The discovery of a hidden fortune in the home of a local drunk.
: The book is divided into 12 parts. Each part is exactly half the length of the one preceding it, mimicking a waning moon. Part One is 360 pages long, while the final part is just a few paragraphs. Literary Style and Themes
: Catton employs a "Dickensian" style with sprawling backstories and omniscient narration, typical of 19th-century literature. The Luminaries: A Novel
: The narrative explores themes of fate vs. fortune, the corruptive nature of gold, and the difficulty of truly understanding another person's perspective.
The novel's most unique informative feature is its structural adherence to Western astrology: The discovery of a hidden fortune in the
: Twelve local men represent the 12 signs of the zodiac. Their actions and interactions are influenced by their "sign's" traits.
: Seven additional characters represent the planets (the "Luminaries"), including the sun and moon. Part One is 360 pages long, while the
: Beyond the Man Booker Prize , it won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. The Luminaries: A Novel (Man Booker Prize) - Amazon.com