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“anxiety dreams featuring belligerent belligerent featuring dreams “anxiety

’ success, Catton’s anxiety dreams dreams anxiety Catton’s success, ’ “You do realize that your book doesn’t make doesn’t your book that realize do “You

First Book Award, the Prix Femina literature literature Femina Prix the Award, Book First

that she has she has that “You do realize that you didn’t write this book, don’t don’t book, this write didn’t that you realize do “You

was the winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize and the and Prize Booker Man 2013 of the winner was the

The Luminaries

Author Background The Luminaries The ! After publication of her first novel, first of her publication ! After

New York Times Times York New University’s Adam Prize in Creative Writing Creative Prize in Adam University’s

has since been published internationally. Catton won several prizes for prizes several won Catton internationally. published been since has The Luminaries The The Catton concluded that the new dream was a sign of some healthy progress progress healthy some of sign was a new dream the that concluded Catton Born 1985 in Canada Canada in Born 1985 Zealand New 6) of the age (from and Canada Raised in Zealand New in Auckland, Lives including the NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction. Fiction. for Award First Book Best Church Hubert NZSA the including indulgence a mile away.” indulgence “from the self to the work”. work”. to the self the “from - Eleanor Catton Eleanor was shortlisted for the Guardian the for shortlisted was

. A postmodern tale of a theatre company’s dramatization of a high school sex sex school a high of dramatization company’s a theatre of tale . A postmodern

   The Rehearsal Rehearsal The After the publicity surrounding surrounding the publicity After of the writer for children is so honest, because they can’t selfbe can’t they because so honest, is children for of the writer see self “writers of literary fiction would do well to read more books for children…. The project project The children…. for books more read do well to would fiction literary of “writers Sources: Publisher’s Website (Granta); The New Times;York The Financial Times; ManThe Booker Prize website; NewThe Zealand Book Council website. told Catton 2013, In festivals” at literary readers accusing: reader imaginary of an dream you?” asking: and up standing reader new a featured you?” sense, don’t her anxiety in attended the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop and commenced work on work commenced and Workshop Iowa Writers’ theprestigious attended novel, second Catton's the (and person youngest the was Catton 28, At Award. Literary General's Governor 2013 was Catton 2015 February In Prize. Booker Man win the prestigious to Zealander) second New Day Waitangi annual of Authors’ Society Zealand New in the fellow literary honorary made an Honours. Michael Price, Willard Burnett, Hodgson Frances include influences literary Catton’s that: argues Catton Rowling. J.K. Dahl and Roald Morpurgo, In 2007 Catton completed a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at the Victoria University of University Victoria at the Writing in Creative of Arts a Master completed Catton 2007 In the winning Wellington, Rehearsal scandal, The Rehearsal Rehearsal Prize Thomas Dylan of Wales the University Médicis, Prix the of category abroad the award, 2011. Award the Year of Writer Stonewall's and 2010 Fellowship Schaeffer the Glenn of the recipient was Catton 2008 In a was mother Catton’s parents. Zealander New to 1985 in Canada born in was Catton Eleanor Professor. a Philosophy was father her and Administrator Library

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19th century world of world 19th century -

Book Summary The Luminaries The

perfect historical register, richly evoking a mid historical register, perfectrichly - is an extraordinary piece of fiction. It is full of narrative, linguistic and of It is narrative, an is full of fiction. piece extraordinary

New histhe upon hasfortune to make Moodycome It and Walter is 1866, of a across tense gathering On stumbles Zealand he arrival, goldfields. unsolved aof series to discuss met in secret have who twelve local men, Source: Publisher (Granta) Publisher Source:

shipping and banking and goldrush boom and bust, it is also a ghost story, and a story, a is it also ghost bust, shippingbanking and boom goldrush and and readers and critics confirm will for and achievement thrilling gripping is mystery.a It writing firmament.in the international starsbrightest of the that one Catton is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and is fates and that as and complex fortunes a of mystery: network soon drawn the into the exquisitely as night sky. patterned The Luminaries device. structuring cleveroriginal andand hasfiendishly psychological a pleasures, Written in pitch crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore has tried to end her life, and an an toend her and triedlife, has whore vanished, crimes. A man has a wealthy Moody is drunk. home hasof a the discovered enormousfortune in luckless been

