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A review by sophee_568
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I had to take some time after finishing this book to gather my thoughts. I had a great time reading this book. It had everything that I look for a book. This book got me super excited not only about the plot & the characters, but also about the mystery, the world building, the writing style and a little styling quirk - capital letters for important words. The whole thing feels like a giant puzzle that you're solving along the main character - Piranesi.
Piranesi lives in a House with an infinite number of rooms and stone statues. The House has 3 levels: the basement level which is flooded with the Ocean, the middle level is inhabited by Piranesi, Other, and lots of birds, the upper level is full of clouds. The House is sometimes referred to as the World or the Labyrinth, depending on the character. Piranesi isn't alone, his friend, simply called 'Other' is in the House too. The Other is in search for the Great Knowledge and Piranesi is doing everything he can to help him. Both men are scientists, but their specialties are different. Piranesi spent most of his time exploring the House, tracking the course of the Tides, talking with birds, tending to the skeletons of people who he thinks used to live in the House. Piranesi is aware of the differences between him and his friend. While Piranesi treats the House like something that deserves utmost respect and considers himself 'the loved child of the House', the Other shows no such inclinations, he is only concerned with his own research and even shows fear of the vastness of the Labyrinth. Piranesi constructed a map of the House in his mind; he is able to visualize every single room/hall he has visited, the statues in that room, whether it has windows or not and where it leads to. He is sure that the House is giving him gifts and helping him learn things about itself. Every single organism that he encounters inside the halls, which are birds and fish, is actively communicating with him and he understands them and responds. To me, this level of respect Piranesi shows for living things is incredibly fascinating.
One day, Piranesi meets an old man in one of the halls. He names him the Prophet. The two of them engage in conversation and the Prophet says he is a scientist as well, one that studies human societies. Prophet believes that in ancient times, humans used to actively communicate and interact with the world around them, thus making it an entirely different place than it is now. He introduces the idea that multiple worlds exist because the ancient knowledge of humans who lived a long time ago isn't present now, but it flowed outside of the primary world creating another world. That Other world is the one Piranesi lives in. Piranesi's world doesn't have real objects, only ideas of those objects, which are embodied in Statues, and that becomes more obvious later in the book. In that crucial part of the book, we are given a reasonable and satisfying explanation of the situation Piranesi found himself in; it also paves a way for the events that fill follow, which inevitably lead to Piranesi discovering his former self and how he ended up living in the House.
maybe to be continued
Piranesi lives in a House with an infinite number of rooms and stone statues. The House has 3 levels: the basement level which is flooded with the Ocean, the middle level is inhabited by Piranesi, Other, and lots of birds, the upper level is full of clouds. The House is sometimes referred to as the World or the Labyrinth, depending on the character. Piranesi isn't alone, his friend, simply called 'Other' is in the House too. The Other is in search for the Great Knowledge and Piranesi is doing everything he can to help him. Both men are scientists, but their specialties are different. Piranesi spent most of his time exploring the House, tracking the course of the Tides, talking with birds, tending to the skeletons of people who he thinks used to live in the House. Piranesi is aware of the differences between him and his friend. While Piranesi treats the House like something that deserves utmost respect and considers himself 'the loved child of the House', the Other shows no such inclinations, he is only concerned with his own research and even shows fear of the vastness of the Labyrinth. Piranesi constructed a map of the House in his mind; he is able to visualize every single room/hall he has visited, the statues in that room, whether it has windows or not and where it leads to. He is sure that the House is giving him gifts and helping him learn things about itself. Every single organism that he encounters inside the halls, which are birds and fish, is actively communicating with him and he understands them and responds. To me, this level of respect Piranesi shows for living things is incredibly fascinating.
One day, Piranesi meets an old man in one of the halls. He names him the Prophet. The two of them engage in conversation and the Prophet says he is a scientist as well, one that studies human societies. Prophet believes that in ancient times, humans used to actively communicate and interact with the world around them, thus making it an entirely different place than it is now. He introduces the idea that multiple worlds exist because the ancient knowledge of humans who lived a long time ago isn't present now, but it flowed outside of the primary world creating another world. That Other world is the one Piranesi lives in. Piranesi's world doesn't have real objects, only ideas of those objects, which are embodied in Statues, and that becomes more obvious later in the book. In that crucial part of the book, we are given a reasonable and satisfying explanation of the situation Piranesi found himself in; it also paves a way for the events that fill follow, which inevitably lead to Piranesi discovering his former self and how he ended up living in the House.
maybe to be continued