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A review by lizcallahan
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is so difficult to talk about without spoiling any aspect, and I recommend you go in fully blind to the plot. This book is a.....mythology inspired mystery? It feels reductive to try and pin it to a genre, because there are elements of so many other genres in this novel: fantasy, philosophy, horror, afterlife, etc.
The setting and characters are so deeply intriguing, and every interaction between the two had me wishing for more. I was hooked with the diary entries and the "show don't tell" writing style throughout the novel.
Mostly, though, I loved Piranesi. Simultaneously incredibly naive but also powerfully present in his day to day, I think Piranesi's journey makes me look internally and ask the question: who am I without distraction? How does power keep us from connecting to our inner selves?
Overall, a fantastic read 🥰
The setting and characters are so deeply intriguing, and every interaction between the two had me wishing for more. I was hooked with the diary entries and the "show don't tell" writing style throughout the novel.
Mostly, though, I loved Piranesi. Simultaneously incredibly naive but also powerfully present in his day to day, I think Piranesi's journey makes me look internally and ask the question: who am I without distraction? How does power keep us from connecting to our inner selves?
Overall, a fantastic read 🥰