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A review by laurenrussell
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
a unique mystery book and i’m quite obsessed. i agree with the other reviews that say to go into
in blind. the first 50ish pages were boring to me, but once it picked it up i couldn’t put it down. i don’t think ive ever read a fantasy mystery (almost thriller??). i loved the creative setting and the imagery, i could feel how serene and peaceful the house was and pirenesi’s fondness for it. pirenesi was endearing but also maddening with how naive he could be but that made him more complex to me. there’s an unreliable narrator aspect to this book which i always enjoy. the premise of the book was intriguing to me and i think the author carried it out superbly. i liked the journal entries as a structure for the book too. only took off .25 because i kind of predicted what would happen near the end and i feel like there were a few small plot holes. i don’t think they were significant enough to take away from the book though.
overall, an excellent and gripping read that kind of gives the secret history vibes but with more magical realism and thrill! i was left thinking about isolation/loneliness, appreciation for the natural world, and memory/identity.
in blind. the first 50ish pages were boring to me, but once it picked it up i couldn’t put it down. i don’t think ive ever read a fantasy mystery (almost thriller??). i loved the creative setting and the imagery, i could feel how serene and peaceful the house was and pirenesi’s fondness for it. pirenesi was endearing but also maddening with how naive he could be but that made him more complex to me. there’s an unreliable narrator aspect to this book which i always enjoy. the premise of the book was intriguing to me and i think the author carried it out superbly. i liked the journal entries as a structure for the book too. only took off .25 because i kind of predicted what would happen near the end and i feel like there were a few small plot holes. i don’t think they were significant enough to take away from the book though.
overall, an excellent and gripping read that kind of gives the secret history vibes but with more magical realism and thrill! i was left thinking about isolation/loneliness, appreciation for the natural world, and memory/identity.