The Luminaries Isn't Great, Which Is Confusing
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- Review no. 10 in my #20BooksOfSummer series is The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, a Booker winning novel that is somehow both worthy of that award and not even close to a 5-star book. Watch me blather on to see what I'm talking about.
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FYI I have a red wrap on my hand because I broke my finger. It's not, like, a weird style choice. Send tweet.
Another Book Vlog I was going to leave a more thoughtful comment, but this was funny, and now I’ve forgotten what I was going to say.
Great video
@@MatthewSciarappa A non-emoji comment always feels like a blessing so thank you.
BRB watching a second time to see where this wrap is.
I'm reading all the Booker Prize winners from 2010 onwards. I have three books to go before I get to The Luminaries. I've heard so much about that novel that I almost feel like I've already read it! Great review, as always!
Excited to see what you get out of it. I've said this to a few people already: I feel like this is a book that's better the second time you read it. Or at least it would be for me. Seems like there's a lot of subtlety to pick up on/savour. Maybe one day I'll give it another read. But until then I'll live vicariously through your reading.
I agree, some of the horoscope's elements did not add anything important to the story, which made it uneffective, but I LOVED the hell out of this novel.
. . . Love the thumbnail btw :P
Loved being able to chat about this with you, Medhat! Thanks for helping me dive into this one. I needed the support, for sure. And I'm so glad you ended up loving it. Enough for both of us, I think :)
@@RickMacDonnell Loved discussing the book with you too! It was quite fun!
Admittedly, when I read this book, I didn't pay attention to the astrological stuff. The main reason that I enjoyed it was simply because it reminded me of a Western. I often question whether I simplify things too much when it comes to fiction, and whether I ought not to think about everything the book presents, but alas, alack, and all that I have fond memories of The Luminaries.
Rather glad to hear your thoughts on the book as well. It's what I like about Booktube and reviews in general, how folk can have different thoughts on books. That what you didn't like were the things I did.
Either way: great discussion, appreciate how in-depth you went.
I often wish I could simplify my reading, actually. Just let the book be what it is, not what I wanted it to be at the time. So I think you're doing a great job. Glad you loved the book! And thanks so much for the kind words. They're very much appreciated, Charles!
This was a book that, overtime, I found myself less impressed with. I actually like the first half a lot more. I think you'd really like Catton's earlier novel, The Rehearsal, in which some teens are conducting a play. It's actually much like The Luminaries in terms of form and connecting the dots, but I found it much more innocent and, in part, more fun. It definitely seemed like an earlier foray into her anticipating what she had hoped to achieve in terms of connecting storylines with a breadth of characters as she does in Luminaries in the future.
whatpageareyouon That’s interesting. I would have guessed that I would think more fondly about this book as time went by, because I figured I’d forget how bored I often was and would remember some of the gimmicky stuff more fondly. Curious now that you say your opinion has dipped over time. Was it your disappointment in the second half that caused this? I can understand, as the first half was much stronger in my opinion.
@@RickMacDonnell I think for me it was a matter of appreciating how the story was executed vs. my own personal enjoyment of it. Some other contributing factors include that I was just getting into Victorian lit at the time so that was very exciting! But I distinctly also remember I read this right when I was recovering from my wisdom tooth removal so I was...very loopy so it may have added to the fantastical elements haha, especially, you know, that whole part with the gunshot thing.........that was....interesting
I really enjoyed the TV series
Once upon a time I thought I’d read this but I’ve seen a few meh reviews and I think it’s officially reached if-I-was-on-an-island- and-it-somehow-washed-up-maybe-then-I’d- read-it status. Too many other books that I actually do want to read first. great review Rick!
The Bibliotherapist It’s annoying that it took me 10 minutes to review this because I could have just said what you just wrote. It’s the exact right take. Which also means that you don’t have to read it because you’re already there! Problem solved.
This nails exactly what I felt about this book. A little exhausted, frustrated and impressed in equal measure.
This 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 take 👏🏻
I totally agree! I read this book right around the time it first came out for a book club I was in and I was very disappointed by it. Maybe all the hype around it made me set my expectations too high. About 3/4ths of the people in my book club loved it and thought it was brilliant. I kind of got this sense like the author was trying so hard to write a modern classic and an epic that it came off as pretentious to me. Plus I thought it was a little too heavy on unnecessary description and the plot was meandering and unfocused. But that's just my opinion everyone has different tastes and I'm sure there are some people who would read this book and love it....and those people would be wrong xD jp big fan of your channel!
Whitney Dahlin Thanks! I’m not surprised that your book club loved it. In my limited experience book clubs tend to not lean towards controversial opinions, or away from critical consensus. There’s always one or two who are comfortable doing that. People tend to want to have what’s perceived as the “right” reaction to a book. I agree with pretty well all your thoughts here. I would have loved to read this book without the weight of expectations! Curious to see how that changes things, if at all.
Oh what codswallop! You know you loved it.
100-level word score right there.
It made me numb. I just wanted it to end.
Barter Hordes I was there from about page 600 on. Solidarity!
