Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Piranesi

This became my favorite book the moment I read it. It's a masterpiece and will certainly be taught in classrooms in the future.

It's eloquent. It's insightful. It's philosophical. It's full of allusions and depth. It starts slow, but I was hooked once I started to really savor the imagery and prose.

Piranesi is a really refreshing protagonist. His innocence is delightful but belies a deeper meaning. The mystery and danger is gripping.

I was left with questions and thoughts about memory, colonialism, racism (particularly the noble savage trope), science, the nature of identity and consciousness, and so much more.

The most haunting thing about Piranesi is that there is nothing else I've read that even comes close to it, neither in subject matter or quality.

Content Warnings

azureumbreon's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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caroisreading's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I was craving something as unique as this. I normally don't gravitate toward the magical realism genre, but this book was a combination of mystery, suspense and fantasy that made for such a rewarding read.

We are taken through events via the protagonist's journal entries, and only know as much as he knows about the enormous house he's in, with occasionally dangerous waves of sea water and rainfall. There are moments where you can start to guess what is actually going on, and it all leads to a suspenseful unraveling.

I think there is a deeper narrative about appreciating our earth and what it gives us, appreciating our life and those around us, those we have lost, even those we've never met.

Susanna's writing is so rich, yet easy to follow, just so artful. There are even moments where a tone / writing style change is necessary and it helps you appreciate the mastery of her writing.

You'll love this if you are into magical realism, a bit of mystery, mystical practice, and unusual stories.

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cryosphinx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

I read somewhere that someone described this as "great as long as you don't mind being confused until the end," which sums it up but it was a fantastical ride. The house itself is it's own character so I loved figuring out the mystery of the house along with Piranesi. He has a great fondness and love for the house and you can really feel it through the prose. I think having finished it, I might enjoy more on a re-read knowing what I know now. It was a bit slow at first but really amps up quickly since it is a short read. But I feel like Clarke accomplished a lovely beginning, middle, and end and it felt complete. Will definitely re-read it in the future.

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laurenipsum's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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charliewarliee's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

Susanna Clarke takes a break from writing for 16 years and comes back with this MASTERPIECE. Read it immediately.

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plantydakota's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would give it 5 stars, but I found the writing style a little bit difficult. Until the last quarter of the book, I was often losing focus and had to reread whole pages because I missed parts. I also felt the book ended a little too soon. I thought it was leading up to Piranesi and Raphael having a conversation that resulted in them deciding to go back to the House, to bring James Ritter with them, and live the rest of their days there. Even if they didn't decide to go back to the House I would have liked to see their conversation in the cafe in the end.

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abookwormspov's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious

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

5.0

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