Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

64 reviews

ayamaro's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Confinement

Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Death, Drug use, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Minor: Fatphobia

englishrobin210's review

fast-paced

2.75

Interesting little book (esp the beginning!), but once the mystery starting unraveling I lost a bit of interest in the second half. Very atmospheric and loved Piranesi as a main character. The House was fascinating and I wish would could have spent more time with the labyrinth and the statues. Something that irked me was

when Arne-Sayles was revealed to be a predatory gay man. Frankly, an unnecessary detail for the story and put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book.

If you liked this concept but prefer more thoughtful portrayals of queer characters and more time spent on worldbuilding, I recommend The Starless Sea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Sexual assault, Excrement, and Pedophilia

albon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Gaslighting

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Excrement

aliyachaudhry's review

challenging dark funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Vomit, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking

Moderate: Excrement, Mental illness, Murder, and Gun violence

atlas_shruggs's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing slow-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

3.5

3.5
This book was very mystical and mysterious and made me feel a lil bit dumb a lot bit, but it was a very quick and fun read once I got into it.
Without saying too much, it follows a young man called Piranesi living in a sort of Greek labyrinth full of statues. I can't really describe the plot without spoiling the entire book, so I recommend just going in blind.
I thought the story was very good and well thought out once it got going, the conclusion was satisfying and the characters were fun to follow. I do think it was a bit slow but it's slowness was not necessarily a bad thing, just a bit hard to get into.
I did also really like the mystery, I wasn't really expecting it so it was a fun surprise. The writing was also beautifully done, and made me very excited to read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. Unfortunately I can't really give it more than a 3.5 as it didn't really hit me as hard as I wanted it to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Abandonment

Minor: Child death, Excrement, Animal death, and Death

average's review

dark 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

5.0

 Poor Piranesi 💔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Excrement, and Kidnapping

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Child death, Cursing, and Homophobia

Minor: Excrement, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Homophobia warning is for what reads to me as the predatory gay stereotype.

mcmorgan's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement and Kidnapping

Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Death

maeverose's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

3.0

This is one of those books that I like more in hindsight after having read it. It has such cool themes and concepts, but while reading it I was a bit bored at times.

My favorite part of the book is actually the beginning when things are still confusing and strange and you’re kinda just going along for the ride. I loved the mystery of not knowing what was going on. I loved the world building of the House. Such a cool setting. The aesthetics of this book as well as Piranesi as a character are probably it’s strongest features imo. The actual mystery reveal fell flat for me.

I liked that it was actually fantasy and not that he was in a coma or something like I thought it might end up being, but idk it just wasn’t as cool as the rest of the book to me. There were also some homophobic insinuations about a specific character that I didn’t like. His being gay was always mentioned in tandem with crimes he committed. And at the end it almost seemed to imply that Piranesi had DID and a new alter had split off, but DID can only be caused by childhood trauma not trauma as an adult, so that kinda irked me. But it never gives him a diagnosis so it could totally just be that he’s ‘generally traumatized’ and that was how the author chose to interpret it, idk.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Death

Moderate: Murder and Gun violence

Minor: Excrement and Homophobia

Drowning, Questioning reality,

amnesia due to trauma

. I probably forgot some stuff because it’s been a while since I read this

wrestleacademic's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Excrement