Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

403 reviews

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

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

itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I think this book came to me at the perfect time. I see many critics and reviewers claiming that this book is nothing like they've ever read. Part of me agrees, but the part of me who is currently on a Remedy Entertainment Universe (if you couldn't tell from my recent reviews) feels like this book could slot in as a spinoff eerily well between Control and Alan Wake 2 (the book came out after the former but before the latter). I guess I'm a sucker for potentially sentient "Houses" that reflect Jungian concepts such as the collective unconscious.

Things I liked:

• Even though I could predict where the plot was going to go, I still enjoyed reading how it happened. One of the themes of the story is about the destination being more important than the journey, and it takes guts and skill to incorporate it into the plot.
• Clarke does an incredible job of making a liminal space feel lived in by its main character without completely forgoing the fact it is a liminal space.
• The magic elements felt believable and thought out without going into too much detail so as to take away the mystique of it all.

Things I didn't like:

• It was a bit of a slow-paced beginning and I think the introduction of The House and Piranesi's daily life in it could have been cut down to one chapter instead of being spread across a couple.
• Although I think the open ending suits the book well, I feel like Matthew's return to the real world was wrapped up a bit too quickly and details were just glossed over for the sake of getting the book finished. I'd say I want a sequel but just from the writing, it feels like Clarke wanted this to just be a standalone book which I respect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Gun violence

Minor: Vomit and Excrement

lola218_'s review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

Moderate: Slavery, Death, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

saxamaphone357's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but about halfway through the plot twist becomes apparent and it had my attention. I ended up really enjoying it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Dementia, and Kidnapping

kathleendayle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Confinement

Moderate: Dementia and Gaslighting

Minor: Gun violence and Death