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A review by ambers
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm of two minds about this book. I read the whole thing in one sitting, and I honestly thought I was going to give it 5/5 stars. Then, as I started to think about it, I changed that to 4/5. At the time of actually siting down to write this review, I've dropped it to 3.5/5.
Why? There was obviously plenty that I loved, given my knee jerk reaction. The lush writing, the strange ecology, the dreamlike quality and its descent into nightmare - all of that was fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't get past the author's choice to write her only gay character as a predatory villain with a pattern of taking advantage of younger men, including lumping his sexuality in with his 'transgressive' nature (which explicitly includes several despicable acts). It isn't that queer characters can't be villains (although I would, honestly, caution authors to be careful of that regardless - being aware of harmful tropes is important), but this particular blend of using sexuality to highlight someone's perversion is harmful and dated. The longer I sit with that, the more I sour on this book. It's a real shame, because Piranesi could've been something beautiful.
Why? There was obviously plenty that I loved, given my knee jerk reaction. The lush writing, the strange ecology, the dreamlike quality and its descent into nightmare - all of that was fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't get past the author's choice to write her only gay character as a predatory villain with a pattern of taking advantage of younger men, including lumping his sexuality in with his 'transgressive' nature (which explicitly includes several despicable acts). It isn't that queer characters can't be villains (although I would, honestly, caution authors to be careful of that regardless - being aware of harmful tropes is important), but this particular blend of using sexuality to highlight someone's perversion is harmful and dated. The longer I sit with that, the more I sour on this book. It's a real shame, because Piranesi could've been something beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Murder