Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Piranezis by Susanna Clarke

387 reviews

violerwolf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-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

Susanna Clarke asks the bold question: what if “The Backrooms” wasn’t a boring horror gimmick? 

Intriguing mysteries, deep symbolism and philosophical reflection, and a riveting but small cast of characters make this book impossible to put down. I can’t wait to reread it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Death, and Confinement

Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Cursing, and Vomit

Somewhat spoilers, kept as vague as possible:

A character suffers from memory loss/amnesia.

circehighgarden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

The description was too much for me. It was a short novel compared to what I am used to reading, but it really felt so long. I think it's because it was dragged with excessive descriptions of every hall, etc. Surprisingly, I still enjoyed it. Despite the verbosity, the story's underlying charm managed to captivate my interest. 

One thing I am certain is that Matthew Rose Sorensen was robbed of his life.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Confinement, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Slavery, and Kidnapping

flora_arns's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Confinement

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, and Suicide

balina_elah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death

lizpace's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Kidnapping

cheriepie's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

It was fantastic. I recommend going in blind. The story is a bit slow but the mystery of the House kept me going. Highly recommend!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Gaslighting

ssweeny's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, and Death

merrynthomas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

gopanini's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death

sunn_bleach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It’s a good problem to have when my biggest criticism is “I wish it were longer”. And I deeply, deeply do - not only to explore the House  that is God, but to simply have more time with Piranesi before the plot hits hard, the resolution of which never truly lived up to the conceit. Borgesian is an easy analogy; I found “Piranesi” more abjectly beautiful and celebratory in capital-m Mystery, with the caveat that the epistolary form doesn’t work as well when the action and dialogue pick up in the second half. Sad, contemplative, yet affirming. The last sentence is a gutpunch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Moderate: Confinement and Gun violence

Minor: Child death and Cursing