Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

18 reviews

flora_arns's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Confinement

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, and Suicide

myiscoh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

5.0

Could not put it down for the entire book, intriguing world-building throughout with a really interesting mystery plot. Would drag for the first 60~ pages if you’re not as interested in the world-building but stick with it!!

The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of itself. It is not the means to an end.

The beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

I dont think anything could have prepared me for this. Already mentioned how amazing the world-building of the House is, especially for me the hall Piranesi (for lack of a better name for him) travels to for the Other with the huge door revealing the moon and the hundreds of statues reaching out towards it from the dark - all very evocative. 

Another thing i loved was the ending, specifically how the almost split personalities of Piranesi and Matthew Rose Sorensen end up as just two aspects in a new personality that Piranesi (again, for lack or a better way to refer to him) takes on when returning to the old world. I feel like it would not have suited either side of his character to keep Piranesi dominant in the mind or to have Matthew come back in full, so i love that it was kept “split” (though not really as both are now part of a new whole)

I wish i was in a place where i could analyse the more philosophical parts of this book, but for now the two excerpts i quoted at the start really hit me. I have so many thoughts but i cant find worlds that really convey them in the way i mean without sounding like i'm rambling. But especially the relationship between those two passages that i immediately think of is this: we are all reflections of the House (our world) and it, like everyone, should be treated with the same endless love, empathy, care, and respect that Piranesi shows the statues and the dead and the House as a whole. 

Other notes: wish i could have known Raphael for longer, she seemed like such a nice person. The journals used as a device to exposit about the events from the old world was really interesting. Unfortunately(? maybe not unfortunate, not sure) i did see most of the reveals coming from way off, though they were still enjoyable and the twist that Piranesi was actually trapped by the Other (like how James Ritter was trapped by Arne-Sayles) was not what i was expecting, even if i never really did trust the Other at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Slavery, Vomit, Murder, Child death, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Death

clarabooksit's review

mysterious reflective 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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Suicide

ayoderable's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Story told from the point of view of the "crazy" man that gives a warning at the beginning of a horror story. Abuses of "great" men. Things we take for granted within our reality. Loneliness. What is truth

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Death, Vomit, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide

gwenythepooh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

A book for those who love the feeling of a mystery piecing itself together from a tantalizing fog of unknowns. An achingly unreliable narrator who you can’t help but love. 

I can already tell this is a book that’s going to live in my memory for years and years to come. I can’t wait to re-read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Death

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Gun violence and Suicide

kimtazo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Gaslighting

Moderate: Kidnapping and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide and Violence

tmickey's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Confinement

Moderate: Kidnapping and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide, Murder, and Vomit

bri__'s review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book had such an original context, I have never read anything like this and the writing style is very entertaining. The mystery component was interesting and the journal texts were both visually appealing and made it easy to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Murder, and Dementia

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

sabrinalefebvre's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

The first 5 pages were a sludge to get through but after that I was hooked. The mc was such a pleasant character. I loved hearing his thoughts, which is surprising because I usually prefer 3rd person Povs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Slavery, Confinement, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Gun violence, Death, and Abandonment

Minor: Murder, Excrement, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

chrisljm's review against another edition

mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

4.0

Despite the short length of the book, it is a slow start full of world building. However once you get past that it is so incredibly captivating, and I come to realize how amazing the world building is. Although Piranesi isn’t the only character, he is pretty much the only character you see majority of the time, but even so he’s engaging and the storytelling is fantastic, immersive, and so unique. I loved how soft the fantasy elements were and the way the novel was structured. Basically everything that I found slightly confusing at first were all things that I came to appreciate and really enjoy. 

I think Susanna Clarke deserved the awards she got for this book, and I understand why I heard so much praise for it, but I can also see how this book wouldn’t be for every type of reader. Luckily, I enjoyed it immensely and I found that this is the type of story that lingers and leaves a lot to think on afterwards. One of them being that personally, I would love to see The House because to Me it sounded beautiful despite its solitude. I also think it would be interesting to see how other readers viewed The House, in a personality test type of way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Excrement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Vomit

Minor: Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Torture