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A review by starryeyedenigma
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
4.0
I went blind into the book and I haven’t read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke either so I had no expectations when I started reading the book.
As a layman reader who has read a lot of fantasy or sci-if, I was quite disappointed with the story, the pacing, the lack of characters or knowledge about the characters and most of all the ending. I had so many questions when the book finished. It had so much mystery when the story began but the ending seemed too simplistic and even slightly incomplete to me.
On the other hand however, I gave it a rest to think about the story. I haven’t read any other reviews, nor did I know about Susanna Clarke’s previous work. But there was something that stayed with me after I finished the book. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely immersed in Piranesi’s life in this mysterious labyrinth of a world. I did try to find out why the name piranesi though and what I found changed the impact of the story for me.
When I gave it more thought, I felt that this wasn’t your usual sci-if with a fast paced plot and multiple characters and character arcs. This might have been a psychological mystery with a sci-if setting? When you look at it from this perspective, everything changes. Suddenly, Piranesi, The Other, 16, The Prophet and even the World change into concepts that could be construed in multiple ways. I could think of subjects like imprisonment, psychological trauma, PTSD and reactions to it, kindness and self care over violence and hate..
So, I think this is one of those books that needs to be tasted and then kept aside for its real flavour to seep in? Maybe it’s not good and I’m reading too much into it? Maybe that’s the beauty of it, that it leaves the reader baffled?
If you’ve read the book, what was your verdict - masterpiece or average?
I had a difficult time rating this book. I actually didn’t want to rate it because it can go either way, isn’t it? So I’ve given it a 3.5 to 4 rating, because it has made me think so much and confused me as a reviewer.
As a layman reader who has read a lot of fantasy or sci-if, I was quite disappointed with the story, the pacing, the lack of characters or knowledge about the characters and most of all the ending. I had so many questions when the book finished. It had so much mystery when the story began but the ending seemed too simplistic and even slightly incomplete to me.
On the other hand however, I gave it a rest to think about the story. I haven’t read any other reviews, nor did I know about Susanna Clarke’s previous work. But there was something that stayed with me after I finished the book. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely immersed in Piranesi’s life in this mysterious labyrinth of a world. I did try to find out why the name piranesi though and what I found changed the impact of the story for me.
When I gave it more thought, I felt that this wasn’t your usual sci-if with a fast paced plot and multiple characters and character arcs. This might have been a psychological mystery with a sci-if setting? When you look at it from this perspective, everything changes. Suddenly, Piranesi, The Other, 16, The Prophet and even the World change into concepts that could be construed in multiple ways. I could think of subjects like imprisonment, psychological trauma, PTSD and reactions to it, kindness and self care over violence and hate..
So, I think this is one of those books that needs to be tasted and then kept aside for its real flavour to seep in? Maybe it’s not good and I’m reading too much into it? Maybe that’s the beauty of it, that it leaves the reader baffled?
If you’ve read the book, what was your verdict - masterpiece or average?
I had a difficult time rating this book. I actually didn’t want to rate it because it can go either way, isn’t it? So I’ve given it a 3.5 to 4 rating, because it has made me think so much and confused me as a reviewer.