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The

is a stunning feat of of feat is a stunning

defy (or support) this theory? theory? this support) defy (or

determined? And when taking into into taking when And determined? - The Luminaries

"the savage and civil, the old world and the the and world the old civil, and savage "the The Luminaries

important and the outside world is exerting its growing growing its exerting is world outside the and important - The Luminaries The Discussion Questions Discussion Questions interest and their individual character traits? traits? character individual their and interest -

is set in a New Zealand that is rapidly changing as a result of the gold the gold of as a result changing rapidly that is Zealand is set a New in

Astrology is a prominent theme in the book. Do you believe in astrology? astrology? in believe Do you book. the in theme a prominent is Astrology At the start of the book Walter Moody stumbles across a tense meeting meeting a tense across stumbles Moody Walter the book of At the start resulting in the confluence of confluence in the resulting ?

-

Do any of the concerns of the people in this place and time still resonate today? resonate still time and place this in the people of concerns of the Doany 1. make you do What secrets. their with is entrusted and men local twelve between by distorted stories are their or truth, whole the Walter tell they Do men? of these self loyalties, external Just for fun: for fun: Just withthe Doyou identify star sign? your to your personality of anypart you Do attribute in signs) zodiac the of twelve (stereotypical men twelve the of of any personality Luminaries Following the zodiac as a guiding structure, a guiding as the zodiac Following the at come can complexity structural high that argued have Some construction. does ways what plot. In of expense The Luminaries all has become Banking rush. influence new". be universal? may story this which in ways there Are mistaken assumptions, what do you think Catton is saying about fate vs. coincidence? vs. fate about saying is you Catton think do what assumptions, mistaken about is it What her. or helping Anna either hurting are people the book, Throughout morality? characters' other for test a litmus her makes that her they what received has character each that feel do you scene, court the Following punished? or unjustly off lightly let characters any Were deserve? free say about outcome the What does or inevitable? a shock ending novel’s Was the determinism? will and Catton has given each of the twelve men the personality stereotypical to an astrological astrological to an stereotypical the personality men twelve of the each has given Catton are pre actions their all mean Does this sign. and unpredictability coincidences, with filled a story is this that the fact account

Adapted from LitLovers website; Man Booker Prize website and the Publisher. 8. 6. 7. 3. 4. 5. 2.

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think, of of think, read novels novels read century

- turner. But it But it turner. -

school chapter chapter school - to anything like the the like anything to

down, southern hemisphere hemisphere southern down, -

its portentous introduction, introduction, its portentous

an upside an themed crossword puzzle while playing playing while puzzle crossword themed

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Reviews and from novels of this size, in particular. Is it Is it in particular. size, this of novels from and

– The Luminaries The The Luminaries The world in

much time with a story that in the end isn't invested in its characters? characters? in its invested isn't the end in that a story with much time

the title, after all, and in the confusing frontispiece … : that this great, this great, : that … frontispiece confusing the in and all, after the title,

in

has been perfectly constructed as the consummate literary page literary consummate the as constructed perfectly been has . It's not about story at all. It's about what happens to us when we us to happens what It's about all. at story about not . It's

emotional weight one would expect of it. That's the point, in the end, I the end, point, in the That's it. of would expect one weight emotional

