The Luminaries (Paperback)

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 narrative - Lucy Daniel, five star review, Telegraph

An 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, spectacular - Natalie Haynes, Independent

A breathtakingly ambitious mystery... Catton's playful and increasingly virtuosic denouement arrives at a conclusion that is as beautiful as it is triumphant - Stephanie Cross, Daily Mail

Remarkable... 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... Dazzling - New York Times

Every 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... Extraordinary - Kirsty Gunn, Guardian

The 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 word - Paul Murray, author, Skippy Dies

Sometimes - 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 talent - Peter Hobbs, author, The Short Day Dying

A bold mixture of Victorian sensation novel and avant-garde constraint... Even on a fourth reading it still delivers - Stuart Kelly, Books of the Year, Scotland on Sunday

Carefully 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 - Eileen Battersby, Irish Times

[A] sweeping, sprawling tale... a triumph from a phenomenally talented young writer - Best Books of 2013, Stylist

A dense, intricate historical saga, criss-crossed with literary eccentricities... Wonderfully inventive - Kate Saunders, Books of the Year, The Times

[A] cunningly design[ed] mosaic of tales - Boyd Tonkin, Books of the Year, Independent

Slowly reveals a complex structure raising questions about fate, free will and the human search for meaning - Justine Jordan, Books of the Year, Guardian

Intricately constructed... An accomplished work of traditional storytelling - Isabel Berwick, Books of the Year, Financial Times

Incredible... 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 readability - Simmy Richman, Independent on Sunday

A 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 star - The Millions

Quite unlike anything I've ever come across, so graceful is its plotting and structure... A dazzling feat of a novel - Lucy Scholes, Observer

A dream novel: stellar in every way - Books of the Year, Economist

Expansive and quite superb... Catton writes with real sophistication and intelligence - Lesley McDowell, Scotsman

This epic novel of light and shadow affirms the radiant talent of its author - Brian Morton, Independent

With astonishing intricacy and patient finesse, Catton brings to life the anomalous nature of 19th-century New Zealand - David Grylls, Sunday Times

An impressive novel, captivating, intense and full of surprises - Kate Webb, TLS

A gorgeously elaborate fabrication - Catherine Taylor, Books of the Year, Sunday Telegraph

Brilliant... wonderfully intricate - Philip Hensher, Spectator

All 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 last - Jay Parini, author, The Last Station

Every 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 reading - New Zealand Herald

Irresistible... The kind of book that really doesn't come around often. Everyone should read it - four star review, Stylist

The reviewer says it's so good he's been unable to read another book since - Independent on Sunday

A great addition to my impressive pile of great novels - Julian Baggini, Books of the Year, Observer

A rollicking mystery... rivals almost any Victorian triple-decker... Fascinating - We Love This Book blog

It is a pacey and beautifully written tale of love, lust, greed and murder... It could well be regarded as the first great New Zealand novel - Bookseller

A remarkable tour de force... Breathtaking - Brisbane Times

Wonderfully vivid... The characters are so lush and the mystery is so complex... Exceptional - Booker Marks blog

Highly original, meticulously constructed, thematically convincing, this is a richly evocative mystery - Good Book Guide

It might be the Great New Zealand Novel - Kira Cochrane, Guardian

Addictive [and] very clever - Paul Dunn, The Times

Irresistible and gripping... the things that most impress are the cunning withholding of information, the elegant foreshadowing, the skilful looping back on the narrative - Lucy Daniel, Irish Independent

Remarkable... I found myself frequently slowing down to savour Catton's characterisations and gentle wit. The Man Booker judges have really struck gold - Jack Kerridge, Sunday Express

For the scale of her ambition and the beauty of its execution, somebody should give that girl a medal - Lucy Daniel, Daily Telegraph

A 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 Waters - Justine Jordan, Guardian

One 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... Remarkable - Jonathan Barnes, Literary Review

Richly evoking a mid-19th century world of shipping and banking and goldrush boom and bust, it is also a ghost story and a gripping mystery - Hindu

A tremendously technically accomplished piece of work - Evening Standard

A highly innovative, structurally experimental project that tells a captivating story - Bustle

Experimental [and] bold... A gripping read... Catton's star is definitely on the ascendant - The Lady

Utterly immersive reading - Jenny Colgan, Metro

Fine storytelling, plenty of plot twists and a colourful cast of characters - Books of the Year, Mail on Sunday

Perfect - Books of the Year, New Zealand Herald

Mesmerising - Nick Rennison, Books of the Year, BBC History

A beautifully-wrought minuet - Katy Guest, Books of the Year, Independent on Sunday

A fantastic achievement and a gripping read - Vice

Ingeniously arranged - Recorder

Spin for a while in this novel's orbit, then return to terra firma with a tighter grip on your own resolve - Independent

Here 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 finish - Oxford Times

Every sentence of this intriguing tale is expertly written, every cliffhanger chapter-ending making us beg for the next to begin. Great - Kirsty Gunn, Guardian

With patient finesse, Catton brings 19th-century New Zealand to life - David Grylls, Sunday Times

Intricate... On every page you are aware of minute design - John Mullan, Guardian

Exceptional and phenomenal... As gorgeous and complex as an orrery - Robert Macfarlane, Intelligent Life

A page-turner - Observer

Truly dazzling - Sunday Herald

Catton's irresistibly intricate plot makes the pages fly by. Snappy dialogue, crisp humour and grand vision sets this far above its rivals - Daily Telegraph

Big, bold and beautiful... A literary thriller that keeps you hooked - Daily Gazette Colchester

A carefully crafted door-stopper of a novel - Observer

[It] has got me gripped - Neil Morrissey, Independent

Daring and colourful - Eileen Battersby, Irish Times

A modern masterpiece... Catton deserves her praise - Stylist

I enjoyed The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton's game of literary Cluedo, so much I had to ration myself to 50 pages a day - Lucy Hughes-Hallett, ‘Books of the Year’ Observer

The Luminaries portrays the lush landscapes of New Zealand in exquisite detail - Good Housekeeping