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glitterenby's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
“The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”
Piranesi has lived his entire life in “the House,” wandering it’s endless, cavernous halls and vestibules full of statues, watching the crashing oceans that occasionally cause great floods and the clouds that obscure his vision of the upper level. He divides his time among gathering the supplies that he needs to survive (“The House provides much food for the active and enterprising person. There is no excuse for going hungry!”), caring with almost religious reverence for the Dead that he has found tucked in odd places, and gathering information about his surroundings. He documents his explorations meticulously in a hand-written journal and shares them with his mysterious friend, “the Other,” with whom he meets for an hour twice per week. His life is everything that he needs, and he is thankful for it. But one day, the Other tells Piranesi something that sends him back through his old journal entries, and slowly, his understanding of himself and his world begins to unravel.
I rarely give books five-star ratings, but I gave one to this book with hardly a second thought. It is the best piece of fiction I have read in years. Unfortunately, because of the nature of this book, if I say much about the plot, I will ruin much of what it makes it great; I can say, however, that the sophisticated way in which it deals with themes of Christianity, confinement, and identity affected me deeply, so deeply, in fact, that I cried when I finished reading.
I can also say that I loved being in the head of Piranesi. This story is told via his journal entries, which do a splendid job of communicating his personality and his changing mental states. Normally, I don’t gravitate toward books that are in the form of journals because I find that they provide too limited of a view of events, but, in this case, that limited view of events is an essential element of what makes this story work. This story’s impact comes in no small part from finding our way out of a limited and incorrect understanding along with Piranesi. I experienced confusion, surprise, and revelation alongside him, and this process was made all the more enjoyable for me because I was deeply invested in him. His dedication to the comfort and well-being of everyone around him –the Other, the resident animals, even the Dead– made me love him and hope that he would survive the mysteries of the House.
This book’s prose is also absolutely gorgeous in an understated and precise way. We are given (through the writings of Piranesi) descriptions that are vivid because of their use of sense detail and metaphor. These descriptions, however, did not draw attention to themselves or draw me out of the flow of the book. One of my favorite examples is found early on in the book:
“The Vestibule was full of birds and the birds were all aflight. They circled and spiraled, creating a whiling dance. They filled the Vestibule like a column of smoke, which grew darker and denser in places and the next moment lighter and airier. I have witnessed this dance on several occasions, always in the evening and in the later months of the year.”
My one qualm with this book is that how it deals with LGBTQ+ representation worries me. The only character who is identified as queer is also one of the most dangerous, erratic characters in the book and seems to be sexually predatory. While I definitely think there is a place for negative queer characters in literature -and this character is fascinating- the fact that he is the only representation might be seen as playing into the stereotypes of queer people as being morally bankrupt. I wish that Clark had included a positive character who is obviously queer to counter that issue.
Overall, though, I am deeply impressed with this book and recommend it especially to lovers of books that invite you to ask questions and sit in the darkness of lacking certainty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Blood
vessel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Beauty of the House is immesurable; its Kindness infinite.
This book was very interesting, though for me, a bit hard to get into. My personal issue was that due to attention problems, I found the protagonist's voice extremely difficult to read at times, since he tends to capitalize every word he finds important. This is excellent characterization, and I do not wish it was different, but it made getting into the groove more challenging for me.
It's a beautiful, achingly human story. I recommend borrowing or getting a physical copy if at all possible, because when the connections started connecting, I really wanted to flip back to look at stuff that was going on 50 pages ago in a new light, which was difficult with a digital copy. It's a lot of fun watching the mystery unfold.
This book was very interesting, though for me, a bit hard to get into. My personal issue was that due to attention problems, I found the protagonist's voice extremely difficult to read at times, since he tends to capitalize every word he finds important. This is excellent characterization, and I do not wish it was different, but it made getting into the groove more challenging for me.
It's a beautiful, achingly human story. I recommend borrowing or getting a physical copy if at all possible, because when the connections started connecting, I really wanted to flip back to look at stuff that was going on 50 pages ago in a new light, which was difficult with a digital copy. It's a lot of fun watching the mystery unfold.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: Murder, Fatphobia, and Blood
sxndaze's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
an absolute whirlwind
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder and Blood
kimmeyer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Murder
jazjoyner91's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was mesmerizing. Clarke's weaves a story that sucks you in amd keeps you guessing. I was often in awe of how beautifully she described the locations. I say read this book as soon as possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, and Violence
dogearedbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Gaslighting
Moderate: Murder and Gun violence
lonelylooper's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Dementia, Confinement, and Mental illness
Moderate: Murder, Slavery, Death, Homophobia, and Gun violence
Minor: Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Cursing
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Mental illness, Death, and Gun violence
Minor: Murder and Cursing
paintinyourwing's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
There's so much to say about this book. I went into it pretty much blind because that's what was recommended to me, and I wasn't disappointed!
I have to say though, the first third can feel very slow... I definitely felt that it got very interesting by the 60 page mark and from the halfway point I absolutely couldn't put it down! There's a lot of mystery going on, and as Piranesi figures out what's happening, so does the reader. Granted, the reader might pick up on things just a little quicker but Piranesi is such a lovable (and loving) character that I absolutely didn't mind. This is 100% worth the read!
I took two conscious breaks from reading because given the writing style, it can be hard to read it one sitting. I found it was easier to digest all the information in three parts.
Since I've only just finished a few minutes ago, my initial rating (4.75) might change over the next few days.
I have to say though, the first third can feel very slow... I definitely felt that it got very interesting by the 60 page mark and from the halfway point I absolutely couldn't put it down! There's a lot of mystery going on, and as Piranesi figures out what's happening, so does the reader. Granted, the reader might pick up on things just a little quicker but Piranesi is such a lovable (and loving) character that I absolutely didn't mind. This is 100% worth the read!
I took two conscious breaks from reading because given the writing style, it can be hard to read it one sitting. I found it was easier to digest all the information in three parts.
Since I've only just finished a few minutes ago, my initial rating (4.75) might change over the next few days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Murder and Excrement
rgallo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder