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toffishay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book pulled me in and didn't let me go! I haven't stayed up late to read a book in quite a while, and the fact that I did in this case is really telling. I was intrigued by the House and the questions surrounding it and Piranesi's time there. There is a lot of existential joy and atmospheric beauty to behold in these pages, mixed with mystery and intrigue, and the danger inherent in the belief that you are smarter than everyone else or that you are above the World that holds us all. I think that the book drags a little bit when some revelations are made and then the ending wraps things up in a pleasant, but not amazing way given how interesting most of the book is. it's hard to describe: I wasn't disappointed by the ending, but I was surprised. I went into this book knowing next to nothing about the plot and I was pleasantly surprised in many ways. I'll be thinking about this one for weeks to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Violence, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Excrement, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
akardian's review
mysterious
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
3.75
This is a beautifully written book. A lot of space is spent describing the physical space, which you’re seeing through the innocent eyes of the main character. The book was very strange, not in a negative way but I certainly haven’t read another book like it. While it turns into a sort of mystery story, I think the prose would make the book enjoyable on a second read even if you know the plot. Vibe wise I would say it’s similar to the show The OA.
I think you would not like this book if you desire world building, a fast pace, a plot focused book, or a diverse set of characters. I would also advise to look at the trigger warnings (while not major themes of the book, there’s talk of mental health breakdowns, violence, cult activity, abusive mentor/mentee relationships).
I think you would not like this book if you desire world building, a fast pace, a plot focused book, or a diverse set of characters. I would also advise to look at the trigger warnings (while not major themes of the book, there’s talk of mental health breakdowns, violence, cult activity, abusive mentor/mentee relationships).
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Cursing, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Slavery
aniquegrace's review
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, and Gun violence
flora_arns's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, and Suicide
chungledown_bim's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Incredible! Mystery, action, short but perfectly paced.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence and Death
ssweeny's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, and Death
sunn_bleach's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Moderate: Confinement and Gun violence
Minor: Child death and Cursing
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review
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:
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Gun violence
Minor: Vomit and Excrement
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Confinement
Moderate: Dementia and Gaslighting
Minor: Gun violence and Death
finesilkflower's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was thoroughly gripped by this novel. The mystery is intriguing; the setting is awe-inspiring and atmospheric; the protagonist is likeable and charming.
The basic plot device is a labyrinth that makes you forget everything but the labyrinth. This is not a straightforward allegory to any single particular thing in the real world, but it has enough similarities to various real-world situations to feel meaningful in various ways. It reminded me, at various times, of Plato's cave; brainwashing/Stockholm syndrome; separatist religion; memory loss; denial. Despite his amnesia and lack of basic information, Piranesi is a surprisingly unfrustrating mystery hero because he is curious, intelligent, and makes reasonable logical connections. Even when his conclusions are flawed, you understand why they make sense to him. Information is doled out consistently and tantalizingly. If you're the type of person who gets goosebumps from a treasure hunt, you'll enjoy going with him on this journey.
I don't think this would make a good movie because so much of it is information management, though the visuals of the world are striking and would be lovely if brought to life. Actually, I think this would make a fantastic video game. It feels like Piranesi splits his time between fishing, foraging, fetch quests, and looking up keywords to find information, all things that I have seen successfully gamified (kind of Animal Crossing meets Her Story). In a way, starting a new video game is a bit like being an amnesiac in a labyrinth, as you have no idea who you are supposed to be but, like Piranesi, are happy just to explore the world and to be given little jobs to do. You could easily build up a deep knowledge of the setting before learning anything about yourself as a person, mimicking Piranesi's situation.
Thoughts on the ending:I was worried the whole time that the ending would spoil it, because I felt that things were gearing toward a Memento ending where Piranesi figures out the solution but intentionally decides to forget it in order to stay in the labyrinth, and the cycle starts anew. Although this would be happy in some ways because Piranesi loves "the House" so much, it would have been extremely frustrating. The other possibility I imagined was that the book would end happily but abruptly when he leaves the labyrinth, leaving the audience to wonder if he would become Matthew Rose Sorenson again and if Piranesi, the character we'd come to love, would just disappear. Instead, the actual ending was beautiful and much exceeded my expectations. Our protagonist neither stays Piranesi nor returns to Matthew, but instead becomes someone new, integrating both. This feels more true to me to how identity and trauma recovery actually works. The last few lines were most beautiful to me, showing he is able to extend his love of beauty and his solemn role as witness of the world's wonders to his new home, to our world.
I'm giving this 5 stars because I enjoyed it so much although I do have some quibbles, below the cut.
* The protagonist is the only POC in the book, and also spends the majority of the book (unknowingly) a captive laborer of a white man. It feels like if the author was going to play out a racial situation that echoed slavery, she perhaps could have unpacked the racial politics of it all; instead it's ignored (the protagonist's race is only mentioned in passing in a bio). It just feels like it should have been a thing if it was going to be a thing.
* It felt like a random (and bootlicking) choice for the angelic rescuer to turn out to be a police officer. I simply don't believe that police officers have the time or inclination to resort to occult solutions to solve a five-year-old missing-persons case. I know Raphael is supposed to be this remarkably compassionate person (in a way that I associate more with social workers and doctors than police tbh), but she can't have this kind of persistence for every case she's on. For one thing, there's the opportunity cost - surely there are more immediately pressing cases for her to work on?
