Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - Piranesi

Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

52 reviews

lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-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

4.75

I didn't get into Piranesi by Susanna Clarke until about 30% of the way through the book. However, I don't fault the author because she did a great job creating an intriguing world. Once I got past that point, I found myself engrossed in the story and eager to find out what would happen next.

I'm still not entirely sure what my key takeaway from the book is, but perhaps it's about the human need for connection - there's a part of you deep in your heart that longs for companionship and social interaction. Maybe the book also suggests that periods of isolation can be beneficial, allowing us to reflect and become comfortable with ourselves.

It might even be a reminder for me to start journaling again, capturing the mundane details of life so that I can look back and remember who I was. Perhaps it's also about rediscovering my curiosity about people and the unique experiences that have shaped them.

Maybe it's the reminder that throughout our lives, we may become versions of ourselves that feel unfamiliar, but that's a natural part of growth. It's not something we should be afraid of because as people say, "We are the sum of our experiences."

If you're looking for a book with a captivating world and a mysterious atmosphere, even if it's light on plot, then Piranesi might be the perfect choice for you.

Content Warnings

takarakei's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

WOW!!!

I personally think this book is best gone into knowing as little as possible. The only thing I would say is be ready for a weird ride. The first 1/3 of the book you are gonna be confused and like "wtf am I reading" but STICK WITH IT!!! It's so hard to even describe this book without giving too much away. I want to read everything anyone has ever written about this book to delve further into analysis of it. I personally am going to be thinking about it for a long time to come.

One of the most unique books I've read also. There's not a strong 'plot' per say, besides the mystery of the world, but trying to piece together what is even going on was enough for me. The ending brought tears to my eyes.

I also find it a good sign when I finish a book and immediately think "I can't wait to reread this"!

Content Warnings

seforaflorian's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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? Yes

4.5

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katlouisee's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

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dazzy's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

clarkg's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

The adjectives that come to mind when I reflect on this book are "intricate", "obsessive" and "labyrinthian". The story does not unfold, it unravels. The characters to do not so much develop as they rearticulate. If you approach this book with curiosity and a beginner's mind, the result is dazzling.

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arysuh's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

J’ai vraiment kiffé!! L’atmosphère, le retournement de situation, la langue, Chiwetel Ejiofor 🩷

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clovetra's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

i am sat here fucking CRYING. this is the first book i can say ive read in one sitting and. wow. holy fuck. 6th book i’ve read in my lifetime to make me cry 👍

i don’t know why this book had such an effect on me. i don’t know why the ending made me so distraught. this whole book made me distraught.

i gobbled this book UP. i went in with low expectations and my god were they blown away.

this is the most buckwild book i’ve ever read. the synopsis on storygraph does NOT do this book justice at all. this book has so much personality oozing out of the pages i want to almost reread it again. right now.

god i loved piranesi (the character). he was so enamoured by everything & his dialogue was so funny yet endearing. i like that we as readers learn information with piranesi, and idk the ending is incredibly sweet.

honestly for the first 20 pages i was like “hey what the fuck am i reading” but honestly after that i was enthralled. ass? sat. holy FUCK

sorry i actually cannot put into words how insane this book was and how much of a fun time i had reading this. although at times i did feel like i was losing my mind because i was so fucking confused, after a while i got the hang of what was going on (aka i looked up an explanation and realised no im not dumb this book is actually just fucking bonkers). but honestly the confusion made this book fun!!! interesting!!! i had no idea what was going to happen next!!!!

i’m actually going to now go & stare at fanart of piranesi happy with the albatrosses and fall asleep thinking of myself in the halls.

Content Warnings

arminmasala's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

A intriguing mystery that doesn't pretend to be deeper than it is, nonetheless drawing in the reader. A great read.

Content Warnings

glitterenby's review against another edition

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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? No

5.0

“The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”

Piranesi has lived his entire life in “the House,” wandering it’s endless, cavernous halls and vestibules full of statues, watching the crashing oceans that occasionally cause great floods and the clouds that obscure his vision of the upper level. He divides his time among gathering the supplies that he needs to survive (“The House provides much food for the active and enterprising person. There is no excuse for going hungry!”), caring with almost religious reverence for the Dead that he has found tucked in odd places, and gathering information about his surroundings. He documents his explorations meticulously in a hand-written journal and shares them with his mysterious friend, “the Other,” with whom he meets for an hour twice per week. His life is everything that he needs, and he is thankful for it. But one day, the Other tells Piranesi something that sends him back through his old journal entries, and slowly, his understanding of himself and his world begins to unravel.

I rarely give books five-star ratings, but I gave one to this book with hardly a second thought. It is the best piece of fiction I have read in years. Unfortunately, because of the nature of this book, if I say much about the plot, I will ruin much of what it makes it great; I can say, however, that the sophisticated way in which it deals with themes of Christianity, confinement, and identity affected me deeply, so deeply, in fact, that I cried when I finished reading.

I can also say that I loved being in the head of Piranesi. This story is told via his journal entries, which do a splendid job of communicating his personality and his changing mental states. Normally, I don’t gravitate toward books that are in the form of journals because I find that they provide too limited of a view of events, but, in this case, that limited view of events is an essential element of what makes this story work. This story’s impact comes in no small part from finding our way out of a limited and incorrect understanding along with Piranesi. I experienced confusion, surprise, and revelation alongside him, and this process was made all the more enjoyable for me because I was deeply invested in him. His dedication to the comfort and well-being of everyone around him –the Other, the resident animals, even the Dead– made me love him and hope that he would survive the mysteries of the House.

This book’s prose is also absolutely gorgeous in an understated and precise way. We are given (through the writings of Piranesi) descriptions that are vivid because of their use of sense detail and metaphor. These descriptions, however, did not draw attention to themselves or draw me out of the flow of the book. One of my favorite examples is found early on in the book:

“The Vestibule was full of birds and the birds were all aflight. They circled and spiraled, creating a whiling dance. They filled the Vestibule like a column of smoke, which grew darker and denser in places and the next moment lighter and airier. I have witnessed this dance on several occasions, always in the evening and in the later months of the year.”

My one qualm with this book is that how it deals with LGBTQ+ representation worries me. The only character who is identified as queer is also one of the most dangerous, erratic characters in the book and seems to be sexually predatory. While I definitely think there is a place for negative queer characters in literature -and this character is fascinating- the fact that he is the only representation might be seen as playing into the stereotypes of queer people as being morally bankrupt. I wish that Clark had included a positive character who is obviously queer to counter that issue.

Overall, though, I am deeply impressed with this book and recommend it especially to lovers of books that invite you to ask questions and sit in the darkness of lacking certainty.

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