Yes, agree with you substantially but I would probably award it 4 stars. Totally get what you are saying about the technique not paying off sufficiently. I didn’t think the astrology was convincing either - however, I did enjoy the ‘waning’ structure - I thought it gave the book a distinctive atmosphere & intensified the build to the climax. Having finished it, was delighted that I ended up enjoying it a lot lot more than I did at say page 150.
Totally fair. I would honestly support any rating over a 3. I would understand any of them. I've read a lot of BIG books this year, so I don't doubt that fatigue is starting to settle in for me. Wish I could have read it at another time, in hindsight, but alas. Glad you enjoyed your read of it, Ed!
7:44 “What you are saying to me, is so much more important than how you are saying it.” 👍
Cool review. I often find it hard to review books I find mediocre overall. That said your review probably made me more intrigued to read it than before 😂
Whoops, sorry for the super late reply :P Yeah, I'm making an effort to review so-so book a little harder. I find them more satisfying when I actually get them right, though!
Great review, about to dwell into this behemoth
I gave it four stars but one of those might have been for the instagramable cover :) I like what you said about the horoscope stuff. Like who cares? Weird flex but ok? It's funny how astrology has gone so mainstream since this was published. Or maybe she started that, who knows!
Great video haha, I am going to try and read this book next month when I am going to NZ on holiday... Hope I like it!
I hope you enjoy it! There's lots to like, honestly. If it's your style of book, there's a good chance you'll get really into it. Lots of talent went into it.
Same here man I feel just like you
Gah! I'm so conflicted about reading this, it's a marmite book which always interests me but 800 pages is a lot to then say, "nope, I'm one of the people who didn't like it". Thank you for your honesty and eloquence as always though Rick.
Maybe try it from a library first? At least just to test it out. Or if you find a decent used copy, that might be the way to go. Lots of people love it, so I wouldn't want to dissuade you from trying it out. Maybe not the hardcover, though :P
Oh, dear.
Doh I really want to read this but the mixed reviews have me wary. Do I invest so much in a book that I probably won’t love? I even met her and have a signed copy. She was lovely but kind of intimidated me much like the look of her book. :)
Tracey Mills I really enjoy Catton as a person. Her interviews are great. I really wish I’d liked this a bit more. Like I said there’s a lot to like here so I wouldn’t dissuade you from giving it a go. Many who read it absolutely love it, so if you’re a fan of Dickensian-style read, I’d say go for it!
First, did you break your finger because you’ve been tweeting too much? Second I did start this book but was any unable to get past the first 100 pages. I keep telling myself it’s my own fault for a lack of attention, but now I feel less aggrieved.
Nah, these tweetin’ fingers are callused over like a guitar player’s. Indestructible. Until a baseball hits one head on and fractures a knuckle.
an enthusiastic reader Great word score with “aggrieved” btw
Honestly, I think that you didn’t dive deep enough into the astrological or stellar part of this book, immediately dismissing it, thus not knowing it’s value. You should look into the theories. This book gives way more than just the plot or the characters.
Please review Possession by A.S. Byatt. 😃
Byatt has long been on my TBR. Why do you say that? I'm curious.
Is your broken finger a book related injury? I feel guilty that I got a New Zealand friend this book when it won the Booker. I have not read it.
I'd love to say it got crushed under the weight of A Little Life, but in truth, it got hit with a baseball.
I think I liked it better than you, but I wasn’t expecting a five star read. So perhaps I wasn’t as disappointed. I don’t think I picked up on as much of the symbolism either, it’s just not that important to me. The mysteries kept my attention and yes, all that revenge was entertaining.
Expectations are a killer, you're right. It's my achilles heal as a reader. I'm SO happy you enjoyed it as much as you did, though. I definitely can understand how other people can have stronger feelings toward this than I did. Lots to like here, as I said.
Doesn't matter how well put-together this novel might pretend at being, it is simply awful-- bloated, meandering, self-indulgent, ponderous, shallow, masturbatory sludge dressed up in period piece vestments. I loved the synopsis when I first read it and was thoroughly hooked during the first few chapters; yet, it morphed very rapidly in a total chore page after page after page leading finally to that final, merciful page. I would not wish that anyone go out of their way to read a book which so clearly demonstrates a young author practicing far outside of her depth (except maybe to instruct other young writes what not to do) but pretending that she has the capability of it. Fast forward thirty years and perhaps she would have the literary maturity to write something like The Luminaries in an impactful, deep, engrossing fashion with characters I actually gave a shit about and concepts wise enough to think upon after I finish the read. As it stands, this was and is a pedantic, ultimately simplistic tome of nearly 900 pages pretending at nuance and cleverness which it simply cannot deliver due to its one-dimensional characters and getting hung up on astrological gimmickry meant to draw an attention above and beyond what the novel deserves. That is only further proven by the Man Booker Prize (back when it still vaguely meant something of import) having taken the shiny, tasty-looking yet ultimately plastic, hooked bait.
Overly harsh. Yes, it probably is overrated and the astrology is a major flaw, but it was a lot better than #CoinLockerBabies which I read immediately before it.
Sounds like the zodiac stuff was just a _gimmick._ That's a bad sign! Gimmicks are a crutch.
So sad you missed the point