It’s a lot of fun, like doing a Charlotte Brontë Charlotte a doing like of fun, It’s a lot in delight will readers Some Board. Bongo a on Revolution Dance Dance chess and for admiration in lost always ways: both I went despair. may others the challenge, her in lost sometimes skill, narrative and knowledge vast New Zealander’s young this her old by delighted warmth, more for at times wishing game, complaint a Long brings Quee which “In . . . ” arrives a stranger which (“In headings what we think we want from them them want from we think we what

yourself, Reader, at the end of all your reading, what you think of that: is "nothing" enough? "nothing" is that: of think you what reading, your of all end the at Reader, yourself, (Australia) The Guardian thing? Making us consider so carefully whether we want a story with emotion and heart or an heart and emotion with a story want we whether so carefully us consider Making thing? the real lies … There fiction of historical disguise in the novel the about idea intellectual book. remarkable Catton's of triumph … own her has created Catton own its of influence, own kind casts its that calendar astrological own its with place ofkind a is The clue light. with novel, a historical of doorstopper crafted intricately for Decide at all. nothing weighs fact in rest, all the and charts character tables, astrological The Luminaries cheat. For gleeful wicked, enormous, an bag; empty a great story; dog shaggy massive a is also all lives whose characters cast of varied and exotic its with book, enormous in this nothing amounts entwined, intricately are fates whose other and each affect and moral The Luminaries – so spend to worthwhile interesting really the place the first in them about care should we why about Or is thinking renewed. … 19th a of parody a lively built has Catton achievement. true is a Luminaries” “The the fly, pages The new. utterly something 21st, the for a novel created doing in so and novel, closing and opening world a left, tohand right quickly from shifting book of the weight great as glory.And mean I desperation. conflicted all its in revealed soul the human of front us, in too long. be never could good this a book surely length, for the Times New York before the law . . . ”), puzzled by her astrology, Googling everything twice and three times, times, three and twice everything Googling astrology, by her puzzled . . . ”), the law before flipping connections, sudden at with pleasure sighing out loud, laughing my head, scratching excitement with ahead forging rereadings, for sections whole and chapters and back pages

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The Luminaries The

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The Luminaries

The Luminaries The Reviews (continued) Reviews

[Catton’s] novel is not only set in the nineteenth century; it appears to be to it appears century; nineteenth set in the only not is novel [Catton’s] a of length and the scope It has possible. it to as close or as century, nineteenth in explored and established are mysteries its central and novel, century nineteenth many the novel’s between glides narrator Its omniscient style. century a nineteenth at a unfolds as it action on the directly to comment pausing occasionally characters, overlooked a previously to reader the alerting pace, century leisurely nineteenth a remarkable book that has earned its place in essential New Zealand reading. Zealand New in essential place its earned that has book a remarkable Herald New Zealand bric the beyond you far elevates that a novel read to get then you and now Every you though as you feeling leaves and you, reassembles apart, you takes routine, everyday novel, new astonishing Catton's Eleanor a genius. with on holiday have been you because pages) 800 than (more off you put size hefty the let … Don't that. does just compassion, wisdom, such with writes 20s, late in her who, novelist of a the world enter … in a hurry. world that depart to want you don't craft and elegance them, exposing by turns and twists narrative's unfolding of the effect the spoil to want I don't is and this writer remarkable a is Catton satisfied. extremely I felt the end when I reached but century was a struggle, never entirely successful, to escape from this kind of writing. It is the writing. of kind this from to escape successful, entirely never struggle, was a century 20th of also the something with heyday, Victorian in its novel of the mode a woman back steps many how of nightmare Woolf’s Virginia say, might you is, It mystery…. novel the I finished … own. of her room a and her head if given the form take might attention and on time made demands the feeling but talent enormous acknowledging return. intellectual or human insufficient offered Times The Financial exclamation marks are tactically deployed to emphasis moments of drama or surprise. Some Some or surprise. of drama moments emphasis to deployed tactically are marks exclamation in voice narrative Catton’s compared have reviewers foremost Zealand’s ofone New Stead, C.K. notably most perhaps Others, Dickens. or Charles of imitation’ a ‘precocious a pastiche, as work her dismissed have critics, and novelists realism. literary Victorian Books of Review Sydney bric period its clothing, decor, setting, has its episode Every 20th the in fiction of literary history … The drama. is costume This dialogue. sharp often detail, or apologising for an abridgement or digression. Minor details add to the novel’s novel’s the to add details Minor digression. or abridgement an for or apologising detail, content; of its summary italicised brief with a begins each chapter flourishes: period be d I’ll (‘Well dashes with concealed coyly are expletives

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