Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

24 reviews

tm400's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Gun violence

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Kidnapping and Sexual assault

miller8d's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

4.0

I loved that this book felt like a refreshing escape from the normal structure and narrative that many fiction books follow.

Spoiler

I was surprised by most of the book, and deeply appreciated that the magic of this universe was both fantastical and simple, both logical and inexplicable. I found myself confused about the storyline/losing focus frequently throughout the book, which normally would bother me, but it felt like I was experiencing the same thing as the narrator LOL, which I enjoyed. I found the narrator’s genuinely kind soul very touching and deeply enjoyed the process of discovering what had happened. I didn’t realize it was a mystery novel until halfway through which is awesome. The well-established isolated world meant that, with the appearance of each new person or information, it was genuinely shocking. Very interesting and refreshing read.

Also, I pictured The Other as Brett Goldstein.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Kidnapping, Gun violence, Dementia, Confinement, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit and Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Trafficking, and Blood

Although this book covers many dark topics,

Spoiler

beyond the main topics of confinement and kidnapping and gaslighting,

there are very few graphic descriptions of physical violence or torture. Like for example,

Spoiler

there is a gun and attempted shooting, but nobody actually gets shot, and there are no graphic details about it, etc.

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Blood, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, and Gaslighting

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

thebookfetishist's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Gaslighting, Death, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Slavery

aklovekorn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Child death, Cursing, and Homophobia

Minor: Excrement, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Homophobia warning is for what reads to me as the predatory gay stereotype.

nebraskanwriter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Murder, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse

abbiewhitehead's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Forced institutionalization

hannahbailey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

There are some interesting ideas and solid writing here. I loved the descriptions of the 'house'. I particularly enjoyed the idea that some things seem so unbelievable that the real truth remains buried. How much of stuff irl do we find too outlandish to be true that actually is in fact, completely real? Do we have to see something with our own eyes to actually believe it? Would I not believe someone I loved if they could see something I couldn't? It definitely provoked some very philosophical thoughts.

That's where my praise for the novel ends. For a short book, it felt painfully long. I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere with the narrative, and the journal entries were mostly boring. I thought there must be a hidden message within the entries, but if there was one, I couldn't find it. The editor in me wanted to go back and scratch out half the entries so that we could get to the point quicker (I'm sure fans of this book will tell me they all mean something)!

When we did get to the point I couldn't help but be disappointed.

Spoiler

I'm never a fan of a book set in an unknown, mystical, supernatural place that is then revealed to be within our own boring world (like in an urban fantasy for example). I just find it so jarring. And in this case, incredibly underwhelming. I see its merits but it's just not to my personal taste!

That said, I was quite gripped by the ending - it just wasn't enough to improve my overall view of the book!

TW: kidnapping, gaslighting, confinement, mental illness, death, emotional abuse

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, and Kidnapping