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emakay's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, and Vomit
Main character speaks of the dead a lot,kindremarx's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Excrement, and Vomit
leahrosereads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Upon re-read, I have no idea why I almost DNFd this. Maybe just not in the right headspace, but this is still so amazing! Everything else I said below is definitely how I felt during this second readthrough. Bumping this from a 4.5 to a 5!
Well this was a rollercoaster of a read. I started off almost DNFing it, then became intrigued, then horrified, and ended melancholic. It was beautiful, frightening, and strangely magical, and also weirdly simplistic and complex. I feel like I should have been on something to fully understand this story. It was definitely too smart for me a lot of the time, but I still thoroughly enjoyed what I did understand!
Well this was a rollercoaster of a read. I started off almost DNFing it, then became intrigued, then horrified, and ended melancholic. It was beautiful, frightening, and strangely magical, and also weirdly simplistic and complex. I feel like I should have been on something to fully understand this story. It was definitely too smart for me a lot of the time, but I still thoroughly enjoyed what I did understand!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gun violence
keen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Minor: Excrement, Blood, and Suicide
sammieiris's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
rorikae's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In 'Piranesi,' Susanna Clarke weaves a haunting and evocative tale. The story is told through the journal entries of a man, sometimes called Piranesi, who lives in a large house with numerous rooms, lots of statues, and tides. Piranesi appears to be alone in this house apart from another individual that he calls the Other, who comes and goes, and who Piranesi helps with his research.
That's all that you need to know going into this story and I think the story works best if that is all that you do know. Clarke begins to unravel Piranesi's experience and his surroundings slowly throughout the book as we start to learn more about who he is. Clarke does such an expert job of peeling back layers of the story slowly and part of why this is done so well is that we as the reader are learning right alongside the narrator.
Though this is in many ways the complete opposite of Clarke's most well known novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, she brings the same mastery of storytelling to Piranesi. Though Piranesi is short, it is instantly evocative and I found it hard to put the book down as the full story began to take shape. Through letting the reader uncover the truth of what is going on right alongside Piranesi, Clarke creates a sense of intrigue that is peppered throughout the entire novel. It's so hard to describe because anything beyond the most basic description of the plot is a spoiler and the less you know about the story going in, the more impactful I believe it will be. This is a story that is both devastating and hopeful. One that needs to be read and fully experienced. I highly recommend it, especially if you have enjoyed Clarke's other works and if you are interested in uncovering the mystery of the world right alongside the protagonist.
That's all that you need to know going into this story and I think the story works best if that is all that you do know. Clarke begins to unravel Piranesi's experience and his surroundings slowly throughout the book as we start to learn more about who he is. Clarke does such an expert job of peeling back layers of the story slowly and part of why this is done so well is that we as the reader are learning right alongside the narrator.
Though this is in many ways the complete opposite of Clarke's most well known novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, she brings the same mastery of storytelling to Piranesi. Though Piranesi is short, it is instantly evocative and I found it hard to put the book down as the full story began to take shape. Through letting the reader uncover the truth of what is going on right alongside Piranesi, Clarke creates a sense of intrigue that is peppered throughout the entire novel. It's so hard to describe because anything beyond the most basic description of the plot is a spoiler and the less you know about the story going in, the more impactful I believe it will be. This is a story that is both devastating and hopeful. One that needs to be read and fully experienced. I highly recommend it, especially if you have enjoyed Clarke's other works and if you are interested in uncovering the mystery of the world right alongside the protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Violence
5aru's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Excrement and Suicide
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