Piranesi by Susanna Clarke | Book review

[@cheeseandonions9558]

I fell in love with this novel when Piranesi thought how birds think... "Is that food? How about this" and "It's raining. I don't like it."

[@NErDy-pr1jf]

Read it in under 12 hours. Very good, felt like it had no downtime idk what these arguments were. I entered not even expecting a plot and just him exploring the house

[@Bookborn]

I'm with you. I was hooked from page one!

[@viewsandrates]

Same! I was low key kinda expecting that to be the main focus for far longer than it was.

[@joemade7071]

The ending is sad and happy at the same time. The house creates Piranesi out of mercy for Mathew rose Sorensen

[@Sprong23]

I adored this book. I’ve been trying to get back into reading this year (2022) and I’m currently on my 5th book. I read Piranesi and I feel like no other book will be able to top it. I was so connected to the characters and I found myself crying… I think because I could relate to “the other” and “piranesi” in different aspects. We lose ourselves and the wonder and gratefulness we once had and it is real easy to become hard and bitter like the other was. I don’t know. 5/5. Loved this book..

[@Bookborn]

Absolutely. There are also so many different interpretations of the books I feel like...a lot of different ways you could view the characters. I'm so glad you loved it!

[@snowtownbunny]

I don't read fantasy but I loved this book. The beginning didn't bother me; I just loved Piranesi ❤️ his soul - so refreshing. I may have to start reading more fantasy. Great review.

[@Bookborn]

It's a really special book and I think it has wide appeal to even non-fantasy readers. Like you said, Piranesi is such a pure character and it also is something I could think deeply about and get a lot from.

[@aplatypusguy27]

I loved Piranesi; it was so unique and I've never read anything else like it. Also, did you catch all the little references to C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia? I'm a big fan of Narnia, so that was a really cool element of the book for me.

[@Bookborn]

I DIDN'T! Educate me! What were the references? I haven't read that series in a supppper long time.

[@aplatypusguy27]

@@Bookborn Well, in the first book of the Narnia series (the Magician's Nephew) the premise is that there are mysterious other worlds that one can reach through magic. So she clearly pulled some inspiration from that (she even quoted Lewis in the beginning of the book). And then the magician in The Magician's Nephew is named Andrew Ketterley, and Ketterley happens to be the name of the Other. Also, there is emphasis placed on the statue of the faun, and at one point there's the quote, "I dreamt of him once; he was standing in a snowy forest and speaking to a female child." So that's clearly referencing when Mr. Tumnus (the faun) and Lucy first meet in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I'm sure there are some more easter eggs, but that's just what I remember off the top of my head. It's a pretty cool element of the book :)

[@Bookborn]

@@aplatypusguy27 At first I was going to say that reaching other worlds through magic is a pretty common trope, BUT those other references are dead on and I didn't even realize! I remember most about the Magician's Nephew and I The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, so I can't believe I didn't at least catch that Mr. Tumnus reference.

[@oudviola]

The Other's full name here is Valentine Andrew Ketterley. On page 167 of the novel (3rd entry for the 21st day of the 9th month....), the entry for page 187 of Journal no. 2, it states that the Ketterley's are an old Dorsetshire family. "Uncle Andrew" Ketterley in CS Lewis says almost the exact same words!

[@alittlebitoflight]

The book made me harken back to That Hideous Strength, the third book in Lewis' Space Trilogy.

[@jakebishop7822]

I just read this. I loved it as well. Piranesi is so precious, and needs to be protected at all costs

[@Bookborn]

MUST BE PROTECTED! I'm glad you liked it!

[@MrGoldbeere]

I'm really curious. What should the book be protected from? Is it in danger? At all costs? I'd really like to know what cost you have in mind.

[@jakebishop7822]

@@MrGoldbeere the character Piranesi needs to be protected, not the book. All costs is self explanatory

[@MrGoldbeere]

@Jake Bishop Thank you for your answer. Can you please help me a bit more? Is it that the character is precious to you, here in our world, or do you mean that Piranesi needs to be protected in the context of the story? About the cost: Of cource 'all' means 'all', I just wondered what a potential cost could look like. I've heard a lot of good things about the book and I've read the first few pages, but somehow I can't relate to it. But anyway thank you, that you've answered my questions.

