Reviews tagging 'Death'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

399 reviews

eni_iilorak's review against another edition

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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


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harper11's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Only because it was so confusing at first it lost a star for me personally. However this book blew my mind and tugged my heart strings. It was beautiful and tragic and sad and happy. Push through the confusion. I have a feeling this book could go up to 5 stars on a reread. 

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aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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iammmartina_'s review against another edition

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emotional inspiring 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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mofiii's review

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emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When reading this book, you feel as though you are dropped into a deep and far more intricate store which you uncover more and more of along the way. You walk along side our lovely Piranesi, the Beloved Child of the House, as the World he lives in morphs as revelations and truths are discovered. Clarke made the reader feel as if they are also inside the House, wandering through the many Halls and Vestibules. The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; it's Kindness infinite 

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figsofpeach's review against another edition

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

3.75


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emmymgb's review

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mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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naes's review

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

3.0

Piranesi's house is an awe-inspiring thing. There are infinite rooms, thousands of amazing statues, oceans and violent tides. Piranesi shares the house with The Other but everything may not be as it seems.

The journalistic style of writing is exceptionally done with prose that is lovely and dreamlike. The premise seems wholly original and was like nothing I have read before. I wish this had been enough to for me to rate it higher.

The first 80-100 pages for me were totally stagnant. There seemed to be no real movement with either the plot or the characters. It was constant descriptions of statues, the rooms, fish and birds. It was a bit dull and I did consider adding it to my DNF pile. 

Once you get to part three, things start to get a bit more interesting with no major development until part five. It wasn’t quite enough to make me totally enthralled in the book however. I was mildly invested in what was going on but don't considered it a page turner that I couldn't put down. The ending seemed to happen too quickly as well. I did like that the ending has been left somewhat to interpretation of the reader though. That was a nice touch.

Overall I didn't hate the story, it was just far to slow with no real development in my opinion.

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rubyredders's review

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

2.25

,I get why this is a highly rated book but it is just not for me. 

I felt very distant from the characters, short of a general feeling of
Ketterley is a massive cunt I would like to see get his comeuppance and a feeling of sympathy for Piranesi for being so blindly optimistic.
 

Despite the shortness of the story it felt like it really dragged to me. It took until after the first 50% before I felt anything other than god I hope this speeds up soon. 

The world sounded interesting but I just couldn't engage with it and found the mapping of the place difficult (although I think that was kind of the point, it was still somewhat frustrating) 

The ending left me more confused as to if I was supposed to feel some grand awe inspiring emotion or not - that was it? Huh, ok then.

The references to other media and locations were neat though when noticed, such as the allusion to C.S.Lewis' Mr Tumnus speaking to Lucy under the lamppost early on in the first half. 
 
I think this is one of those books you'll either really enjoy or will struggle to connect to and for me it was the latter. 

The slow start and unsatisfying ending is what ultimately has me giving this such a low rating though I can see how this would be a compelling story for others if you can really sink yourself into the mystery of the world early on, as Piranesi has such an optimistic view of the world and joyful nature that you want to see him achieve a happy ending
(the lack of which is part of the reason why I think the ending feels so unsatisfying)

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saracha22's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective 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

This was a beautifully written book. It was very atmospheric and mysterious. I really enjoyed the journal entry style writing it was an interesting angle to unfold the story. 

Although in the beginning it makes it a bit tough to get into because we’re given so much description of little details it’s hard to sift what’s important when we know so little. But by the end I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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