I knew the good run was too good to last. Midway through Eleanor Catton's Booker winnerThe Luminaries, I just gave up and closed the book. Beautifully and intricately plotted, one heck of a tale, strong characters, the right doses of mystery, romance, skullduggery. But a dry as dust story. You realise you just don't give a damn what happens to all the luminaries. At least, I didn't.