It is a 832 pages work and the jury was impressed at the same time by the consistency of the novel and “the maturity (which) is evident in every sentence, in the rhythms and balances.” This is the longest ever Man Booker novel. It was chosen from a list containing 151 novels. The prize is worth 50,000 pounds ($ 80,132).
The action of “The Luminaries” is set in 1866 during the New Zealand gold rush. It’s about a group of 12 men gathered from a meeting in a hotel and a traveler who stumbles into their midst. There are multiple voices telling various stories happened in the small town oh Hokitika on New Zealand.
The chair of the jury, Robert Macfarlane, described the novel saying: “It’s a dazzling work. It’s a luminous work. It is vast without being sprawling.”
Eleanor Catton was born in Canada. She actually lives in Auckland.
