Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - Piranesi

Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

28 reviews

carbs666's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

This is a very strange and beautiful little book that I liked quite a bit! I found the first quarter a bit difficult to get into but once the intrigue starts to unfold it becomes difficult to put down.

I really liked how Clarke leverages the limitations of first person perspective and takes the concept of the unreliable narrator to an extreme here; I don't think the book would work without these choices. I also liked that the book sort of felt like it could be an appendix or a companion to another book, which helped keep the fantasy elements fairly grounded in a world that feels real.

My main issue with the book is that the ending came on suddenly and feels unresolved. For some reason it didn't feel right to me that Piranesi is returned to "the real world" and I felt a general unease about his future. Also all of the characters, even the one narrating, are still very much a mystery to me and many of their choices don't make sense. Those issues aside, it's a good book and well worth the read!

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isabyrne's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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sketchydelusion's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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thebookfetishist's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

What the fuck was that? Do it again.

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natgzmun's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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englishrobin210's review against another edition

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fast-paced

3.75

Interesting little book (esp the beginning!), but once the mystery starting unraveling I lost a bit of interest in the second half. Very atmospheric and loved Piranesi as a main character. The House was fascinating and I wish would could have spent more time with the labyrinth and the statues. Something that irked me was

Spoiler

when Arne-Sayles was revealed to be a predatory gay man. Frankly, an unnecessary detail for the story and put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book.

If you liked this concept but prefer more thoughtful portrayals of queer characters and more time spent on worldbuilding, I recommend The Starless Sea.

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jesselopod's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? No

4.5

Delightful and strange, a peaceful horror story where the themes feel more important than the plot, and the whole thing could be interpreted a multitude of ways. A most loveable main character and an a short and compelling allegory.

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