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53.7k reviews for:

Piranesi

Susanna Clarke

4.3 AVERAGE

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.
adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

SUCH A GREAT BOOK!!!! It was a bit slow for me in the beginning but there really will be a point in the book where you cannot put the book down. I wish i didnt think too hard about the book when i was reading it. I feel like the confusing is such a big part of the book and being confused while not forcing yourself to understand what's going on is what makes the book so fun.