[@StripeyZebraBoy]

I have been completely mesmerised by this book since I read it a few months ago - it's so firmly imprinted on my mind that I don't (yet) feel the urge to go and re-read it but I think about the world she conjured up all the time. If you haven't checked out Borges' short story The Library of Babel I would definitely give it a look - I had by chance encountered it before this and was already vaguely obsessed by the eerie concept explored within that and there's definitely some resemblance to that world in the world of Piranesi. I checked and Clarke said it had been part of her inspiration for writing the book, and I love how in her version she weaves in this profound beauty, serenity and meaning to what would otherwise be a totally maddening place.

[@ReadByAndy]

OMG I totally waited to finish the book before watching this and now I’m SO EXCITED

[@ReadByAndy]

I really agree with Clarke giving us lots of clues even within the very first pages (lol @ your comment on how you thought she didn’t pay attention to details hahaha). To me the simplest clue was the fact that Piranesi was able to describe every single statue even though they represented something he’d never seen before. Eg. I believe the first statue described is the woman with the beehive - it was incoherent as technically he could have never known what a beehive was. That’s how I knew that he was either not native to the House and/or had memory loss

[@ReadByAndy]

I don’t think I’ve ever had the feeling that the Other was good. I found he seemed sketchy from the beginning

[@ReadByAndy]

I also like that the soft magic system was not overly explained. A lot was left to the imagination and that added to my reading experience!

[@ReadByAndy]

I also ADORED Raphael’s way of making Piranesi feeling comfortable and letting him know that he could come on his own terms and when he was ready

[@Bookborn]

I'm so impressed you thought The Other was sketchy from the beginning! I did not pick up on that AT ALL. For whatever reason him knowing about the beehive didn't phase me (there were birds there right?) but chess is the one that really bothered me. I'm so excited for your live show this Friday to see this discussed in detail! Did you find anyone who didn't like it?

[@smadgulkar]

I actually came back to this video after reading the book. It was indeed a wonderful, strange, intriguing, gripping story! Thank you for recommending this one..

[@Bookborn]

YES! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@stefanieolsen457]

I really loved this book and honestly, I'm not very good at articulating why I love certain books and you were able to explain it perfectly! The subtle clues leading up to a bigger and bigger mystery and the slow deterioration of the Other to a villain. Thanks!

[@Bookborn]

I'm so glad to find someone else who loves it! I'm always impressed when an author can lead me along like that!

[@gusafene]

I was SO hesitant to start this book and like you I was gripped instantly and couldn't put it down!

[@Bookborn]

Yes I’m so glad that happened to someone else. It’s hard to describe why - something about Piranesi as a character is so gripping

[@tobiasyoder]

Very early on I had the same thought about “how does he know X if it’s just two living people” but pretty quickly started to feel like there were almost too many clues that the normal world existing through a portal of some kind, but even knowing that vaguely there was still plenty of mystery and plot to keep it super ebgaging

[@StrawberryCrush2000]

I think we are supposed to figure out that the real world exists before Piranesi does and live with the dramatic irony for a while as he struggles with it

[@tobiasyoder]

@@StrawberryCrush2000 yep for sure

[@davesmith4733]

I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago, and finally got around to reading it. I was like you, I read it in one day. I couldn't put it down. I can't remember the last time a book pulled me in so fast and just captivated me. Loved your review.

[@Bookborn]

I'm so glad to find someone else who didn't think the first part was slow. It was a ride from start to finish!

[@kristofferrosvall8709]

I just finished Piranesi and I came straight here. I loved it and agree with many of your opinions. The part about how Clarke gives us clues I totaly agree with. That the clues came so early really made me invested from the start and it never felt slow. Also have never read anything like it. Now I really want to read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

[@Bookborn]

Yesss I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! JS&MN is super different than Piranesi. Very much a slow burn … but it pays off in the end, imo

[@munchiekins]

I really enjoyed how you can tell the Other manipulates Piranesi just by their conversations and the Other's attitude towards Piranesi.

[@obijuan-kenobi5117]

Just finished Paranesi today and loved it! Found reading through his eyes to be so pleasant and enjoyable, and it kept me hooked throughout wanting to know what happens.

[@QuestLegacy]

This one was a surprise hit for me as well! Its so cool!

[@Bookborn]

It was so strange but it was hard not to love.

[@russhaywood6418]

I remember when I finished reading this I just sat quietly for about 15 minutes, not thinking "did I like this book", but thinking "wow exactly how much did I absolutely love this?". It really is that good.