I was sure Sixteen was going to turn out to be one of the many other names previously mentioned in all the backstory, such as Sylvia D'Agostino or Angharad Scott. I also would have accepted it being a personal friend or family member of Matthew's, who would have more reason to doggedly persist in looking for him, and who would give him more of a reason to want to leave (community being the main thing he wants that he can't get in the labyrinth). The police angle simply has no connection to anything at all in the text or themes, and feels like it comes out of nowhere.
* The explanation for the labyrinth doesn't make a ton of sense but that's okay. It's a portal fantasy. Ultimately, the biggest plot hole in this book is how easy it is to leave the labyrinth. It's understandable why Piranesi doesn't find it - he can't imagine such a thing as 'outside' the labyrinth and so isn't looking for a way out. But people don't seem to lose their memory of the outside world immediately, so why didn't Matthew figure out the way out within the first day or so? It seems like all he would have had to do is walk around the first room a bit and find it. How did the Other leave the first day? Wouldn't Matthew have seen him leave and just followed him out? This part of the story is glossed over because it's the part that doesn't make any sense at all. I assumed until the reveal near the end that he came of his own accord and simply became too wrapped up in the place and then forgot to leave in time before the amnesia set in. If he never wanted to be there and would have been looking for a way out immediately, it makes far less sense that he'd miss something so basic.
I listened to this on audiobook, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor's reading was absolutely perfect, bringing out all of Piranesi's lovable enthusiasm. Ejiofor's dramatic pauses were also spot-on and gave me shivers in the Battersea scene. (I only wish the audio editors had left more pauses at the end of chapters since it was hard for the last line of a chapter to land when the audio always went directly to the next chapter heading.) Highly recommend listening to this audiobook.
The basic plot device is a labyrinth that makes you forget everything but the labyrinth. This is not a straightforward allegory to any single particular thing in the real world, but it has enough similarities to various real-world situations to feel meaningful in various ways. It reminded me, at various times, of Plato's cave; brainwashing/Stockholm syndrome; separatist religion; memory loss; denial. Despite his amnesia and lack of basic information, Piranesi is a surprisingly unfrustrating mystery hero because he is curious, intelligent, and makes reasonable logical connections. Even when his conclusions are flawed, you understand why they make sense to him. Information is doled out consistently and tantalizingly. If you're the type of person who gets goosebumps from a treasure hunt, you'll enjoy going with him on this journey.
I don't think this would make a good movie because so much of it is information management, though the visuals of the world are striking and would be lovely if brought to life. Actually, I think this would make a fantastic video game. It feels like Piranesi splits his time between fishing, foraging, fetch quests, and looking up keywords to find information, all things that I have seen successfully gamified (kind of Animal Crossing meets Her Story). In a way, starting a new video game is a bit like being an amnesiac in a labyrinth, as you have no idea who you are supposed to be but, like Piranesi, are happy just to explore the world and to be given little jobs to do. You could easily build up a deep knowledge of the setting before learning anything about yourself as a person, mimicking Piranesi's situation.
Thoughts on the ending:
I'm giving this 5 stars because I enjoyed it so much although I do have some quibbles, below the cut.
* The protagonist is the only POC in the book, and also spends the majority of the book (unknowingly) a captive laborer of a white man. It feels like if the author was going to play out a racial situation that echoed slavery, she perhaps could have unpacked the racial politics of it all; instead it's ignored (the protagonist's race is only mentioned in passing in a bio). It just feels like it should have been a thing if it was going to be a thing.
* It felt like a random (and bootlicking) choice for the angelic rescuer to turn out to be a police officer. I simply don't believe that police officers have the time or inclination to resort to occult solutions to solve a five-year-old missing-persons case. I know Raphael is supposed to be this remarkably compassionate person (in a way that I associate more with social workers and doctors than police tbh), but she can't have this kind of persistence for every case she's on. For one thing, there's the opportunity cost - surely there are more immediately pressing cases for her to work on?
I was sure Sixteen was going to turn out to be one of the many other names previously mentioned in all the backstory, such as Sylvia D'Agostino or Angharad Scott. I also would have accepted it being a personal friend or family member of Matthew's, who would have more reason to doggedly persist in looking for him, and who would give him more of a reason to want to leave (community being the main thing he wants that he can't get in the labyrinth). The police angle simply has no connection to anything at all in the text or themes, and feels like it comes out of nowhere.
* The explanation for the labyrinth doesn't make a ton of sense but that's okay. It's a portal fantasy. Ultimately, the biggest plot hole in this book is how easy it is to leave the labyrinth. It's understandable why Piranesi doesn't find it - he can't imagine such a thing as 'outside' the labyrinth and so isn't looking for a way out. But people don't seem to lose their memory of the outside world immediately, so why didn't Matthew figure out the way out within the first day or so? It seems like all he would have had to do is walk around the first room a bit and find it. How did the Other leave the first day? Wouldn't Matthew have seen him leave and just followed him out? This part of the story is glossed over because it's the part that doesn't make any sense at all. I assumed until the reveal near the end that he came of his own accord and simply became too wrapped up in the place and then forgot to leave in time before the amnesia set in. If he never wanted to be there and would have been looking for a way out immediately, it makes far less sense that he'd miss something so basic.
I listened to this on audiobook, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor's reading was absolutely perfect, bringing out all of Piranesi's lovable enthusiasm. Ejiofor's dramatic pauses were also spot-on and gave me shivers in the Battersea scene. (I only wish the audio editors had left more pauses at the end of chapters since it was hard for the last line of a chapter to land when the audio always went directly to the next chapter heading.) Highly recommend listening to this audiobook.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement and Death
Minor: Gun violence