A review by cepbreed
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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

4.0

Beautiful, atmospheric, confusing. Piranesi was a book I forgot about for a long time before rediscovering it in my downloads while searching for something to fill up my time on a long plane ride. The writing is beautiful, the descriptions are so atmospheric, but to me, especially in the beginning, it was confusing and therefore unattractive. Nevertheless months later I rediscovered it and finished it and I am so glad I did. Clarke tackles many concepts, but I am most invested in her concept of identity.
Matthew, Piranesi and then the man become of escaping the labyrinth are of the same body, it is their minds that differ. The three have common threads in interests and dislikes, but ultimately are far more different. To Clarke identity has to do with continuity I think. When Piranesi cannot remember writing in the first 21 journals he attributes those to Matthew. And when both identities don’t know what to make of the original world a new identity is formed all together.
I appreciate the meticulous effort put into crafting this story and world.
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