Luminosity

By Frank Mcenaney

The year is 1960. In a darkroom, two men are developing a series of negatives of aspiring young models. But one of the prints is not what they expect. There is something odd about it. Something... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679310045
• ISBN13: 9780679310044
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Vintage Books Canada
• Length: 519 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

An absolute surprise

In my stack of unread books, acquired through friends, remainder counters, and impulse buys, "Luminosity" seemed just another literary novel with a nice trade book cover. Not so. While its somewhat scattershot approach may not appeal to everyone, scene after scene unfolds in what becomes an increasingly distinct pattern. The book shifts through several decades and, for that matter, continents ... and covers ground as diverse as photography -- the initial unifying thread, with unexpected turns and twists -- theatre, roughing it in the bush, travelling in the Himalayas, 60's draft dodging and counter-culture, university politics and more, and more, and more. All of this is linked by several distinct, multi-faceted characters.The joy of this novel is that it's written in a limpid and generous style that never alienates the reader, but which preserves up until the last pages a mystery of what exact "luminosity" the authors are describing. Unlike many books with flawed characters, we never get the sense the authors have anything but great affection for them. And the book ranges from fascinating technical details to delightfully extravagant experiences of spiritualism, possession and parasychology.Occasionally as an avid feminist I'd become snarly about the treatment of female models through the eyes of the photographer, Breetz. "Context, context," I'd say to myself, and my willingness to keep going was quite justified.I'd have preferred twice the length, as there were several people I'd have wanted to spend more time with. Individuals do appear and disappear a bit disconcertingly, and sometimes one or two of the multiple balls in the air vanish out of sight, some never to resurface.This is certainly a book that I will reread several times, and I expect new facets and nuances will appear each time I do. If you can track down a copy, do so! After reading dozens of highly hyped, critically acclaimed, but flash-in-the-pan novels, to come across this book so unexpectedly gives me enough optimism to keep plowing through that unread pile. I doubt, though, that I'll find anything equivalent.