A review by itsnotalakeitsanocean
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I think this book came to me at the perfect time. I see many critics and reviewers claiming that this book is nothing like they've ever read. Part of me agrees, but the part of me who is currently on a Remedy Entertainment Universe (if you couldn't tell from my recent reviews) feels like this book could slot in as a spinoff eerily well between Control and Alan Wake 2 (the book came out after the former but before the latter). I guess I'm a sucker for potentially sentient "Houses" that reflect Jungian concepts such as the collective unconscious.

Things I liked:
  • Even though I could predict where the plot was going to go, I still enjoyed reading how it happened. One of the themes of the story is about the destination being more important than the journey, and it takes guts and skill to incorporate it into the plot.
  • Clarke does an incredible job of making a liminal space feel lived in by its main character without completely forgoing the fact it is a liminal space.
  • The magic elements felt believable and thought out without going into too much detail so as to take away the mystique of it all.


Things I didn't like:
  • It was a bit of a slow-paced beginning and I think the introduction of The House and Piranesi's daily life in it could have been cut down to one chapter instead of being spread across a couple.
  • Although I think the open ending suits the book well, I feel like Matthew's return to the real world was wrapped up a bit too quickly and details were just glossed over for the sake of getting the book finished. I'd say I want a sequel but just from the writing, it feels like Clarke wanted this to just be a standalone book which I respect.
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