Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

99 reviews

toffishay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book pulled me in and didn't let me go! I haven't stayed up late to read a book in quite a while, and the fact that I did in this case is really telling. I was intrigued by the House and the questions surrounding it and Piranesi's time there. There is a lot of existential joy and atmospheric beauty to behold in these pages, mixed with mystery and intrigue, and the danger inherent in the belief that you are smarter than everyone else or that you are above the World that holds us all. I think that the book drags a little bit when some revelations are made and then the ending wraps things up in a pleasant, but not amazing way given how interesting most of the book is. it's hard to describe: I wasn't disappointed by the ending, but I was surprised. I went into this book knowing next to nothing about the plot and I was pleasantly surprised in many ways. I'll be thinking about this one for weeks to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Gun violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail

akardian's review against another edition

mysterious 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

3.75

This is a beautifully written book. A lot of space is spent describing the physical space, which you’re seeing through the innocent eyes of the main character. The book was very strange, not in a negative way but I certainly haven’t read another book like it. While it turns into a sort of mystery story, I think the prose would make the book enjoyable on a second read even if you know the plot. Vibe wise I would say it’s similar to the show The OA. 
I think you would not like this book if you desire world building, a fast pace, a plot focused book, or a diverse set of characters. I would also advise to look at the trigger warnings (while not major themes of the book, there’s talk of mental health breakdowns, violence, cult activity, abusive mentor/mentee relationships). 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

isabellyboo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Violence

mmidi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

A strange, slow start but a beautifully written world that you eagerly get lost in by the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping and Toxic friendship

ronan_lesh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

ebp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail

becca_w_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

webtheweeb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

This book is one of the strangest and coolest things I’ve ever read. It’s Flowers for Algernon meets Planet of the Apes meets The Secret History meets 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s maddening and profound and inscrutable and relatable and human and so, so not. It is a feat.

I’m kind of astonished by this book. It starts off so, so huge and completely incomprehensible - like the character “writing” it, you need to make massive leaps and grasp onto the smallest glimpses of sanity to maintain your footing - but Clarke leaves a trail of hints that not all is as it seems so intriguing that I couldn’t bear to put it down. I HAD to know what was really going on here. And by the end of the book, in a way that I think so few other pieces of media have done, the frame is SMALLER than at the start, more manageable and explained and easier for my little mind to comprehend. BUT THEN??? THAT LAST PAGE???? Just completely explodes that and undoes it in the best, best way. The middle place is still connected to our world, leaking statues of people as they are??? As they will be??? Where is the place beyond, and what does it mean? We don’t need to know, but the shape of this book is immense and ingenious.

My only reservation is with the main character - does Clarke as a white woman have a right to tell his story?  I also wonder about her intertwining of Laurence’s sexuality and his violence, which was not provided any kind of representational foil or anything to offset that association.

Overall, this book, like Octavia Butler’s, did something to my brain I don’t think I’ll easily forget. In my experience, it is totally original and so, so interesting. I feel like I’d need to read it a thousand times over to begin to understand most of what’s in there, and I’d do so gladly. 5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping

Moderate: Murder

laurenipsum's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

dexlud's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death