Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Piranesi

The writing begins slow and informative, but that’s the whole point. Piranesi is an unreliably naive narrator who strives to see the best The House has to offer. He’s notoriously too kind for his own good, but—once the plot

Spoiler

becomes apparent that The Other is not a protagonist

, the remainder of the story is gripping and magical.

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ayoderable's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Story told from the point of view of the "crazy" man that gives a warning at the beginning of a horror story. Abuses of "great" men. Things we take for granted within our reality. Loneliness. What is truth

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archer3's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious fast-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

5.0

Piranesi is a masterpiece. The story unfolds in a way that keeps you reading, wanting to know more. The way it is written, through the POV of the journal entries, really puts you in the shoes of Piranesi and allows you to feel the emotions he is feeling and experience his discoveries in an authentic way. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing at the end.

Spoiler

The way the author explored the changes people go through during life and framed it as different individuals all rolled into one person was magnificent. The final journal entries being from the POV of someone who was neither Matthew nor Piranesi, yet somehow still both of them, really made it easy to sympathize with what the character went through. I enjoyed the author's exploration of a person's evolving sense of self and how their life changes around that.

I will never stop recommending this book.

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tm400's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

this is a modern day classic & i’m not one to reread books but this one will HAVE to be revisited.
this was such a compelling, fantastical story of a man named piranesi who exists/is trapped inside of a labyrinth of a house, full of marble statues and sea waves. it’s hard to describe past that without giving away spoilers, but this was undeniably one of my favorite reads of the year so far!! i think this story was almost perfectly paced, i loved that it was from a limited (first person) point of view, and i liked the ending a lot too. i recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, psychology, and literary reads.
i’m giving this book a sturdy 4.75/5 stars. not quite 5 stars because there are some gaps in my personal understanding, which is why i’ll personally be reading it twice (and why i recommend others do the same!)

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paddy_chh's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

I was utterly taken in by the beautiful depictions of the “house”, a place where I would dream of seeing for myself (temporarily). Piranesi was a joy to read about, his childlike innocence and goodness permeated everything he wrote, although this naivety was his downfall. I was a little disappointed that the book did not include any exploration of the labyrinth where Piranesi could have discovered new areas, instead it was all set in places he already knew well. Overall the mystery was not too deep but thoroughly enjoyable. In a book with a narrator less likeable than Piranesi it may have been a tad lack lustre but having an insight into his mind kept the mystery going because i truly cared about him.

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