[@aliciasorenson3807]

I had to come here and watch your review because I just finished Piranesi! Wow! I loved it so much! Everything you said. And after reading other reviews on good reads I'm thinking of all the metaphors that can be applied. Especially the House representing reading. Mind. Blown. Thanks for recommending!!

[@Bookborn]

I'm so intrigued by the house representing reading! I somehow haven't heard that theory yet!

[@fromheaventoearth5779]

Just finished this. Excellent prose as expected. Hooked me since the first page. However, the plot twists were mostly obvious -- not sure if that was intentional. In any case, I adore Clarke's work.

[@Bookborn]

I personally thought it was intentional - Piranesi is extremely naive in a way the reader isn't, so I think we were supposed to pick up on those clues really easily.

[@emilywalker1885]

Absolutely agree to your statement “Sanderson has trained me to be a clue looker” 😅

[@Bookborn]

lol it's so funny how reading his series have legitimately changed the way I read permanently.

[@LeonC0704]

Oh to me The Other was a villain since the first couple of interactions. The gaslighting and irritation he always got was a dead giveaway. Also him having way more resources than Piranesi

[@trewaldo]

I didn't intend to pick up this book despite having enjoyed Jonathan Strange but when I saw your unplanned review I finally decided to include this on my list for the second quarter of this year. Thanks, Bookborn! 😅🤓🥰

[@Bookborn]

Glad to help your TBR get even longer 😂😅

[@carl_oak]

I've just read Piranesi and I must say my experience was very much like yours! I've read without knowing what the book was about and got the hints very early on. I was thrilled to discover The World at the same time. It was fully immersive. It is a beautiful allegorical fiction. ps.: your take on the habit of looking for clues is so interesting! I primarily read fantasy books and definitely 40 pages of "mystery" is nothing :p

[@mediumjohnsilver]

I loved reading Piranesi, too. I read through the first chapters slowly, because I wanted to picture, in my mind’s eye, what the halls and vestibules looked like, and imagine the scale of the statues as best I could, so that I could vividly “walk along” with Piranesi on his trek though his world. There is one other story that it reminded me of: The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges. Though the plot is completely different, the idea of an “infinite” building struck a familiar cord.

[@Bookborn]

I'm envious of people who are so good at imagining places! I only ever get a vague sense of what things feel/look like - I don't have a very good minds eye haha

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I loved this book!! It had a very weird feel to me then suddenly I was in LOVE!! I can't wait to reread this!

[@SteveCadman]

I thought the same regarding its rereadabilty

[@Bookborn]

It was SUCH a strange book, but then again I like weird stuff so I think that's why I got so endeared to it!

[@danielamcmullin7730]

The

[@briandawley7808]

Had an amazing time with this book. Devoured it in less than a week and finished it today. Loved the journey. I picked it for my reading group, and in Part 1 all I could think was, "Oh, no, these people are never going to let me pick another book..." Then I got into Part 2 and was like, "No, no, this is incredible, I HAVE to know what happens next!" Fantastic, definitely going to look into other of Clarke's books.

[@Florfilm]

OMG I love this book so much! My favorite book of the last few years. I started watching your review, when you said you couldn’t talk about it without spoilers I immediately started reading the book. I had it on my shelf for a while (my virtual audible shelf) and your endorsement gave me the push to finally read it. Thank you so much. I read it in two days and when I finished it I immediately started it again. The first few pages were hard to get into because of the scientific way Piranesi describes the world. But as soon as the first hints came I was hooked. The only regret I have is that I didn’t write this book myself because it is exactly the kind of book I wish to write. Also it reminded me of Jorge Luis Borges. Do you know him?

[@Bookborn]

YAY!! I'm so glad you loved it as much as me. I totally agree, this is the kind of book I wish I could write. I've never read anything from Borges!

[@Florfilm]

Borges is an argentinian author of mainly short stories. He writes magic realism. He often writes philosophical mysteries. Piranesi reminded me of those. His most famous story is the Library of Babel about an endless library.

[@Florfilm]

I changed my username to Florfilm. Now that I’m more active here I didn’t want to use my full name. Plus it’s now the same as on instagram. I just wanted to mention it so you still recognize me. 🙂

[@OwenEdwardsBooks]

V convincing review. But I swear no matter how good this book is, I have this obsession in the back of my mind that I want Clarke to write another novel in the Norrell/Strange universe, even though obviously you don't do that in LitFic...I loved the worldbuilding there.

