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A review by vermidian
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The graphic design of the book is absolutely beautiful. If you can find yourself a hardcover copy, do it and make sure you look under the dustjacket. Utterly stunning design.
This book is not cheerful by any stretch of the imagination. It's calm and almost meditative writing, allegorical and poetic. This is the dream book for someone who likes reading into the symbolism in their books. It is also, for readers like me, an okay read for the plot of the novel itself - though if you aren't expecting all the symbolism, it might run a little slow for you. I was expecting a little less speediness having read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell previously. It took me a bit to get into it and adjust to the writing style, but once I got into it, it was a breeze.
Piranesi, though that is not his name exactly, is an empathetic person who delights in nature and the world around him, seeking to learn and understand things without judgement. He is a kind of person I think we could all endeavor to be more like, though I doubt any of us would like to live in an endless, half-sunken house. He was sweet and naive, and the best kind of unreliable narrator.
This is the first book by Clarke that I've read that doesn't take place in a prior time period. While it takes place in our modern times, it is in a world removed from the one we know.
It was interesting to learn, after reading, that this book was written during and inspired by the author having long periods of self-isolation due to chronic illness, which somehow made what I had read make so much more sense. I think it was a beautiful way to channel that experience.
This book is not cheerful by any stretch of the imagination. It's calm and almost meditative writing, allegorical and poetic. This is the dream book for someone who likes reading into the symbolism in their books. It is also, for readers like me, an okay read for the plot of the novel itself - though if you aren't expecting all the symbolism, it might run a little slow for you. I was expecting a little less speediness having read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell previously. It took me a bit to get into it and adjust to the writing style, but once I got into it, it was a breeze.
Piranesi, though that is not his name exactly, is an empathetic person who delights in nature and the world around him, seeking to learn and understand things without judgement. He is a kind of person I think we could all endeavor to be more like, though I doubt any of us would like to live in an endless, half-sunken house. He was sweet and naive, and the best kind of unreliable narrator.
This is the first book by Clarke that I've read that doesn't take place in a prior time period. While it takes place in our modern times, it is in a world removed from the one we know.
It was interesting to learn, after reading, that this book was written during and inspired by the author having long periods of self-isolation due to chronic illness, which somehow made what I had read make so much more sense. I think it was a beautiful way to channel that experience.