Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Piranesi

This was a very interesting read! It was a little hard to follow the writing style and to keep track of all the information at first, but it got easier as I kept reading.

There are certainly a few things that stood out to me thematically; first of all, Piranesi always had love within himself for both himself and for others - this is clearly demonstrated through his respect for the dead of the House and his open-mindedness towards differing perspectives. He never became bitter or cynical, no matter what took place in the House. Because of all this, he was able to create the love he wanted for himself both while isolated and in the company of others (no matter who those people were).

Additionally, Piranesi's character development shows how we are always continually reinventing ourselves throughout our lives.

Spoiler

Even though he lost the memories of his previous life outside the House, he clearly didn't lose his spirit or the essence of who he was - it was within him all along. His open-mindedness also allowed him to acknowledge the multiple truths and perspectives about his life, even if he didn't remember everything clearly. Also, I really love how he was able to find new (and better) friendships and to reconnect with his family!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys deciphering characters in mystery books while reading them, and to those interested in contemplating the relationship between memories and reality, and how our perceptions of these things may change over time.

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fraxisle's review against another edition

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dark inspiring 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? Yes

3.75

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gwenythepooh's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

A book for those who love the feeling of a mystery piecing itself together from a tantalizing fog of unknowns. An achingly unreliable narrator who you can’t help but love.

I can already tell this is a book that’s going to live in my memory for years and years to come. I can’t wait to re-read it.

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angieincaps's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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tomas_lw's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

A haunting tale and an intriguing mystery. I could barely put it down. This is a story that will live in my mind for many years.

My only complaint is that there is a part of the book, after the central mystery is mostly revealed but before the climax begins to build where the book lost its pace and rhythm for bit but t got it back and stuck the landing magnificently.

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decaying's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Oh, boy. I was on the brink of bawling before I even finished the book.

When I had a couple of pages left, my eyes were blurry.

My heart's a thunderous storm of joy, sadness, anger, and relief. As Piranesi discovers peace, I, too, found peace. It'd too been a bittersweet peace because how do you make peace with the World you'd known as home yet being far from comfort? How do you make peace with a World you had never known that turns out to be a small fraction of a bigger world? How do you make peace knowing a part of yourself from the past was taken? How do you live with that?

There is just something magical about the way Clarke weave words together. She strings you along to the mystery of this strange world. Giving enough for you to be curious, but not so much that it completely spoils it. Her meticulous world-building never cease to amaze me. It's a well-realized world, lifting Piranesi's (the architect) intricate etchings to life. The seemingly never-ending stairs; the curves and corners that leads to nowhere; the lack of life itself.

Spoiler

I have smiled, cried, and laughed at every page when Piranesi is being Piranesi. He is a bright, curious soul with simple desires and a whole lot of hope. I wanted to hold his hands when he ventures to parts of The House filled with fear, to protect that very hope he holds until the very end. Needless to say, I'd grown affectionate towards Piranesi and I was left broken bearing witness to the immense changes he had to go through. His World can never be the same because he's no longer the same. He needed to make peace with that. And that really hurts.

All in all, "Piranesi" is a story about belonging. I should also say this book might not be for everyone. It spends plenty of its narrative with Piranesi wandering through this world almost aimlessly and making observations that's left unanswered. But, the journey of belonging, too, requires patience. So, be patient with it. Let yourself flow through the story. Enjoy the magic of it all.

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