skilful looping back on the narrativeAn immense feat of structuring and plotting which means that this novel starts as a gentle stroll and ends with the exhilarating sense of running downhill... Ambitious,intricate,spectacularA breathtakingly ambitious mystery... Catton's playful and increasingly virtuosic denouement arrives at a conclusion that is as beautiful as it is triumphantRemarkable... A true achievement. Catton has built a lively parody of a 19th-century novel,and in doing so created a novel for the 21st,something utterly new. The pages fly,a world opening and closing in front of us,a human soul revealed in all its conflicted desperation (and) glory... DazzlingEvery sentence of this intriguing tale is expertly written,every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin. (It) has been perfectly constructed as the consummate literary page-turner... ExtraordinaryThe Luminaries blew me away.Such a wild,strange world,such unforgettable characters,all brought together with such devilish charm and ingenuity.A novel like this from a writer so young gives me hope for the future of the artform.Stellar in every sense of the wordSometimes - rarely - a novel arrives that is so good all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Brilliant in design,masterful in execution,and intensely pleasurable to inhabit,The Luminaries is a masterpiece,the work of a writer of apparently limitless range and talentA bold mixture of Victorian sensation novel and avant-garde constraint... Even on a fourth reading it still deliversCarefully executed,relentlessly clever,easy to read... Catton sustains a human comedy that sweeps through the hope,the mud,the lies and the secrecy underlying gold fever. It is not so much a morality play as an astute celebration of the power of the story(A) sweeping,sprawling tale... a triumph from a phenomenally talented young writerA dense,intricate historical saga,criss-crossed with literary eccentricities... Wonderfully inventive(A) cunningly design(ed) mosaic of talesSlowly reveals a complex structure raising questions about fate,free will and the human search for meaningIntricately constructed... An accomplished work of traditional storytellingIncredible... virtuoso... You will devour (this book),only to discover that you can't find anything of equal scope and excitement to read once you have finished. Sheer rip-roaring readabilityA virtuoso performance... (It) is resplendent: a twenty first century Victorian novel that couldn't be more original... Steeped in history,The Luminaries feels completely fresh... The literary firmament has birthed a new starQuite unlike anything I've ever come across,so graceful is its plotting and structure... A dazzling feat of a novelA dream novel: stellar in every wayExpansive and quite superb... Catton writes with real sophistication and intelligenceThis epic novel of light and shadow affirms the radiant talent of its authorWith astonishing intricacy and patient finesse,Catton brings to life the anomalous nature of 19th-century New ZealandAn impressive novel,captivating,intense and full of surprisesA gorgeously elaborate fabricationBrilliant... wonderfully intricateAll really good books shatter their generic origins,becoming a thing unto themselves. But rarely has this axiom held more firmly than in (this) thrilling novel... (Catton) is among the finest of storytellers... Time falls away in her writing,and the mystery of creation shimmers through the cracks in the story.I didn't want this novel to end,and - in a sense - it doesn't.Catton's illuminations lastEvery now and then you get to read a novel that elevates you far beyond the bric-a-brac of everyday routine,takes you apart,reassembles you,and leaves you feeling as though you have been on holiday with a genius. Eleanor Catton's astonishing new novel does just that... Essential readingIrresistible... The kind of book that really doesn't come around often. Everyone should read itThe reviewer says it's so good he's been unable to read another book sinceA great addition to my impressive pile of great novelsA rollicking mystery... rivals almost any Victorian triple-decker... FascinatingIt is a pacey and beautifully written tale of love,lust,greed and murder... It could well be regarded as the first great New Zealand novelA remarkable tour de force... BreathtakingWonderfully vivid... The characters are so lush and the mystery is so complex... ExceptionalHighly original,meticulously constructed,thematically convincing,this is a richly evocative mysteryIt might be the Great New Zealand NovelAddictive (and) very cleverIrresistible and gripping... the things that most impress are the cunning withholding of information,the elegant foreshadowing,the skilful looping back on the narrativeRemarkable... I found myself frequently slowing down to savour Catton's characterisations and gentle wit. The Man Booker judges have really struck goldFor the scale of her ambition and the beauty of its execution,somebody should give that girl a medalA book to curl up with and devour,intricately plotted and extravagantly described,a pastiche of the Victorian sensation novel in the same smart yet playful vein as Sarah WatersOne of the most purely enjoyable novels to have appeared in recent years... (It) offers large rewards for the reader's diligent attention. It dividends are both narrative and linguistic... RemarkableRichly evoking a mid-19th century world of shipping and banking and goldrush boom and bust,it is also a ghost story and a gripping mysteryA tremendously technically accomplished piece of workA highly innovative,structurally experimental project that tells a captivating storyExperimental (and) bold... A gripping read... Catton's star is definitely on the ascendantUtterly immersive readingFine storytelling,plenty of plot twists and a colourful cast of charactersPerfectMesmerisingA beautifully-wrought minuetA fantastic achievement and a gripping readIngeniously arrangedSpin for a while in this novel's orbit,then return to terra firma with a tighter grip on your own resolveHere is a book to lose yourself in... If you haven't yet succumbed to the hype of this huge saga,don't resist.A delight from start to finishEvery sentence of this intriguing tale is expertly written,every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin. GreatWith patient finesse,Catton brings 19th-century New Zealand to lifeIntricate... On every page you are aware of minute designExceptional and phenomenal... As gorgeous and complex as an orreryA page-turnerTruly dazzlingCatton's irresistibly intricate plot makes the pages fly by. Snappy dialogue,crisp humour and grand vision sets this far above its rivalsBig,bold and beautiful... A literary thriller that keeps you hookedA carefully crafted door-stopper of a novel(It) has got me grippedDaring and colourfulA modern masterpiece... Catton deserves her praiseI enjoyed The Luminaries,Eleanor Catton's game of literary Cluedo,so much I had to ration myself to 50 pages a dayThe Luminaries portrays the lush landscapes of New Zealand in exquisite detail

Eleanor Catton

In 2013,Eleanor Catton became the youngest winner of the Man Booker Prize with her second novel The Luminaries,and following the publication of her third book,Birnam Wood,she was named as one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists.