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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
10/10, loved it. The "unreliable narrator" is one of my favourite writing styles and Susanna Clarke knocked it out of the park with this one!
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
this book made me anxious but credit to the author
2.5 stars but I rounded up. getting through the first half of this book was a TREK. but I pushed through, and the second half was super smooth and easy and I read it basically in one sitting. I’m glad I got through it because I did really enjoy the second and third acts a ton but the first bit was so incredibly boring and I was genuinely questioning why the ratings were so high
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Really lovely!!! This is how a liminal space or like an odyssey type of book should go
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading Piranesi reminded me of an experience with painting I saw as a kid. I had wandered away from my school group at an art museum, and found myself in a long hallway that was empty but for a large pure-white canvas hanging at the opposite end. I walked slowly toward it, wondering all the while why anyone would hang a blank canvas in an art gallery. It wasn’t until I was directly in front of it that I saw it: the most intricate patterns of various shades of white spanning the entire canvas.
Had I entered the hallway from the other side, had someone been walking with me talking loudly, had I even seen a similar painting before, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this effect. The same feels true with Piranesi.
I came across this title as it was mentioned in a few YouTube videos of lists of people’s favorite books they’d read last year, but they all said the same thing: the less you know ahead of time, the better. So I took a chance without learning more.
The trouble is, I’ve read books in this genre before, so the final reveal wasn’t as impactful as it could have been.
I think a lot of people will struggle with this writing style. It’s meant for someone who is well-read but stumbles across it on the bottom of a shelf at a bookstore on a rainy afternoon. I don’t think this is actually a 5-star read for everyone as implied online.
Without revealing much I can best describe Piranesi as a more abstract cousin of Flowers for Algernon.
Our tour guide at the art museum that day told us there are two types of art: one that shouts “LOOK AT ME!”, and one that whispers, “come closer.” Piranesi invites you to come closer.
Had I entered the hallway from the other side, had someone been walking with me talking loudly, had I even seen a similar painting before, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this effect. The same feels true with Piranesi.
I came across this title as it was mentioned in a few YouTube videos of lists of people’s favorite books they’d read last year, but they all said the same thing: the less you know ahead of time, the better. So I took a chance without learning more.
The trouble is, I’ve read books in this genre before, so the final reveal wasn’t as impactful as it could have been.
I think a lot of people will struggle with this writing style. It’s meant for someone who is well-read but stumbles across it on the bottom of a shelf at a bookstore on a rainy afternoon. I don’t think this is actually a 5-star read for everyone as implied online.
Without revealing much I can best describe Piranesi as a more abstract cousin of Flowers for Algernon.
Our tour guide at the art museum that day told us there are two types of art: one that shouts “LOOK AT ME!”, and one that whispers, “come closer.” Piranesi invites you to come closer.