Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

28 reviews

bectothebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Gun violence and Injury/Injury detail

beeoe's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

i think the themes of this book are so well done and interpretable; anyone can read this and experience it so differently. I think Piranesi's child-like naivety and kindness was great at showing the corruption of our society compared to his. Also amazing for the comparison between him & Ketterly. Piranesi made this book, i always found myself smiling at him because he’s just so sweet and admirable almost. The allegories of this book are plentiful and so strong i don't think i've figured them all out yet. I’ll definitely be thinking about it trying to figure all the mysteries out for ages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

rieviolet's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I think what I liked the most was Piranesi himself as a narrator, how we slowly discover the house and the story connnected to it from his point of view. 

It is a very imaginative story and certainly very unique, I was really captured by the first half and I still enjoyed the second one, but I think that as the plot progressed and we discovered the darker aspects of it, some of the initial brillance got lost, at least for me. It was still a very enjoyable read that I had trouble putting down (a good half of it I read in just one sitting) and a very well crafted story. 

I also had some personal quibbles over the treatment of certain topics (mailny the only depiction of queerness and also a quite fatphobic description at the very end of the story that really annoyed me) that dimmed my general enjoyment of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

zanni_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Excrement, and Vomit

maddiebusick's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

veeronald's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

nyoom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

5aru's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I honestly don't know what to say that will do this book justice. It is truly an experience to watch the protagonist's evolving process of thought and perception of his own identity through his writing, which he attempts to keep scientific and methodical. It is a wonderful metaphor and, at the same time, a wistful story; a reflection on the self and its relationship to the world, and also a mysterious tale about a curious character who inhabits a seemingly magical labyrinth. The pacing is perfect - you find things out slowly, but not slowly enough that it becomes boring; it is well thought-out and the story's development, as well as the reactions it elicits from Piranesi, is exquisite. I really have nothing but praise for Ms Clarke - she'd already done it with Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and she has done it yet again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Suicide and Excrement