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A review by justabookishreader
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
This book. THIS BOOK. I'm still not completely certain how to put the feelings resulting from this 230-something page book into coherent words. So I'm just gonna start with the technical parts of the writing of this story. The pacing was phenomenal.
I'm really used to novella length stories being really rushed or even oddly drawn out in some areas, either way never quite perfectly paced. I admit that any length novel is difficult to pace. But god, Susanna Clarke figured it the fuck out. I wonder if the format it was written in might have helped that aspect, epistolary writing - specifically, in this case, through journal entries.
I even feel like what words Piranesi chose to capitalize as though a proper noun, to be fascinating, and I honestly can't wait to reread it and see if I notice anything on my second reading after knowing the twist and the end, that I didn't notice on my first run through. Also might I just add, this is a very very pretty book, and one of very few that are still doing fancy naked hardcover foiling in general edition releases.
Onto the story itself, though in certain aspects, I may be still talking more technically about the writing. The plot was spectacular, it was so unbelievably original and shocking - the twist was one that absolutely made sense, but also was one I could not have imagined or come up with on my own at all. And I absolutely love when an author is able to pull that off.
We stayed in the world just long enough for me to want more, but also be satisfied with the answers, and the ending just left me feeling feelings that I don't know how to describe. I felt like crying but not exactly sad crying, it was an odd experience but a beautiful and amazing one.
I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those where I will wish I could read it for the first time over again. And there's really only one or maybe two other books like that in my life right now. I'll definitely be looking at potentially reading some of Susanna Clarke's other works, and while I feel like this review is incredibly vague (which means, hey, at least no spoilers) and potentially nonsense, I feel like I've gotten what I can put into words, in this review.
If you know what it was I was feeling or know how to describe it, please feel free to comment below and I'll probably add it to my review with credit.
I'm really used to novella length stories being really rushed or even oddly drawn out in some areas, either way never quite perfectly paced. I admit that any length novel is difficult to pace. But god, Susanna Clarke figured it the fuck out. I wonder if the format it was written in might have helped that aspect, epistolary writing - specifically, in this case, through journal entries.
I even feel like what words Piranesi chose to capitalize as though a proper noun, to be fascinating, and I honestly can't wait to reread it and see if I notice anything on my second reading after knowing the twist and the end, that I didn't notice on my first run through. Also might I just add, this is a very very pretty book, and one of very few that are still doing fancy naked hardcover foiling in general edition releases.
Onto the story itself, though in certain aspects, I may be still talking more technically about the writing. The plot was spectacular, it was so unbelievably original and shocking - the twist was one that absolutely made sense, but also was one I could not have imagined or come up with on my own at all. And I absolutely love when an author is able to pull that off.
We stayed in the world just long enough for me to want more, but also be satisfied with the answers, and the ending just left me feeling feelings that I don't know how to describe. I felt like crying but not exactly sad crying, it was an odd experience but a beautiful and amazing one.
I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those where I will wish I could read it for the first time over again. And there's really only one or maybe two other books like that in my life right now. I'll definitely be looking at potentially reading some of Susanna Clarke's other works, and while I feel like this review is incredibly vague (which means, hey, at least no spoilers) and potentially nonsense, I feel like I've gotten what I can put into words, in this review.
If you know what it was I was feeling or know how to describe it, please feel free to comment below and I'll probably add it to my review with credit.