Eleanor Cattonová Knihy

Píše se rok 1866, prospektor Walter Moody při hledání zlatých nalezišť zabloudí do odlehlé komunity na západním pobřeží Nového Zélandu a připlete se do místnosti, v níž sedí dvanáct mužů. Všechny je spojuje jediná touha: vyřešit řetězec záhadných vražd, které se v okolí poslední dobou udály. Děj pohánějí děsuplné události v obskurních kulisách: je zde opiové doupě, zdrogovaná děvka, přízračná loď duchů, mrtvý opilec, ztracený poklad a mladý muž, který se beze stopy propadl pod zem. Každá další kapitola odhaluje střípek vědomostí osvětlujících, co se vlastně v nepřehledném městečku Hokitica událo. Vyprávění v austenovském oblouku střídá perspektivy a v uchvacujícím závěru dojdou všechny záhady vysvětlení. Autorka novátorsky využívá zvěrokruhu a jeho jednotlivých znamení: každá postava odpovídá jednomu znamení, odrážejí se v ní vlastnosti danému znamení přisuzované a symbolika nebeských těles tvoří kostru vyprávění v každé kapitole věnované jednotlivým protagonistům. Výsledkem je propracovaný nebeský horoskop, v němž do sebe všechna tělesa bezchybně zapadají a směřují k řinčivému rozuzlení v hodině dvanácté.

Románový debut mladé novozélandské autorky Eleanor Cattonové je brilantním postmoderním pohledem na svět dnešních dospívajících, kteří se pokoušejí nalézt vlastní identitu a sexualitu. Když vyjde najevo, že studentku "zneužíval" jeden z učitelů, její spolužačky jsou podrobeny osvětovým přednáškám. Více než absurdně klišovité fráze je ale zajímá, co se skutečně stalo a jak je možné, že o tom nevěděly dříve. O své postřehy se dělí s učitelkou hry na saxofon, jejíž neslýchané komentáře jsou stejně mrazivě upřímné jako manipulativní. Potom se sexuální skandál stane námětem ročníkového představení studentů místní herecké konzervatoře a skutečnost se propojí s divadlem do té míry, že nelze odlišit jedno od druhého. Útržkovité vyprávění přeskakuje v čase sem tam a všechny postavy jsou tak trochu herci - vědomě či nevědomě - vystupující před publikem. Umíme být vůbec sami sebou?

The astonishing and epic second novel from the prize-winning author of The Rehearsal - a sure contender for every major literary prize. It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On the night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men, who have met in secret to discuss a series of unsolved crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely patterned as the night sky. The Luminaries is an extraordinary piece of fiction, which more than fulfils the promise of The Rehearsal. Like that novel, it is full of narrative, linguistic and psychological pleasures, and has a fiendishly clever and original structuring device. Written in pitch-perfect historical register, 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. It is a thrilling achievement for someone still in her mid-twenties, and will confirm for critics and readers that Eleanor Catton is one of the brightest stars in the international writing firmament.

FROM THE WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE Birnam Wood is on the move... A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass in New Zealand's South Island, cutting off the town of Thorndike, leaving a sizable farm abandoned. The disaster presents an opportunity for Birnam Wood, a guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice. But they hadn't figured on the enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine, who also has an interest in the place. Can they trust him? And, as their ideals and ideologies are tested, can they trust each other? A propulsive literary thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its wit, drama and immersion in character. It is a brilliantly constructed tale of intentions, actions and consequences, and an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.

Birnam Wood is on the move . . . Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood. An undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic gathering of friends, this activist collective plants crops wherever no one will notice: on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks, and neglected backyards. For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer, a way to finally set the group up for the long term: a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass, cutting off the town of Thorndike. Natural disaster has created an opportunity, a sizable farm seemingly abandoned.But Mira is not the only one interested in Thorndike. Robert Lemoine, the enigmatic American billionaire, has snatched it up to build his end-times bunker--or so he tells Mira when he catches her on the property. Intrigued by Mira, Birnam Wood, and their entrepreneurial spirit, he suggests they work this land. But can they trust him? And, as their ideals and ideologies are tested, can they trust each other?A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its wit, drama, and immersion in character. A brilliantly constructed consideration of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.

Granta 106 will be a special issue devoted entirely to fiction. Look out for the best short stories of the year, new graphic fiction, extracts from the most exciting autumn books, and exclusive, in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in fiction.Featuring a mix of established and new voices, Granta’s first summer fiction special offers a complete view of the best international writing, and is a must-have for everyone who loves reading and holidays.

Welcome to New Zealand during the height of the gold rush. Twelve individuals, including a priest, a pharmacist, a local newspaper publisher, two Chinese men, and a Maori, gather in the back room of a shabby hotel to discuss a series of mysterious events that have entangled them. Among these incidents is the inexplicable disappearance of a remarkably lucky young man, whose fortune is tied to local happenings. On the same night, a massive gold stash is discovered in the hut of a deceased man, prompting the town's most notorious nightcrawler to embark on a path of redemption. The twelve conspirators, inadvertently joined by an outsider, reveal their secrets, which include shipwrecks, smuggled gold, blackmail, unrequited love, fraud, and unexpected gunfire, alongside spiritual séances and courtroom drama. The story features lost cargo containers, hidden documents, and vanished fortunes. While the narrative may evoke classic detective tales reminiscent of Wilkie Collins, its structure is uniquely based on astrology. The author meticulously aligns the movements of stars and planets with the unfolding plot, intertwining the fates of twelve zodiacal characters and seven planetary figures around the central hero, who meets a mysterious end.

It is 1866, and young Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men who have met in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: A wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky. Richly evoking a mid-nineteenth-century world of shipping, banking, and gold rush boom and bus, The Luminaries is a brilliantly constructed, fiendishly clever ghost story and a gripping page-turner.