[@Bookborn]

It mean it is fantasy LitFic, so it could be possible! I don't know much about her so I don't know if that's something she'd be interested in or not. I did love that world so much and could use a novella on some other of the characters. That being said, this book is VERY different from Norell!

[@thelastcube.]

finished it last night it was such an eerie and fucked up book, but also oh so quiet charming i agree with you, it was such an intriguing read from the get go that i just kept turning pages after pages and before i knew it was 4AM and i was done with it not my absolute favourite or anything but maaaan isn't it immensly captivating, the atmosphere she built still lingers in my head quite liked it

[@tenderhearted9254]

Have you read the dark tower serious by Stephen King. I was wondering if i should get into it.

[@Bookborn]

Nope, I haven't. I've only read two Stephen Kings; I'm not a huge thriller/horror reader!

[@Florfilm]

I love the Dark Tower. It’s what got me into fantasy. It’s a mix between western, science fiction and fantasy. It’s kind of dystopian and it has absolutely amazing characters. The ending is a little devisive but I loved it. Let’s just say if you like a neat ending that explains everything it’s probably not for you. If you’re more of a character and atmosphere guy like me you will probably love it.

[@delfordchaffin5617]

I just finished this and really loved it! I enjoy books that just throw you in the deep end with a story in progress and unveil what's happening over time.

[@AboutThatTime420]

I read this book today. I could barely put it down! Absolutely loved it.

[@Rochele18]

Ok. I can't looking for a review because I'm on page 56 and the last straw was the list of things that the Other gave to Piranesi. Where did he get a ham sandwich from? I would've threw the book if I wasn't reading on my Kindle. I may continue now but IDK 😂

[@Bookborn]

Oh man you need to keep reading. Those are the right questions to be asking ;)

[@fishbowlwoman]

I just read this in June and OMG...it's one of my all-time favorite books now. I'm planning to re-read it this month. ❤️

[@Bookborn]

Isn't it just AMAZING?? I think it is in my top ten favorite books of all time, too. I need to reread it!

[@mariareadsssf]

In April I had my 7th re-read of "Piranesi". It is a book that means the world to me as I never felt so seen in a character before. One day I will write a love letter to "Piranesi" and hopefully have the courage to send it to Susanna Clarke.

[@SteveCadman]

Gripped after the initial mystery and not being sure what I was reading. Loved it, read it all in a day, so much for a march buddy read! Totally agree about the clues, the biscuit tin from real world confirmed it for me. Funny how you mention sanderson as my next read was Mistborn

[@Bookborn]

"So much for march buddy read" lol SO TRUE. I finished it the last Friday in Feb 😂 Ohhh I hope you like Mistborn!

[@SteveCadman]

@@Bookborn I loved the final empire. Read it in 4 days which is very quick for me. When I wasn't reading about it, I was thinking about it. There is a cosmere readalong, which I want to follow along with (#cosmereunbounded) but I'm not sure I can wait that long between books.

[@Bookborn]

@@SteveCadman ahhhh man. The third book in the trilogy has an AMAZING ending.

[@SteveCadman]

@@Bookborn in that case, that's another 'readalong' changed to a 'readinadvance'

[@mattrovine9644]

I picked the book a few months back, and never got around to reading it. However I found myself sucked in from the get go and it's the first book I've read in a while that sucked me in and had me read the entire thing in one sitting much to the dismay of my sleep schedule. The mystery was well done. I was picking up on the little hints that something was off from pretty early on, and I was constantly trying to piece together the clues and figure out what it was. I found the ending to be perfect for the story the book was telling and it felt very bitter sweet to me.

[@bradfordwilson4742]

I loved the tensions between Piranesi, The Other, and The Prophet with their information on who 16 is.

[@andrewedgar3935]

I got this on release day and finished it over a couple of days. I like to listen to the audiobook alongside reading (I know it’s weird… and expensive ) but I would highly recommend the audiobook as well - Chiwetel Ejiofor is an incredible narrator! Definitely one of the top ten books I’ve ever read! And a well deserved winner of the Women’s Prize 🙌

[@Bookborn]

I don't think it's that weird - a ton of people I know like to read with the audiobook! I want this book to win all the prizes...it's so amazing

[@eduardoo31]

watching this just makes me want to reread this beautiful book aaaah

[@Bookborn]

I KNOW. It's so good. I think I need to reread it early next year.

