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A review by sauvageloup
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was fabulous. Slow and bizarre and beautiful, a slow burn intro but very good
pros:
- its incredibly original, in all the ways, as well as being simply but caringly written. The worldbuilding, so to speak, is brilliant.
- Piranesi was easy to love, being so good-hearted and naive, but still astute. He becomes more complicated but was still a fascinating character.
- It's wrapped up very satisfyingly, whilst still being somewhat open. We're not entirely sure whether Piranesi will return to live there or stay in the "real world" but we're assured that he'll be okay either way.
- I very much enjoyed how the House corresponded with our world, especially in the last chapter, which I don't feel I fully understand but which was beautiful regardless.
- I also picked out this passage: 'I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged me to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpretated, 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... The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not a means to an end' (p.60-61)
- This suggests to me of our world, and how seeking the meaning of our lives, or looking for a higher power (or an unseen perfect 'heaven') negates the value of the world itself. We don't need religion to make the world valuable, it is 'enough in and of itself'.
- I felt like there was definite associations with tarot. P's interpretations of the birds' messages was very much like linking different meaningful cards together, and he relates people to statues that seem to me to be related to the Hermit, ?Hierophant and ?Justice (for Raphael, which would make sense, bc she is the police). There seem to be layers and layers to the book, unraveling like its deep halls.
- I also liked the academic way it's written, which is similar to JSaMN, if I remember right. The scientific presentation of magical realms or some Ancient Knowledge reminds me of Stephenson in Snow Crash.
cons:
- It was a touch slow starting (but I think was necessary, to build up the world)
- It was also a little predictable since it was always clear that Ketterley was not P's friend, and from the moment other worlds are mentioned, you expect that P will be returned to our world
Overall, brilliant, intriguing and elegantly crafted, I wish I owned the book and would like to read it again.
pros:
- its incredibly original, in all the ways, as well as being simply but caringly written. The worldbuilding, so to speak, is brilliant.
- Piranesi was easy to love, being so good-hearted and naive, but still astute. He becomes more complicated but was still a fascinating character.
- I very much enjoyed how the House corresponded with our world, especially in the last chapter, which I don't feel I fully understand but which was beautiful regardless.
- I also picked out this passage: 'I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged me to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpretated, 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... The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not a means to an end' (p.60-61)
- This suggests to me of our world, and how seeking the meaning of our lives, or looking for a higher power (or an unseen perfect 'heaven') negates the value of the world itself. We don't need religion to make the world valuable, it is 'enough in and of itself'.
- I felt like there was definite associations with tarot. P's interpretations of the birds' messages was very much like linking different meaningful cards together, and he relates people to statues that seem to me to be related to the Hermit, ?Hierophant and ?Justice (for Raphael, which would make sense, bc she is the police). There seem to be layers and layers to the book, unraveling like its deep halls.
- I also liked the academic way it's written, which is similar to JSaMN, if I remember right. The scientific presentation of magical realms or some Ancient Knowledge reminds me of Stephenson in Snow Crash.
cons:
- It was a touch slow starting (but I think was necessary, to build up the world)
- It was also a little predictable
Overall, brilliant, intriguing and elegantly crafted, I wish I owned the book and would like to read it again.