A review by lizetteratura
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

1.0

I know I'm in the minority here, but this book was such a disappointment. I had such high hopes for it because of the praise it receives online and from my friends. This book's downfall is that it tried to be many things at once, resulting in it being neither a great fantasy nor a great mystery. No matter how impressive the world-building is, it is so over the top with unnecessary details that it makes the plot, which was so obvious, extremely disconnecting and exhausting. On top of that, I can't deal with how stupid Piranesi is. You're telling me this guy is supposed to be some kind of scientist, but throughout the whole book, he never questions anyone or any actions?? Is he naive or is he just stupid? And the mystery? Don't get me started on the mystery that wasn't mysterious at all. Not one plot twist was surprising because it was all so clear. And the ending was so disappointing. It's so lazy to leave this open; not one thing was properly tied in the end with an ounce of care for the logistics. This is if Plato and the Truman Show had a disappointing child.