A review by elaichipod
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? No

5.0

This style of writing gave me nostalgia. I felt like I was Piranesi, reading through the journal entries trying to make sense of the House. I loved reading Piranesi's commentary. I also feel really attached to him because of the writing style and character. He saw the value in all and had no ugly intentions. He has such an empathetic and respectful disposition and he sees the good in all, and I love him for it. This story was not at all what I expected but I loved every word of it! I finished it in one sitting. It was so hard to put down. The descriptions of the House were so fantastical, I could imagine all the statues and imagine Piranesi's anxiety when the waves would crash against the walls. This story is so beautifully written that you get to enjoy the mysteries around Piranesi and the other (lol) characters' presences in the House. 

This realization is very encouraging and I no longer feel quite so alarmed when a nonsensical word in my Journal gives rise to a mental image that I cannot account for. Do not be anxious, I tell Myself. It is the House. It is the House enlarging your understanding. 

The search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpreted, and that if ever we discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery,” Piranesi concludes. But: “The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not the means to an end."

Here you can see only a representative of a river or a mountain, but in our world — the other world — you can see the actual river and the actual mountain.

The word ‘only’ suggests a relationship of inferiority. I would argue that the Statue is superior to the thing itself, the Statue being perfect, eternal and not subject to decay.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.