[@josephgarcia9076]

I did the audiobook version which the narrator is just freaking awesome. And I could not stop I did it in 2 days. Also you're right you can't tell anybody anything about this book because it'll spoil it.

[@Bookborn]

I’ve heard the audio is amazing! I may have to try it for the reread.

[@joeomalley2835]

Just finished this one today. I really enjoyed it. Very different that almost anything I've ever read. It reminded me a tad of House of Leaves not in its mood but in how the spatial elements are important to the plot and book. Anyhow, I enjoyed your review and thoughts.

[@andrewewelllindley8185]

I just finished this book, and it was incredible it made me want to immediately revisit the quiet world it allowed me to inhabit and if that wasn’t enough there was an unmistakable Doctor Who reference hidden away in it!

[@Bookborn]

What was the Dr Who reference??

[@andrewewelllindley8185]

@@Bookborn There was a list of references when he was looking up Ketterley in his journals and one of the first entries was Timey Wimey by Steven Moffat who is probably the best known writer of Doctor Who. When I saw it it brought a whole new level of nerdy love for this book I didn’t think was possible!

[@paulaapu7207]

You have the same taste as me so downloading Piranesi right now. And 40 pages before anything happens? That’s a walk in the park compared to almost 200 pages of worldbuilding in Way of Kings before the plot picks up.

[@Bookborn]

I know, when I read those reviews I laughed. I was like, okay, finally, high fantasy has PREPARED ME FOR THIS. I hope you like it!!

[@meowkat347]

*SPOILERS FOR PIRANESI* . . . . . . . . I really loved some aspects of the book! It captured my imagination with the whimsical writing style and story telling. I was one of the few people who loved the beginning while we got to explore the house and go along with Piranesi’s life. What I cannot get over is the cult thing. Once that got introduced, it lost me. Is there a good reason it was included? It just felt so disjointed from the rest of the story. It broke the whimsical feeling so much so that it killed my enjoyment. I just want to know why it was included lol. Did you like that inclusion to the story? Did it work for you? I just mainly felt disappointed at the end of the book.

[@goldenhorde6944]

In theory it works really well with the conflict between faith and science that the opening sets up, where Piranesi is a far greater scientist than the Other could ever be but he still sees the House as an object of worship and is offended when the Other doesn't respect the dead or the House correctly. In practice that theme just doesn't affect the ending enough, he doesn't defeat the Other through some new combination of religion and science he just messes up and dies. The cult feeling out of place is just part of a wider series of flaws with the book.

[@afantasybabble6222]

Glad to see you enjoyed it. It's on the top of my tbr, but now I want to get to it sooner.

[@Bookborn]

I hope you like it! I'm still worried it'll be a little polarizing lol

[@afantasybabble6222]

@@Bookborn 6 months later I finally read it . And I loved it. Contender for my favorite book of the year.

[@Bookborn]

@@afantasybabble6222 YESSSS! I'm so glad you loved it! It's for sure in my top five books of the year.

[@angelacraw2907]

I read the book from the point of view he was a prisoner in an urban fantasy but also that he could have been suffering from a mental illness and this was all going on in his head. The latter was to the fore whenever the statues were mentioned especially the part with the crowd statues. Anyhow it was a great little novel with real depth.

[@queenelliee]

YES, this review speaks to my soul

[@Bookborn]

I'm so glad you loved it as much as I did. What a ride.

[@pixadavid]

(slight spoilers) i wonder how much American readers picked up on the 'Battersea' reference in the first chapter. For me living in the UK that's a well known London suburb, but I wonder if non UK readers slip past it since it, well, does sound like a place battered by the sea, as the narrator suggests.

[@Bookborn]

Oh, it absolutely slipped right past me! So I bet that clue was so fun for people familiar with the place

[@AndreaTay89]

I just finished Piranesi and I loved it!! It’s one of those books that’ll probably stick with me the rest of my life.

[@eddyrollyroll]

I had such a similar experience to you reading this wonderful little fantasy slice of a novel! I felt super connected with the characters, I found Piranesi and the cop to be so admirable and likeable! ***SPOILERS*** I was also picking up on early clues. I thought the shining device was a phone pretty early on, but then got a bit sidetracked with some of my other theories around AI and virtual worlds… was way off track, but it was still fun to theorise!

[@nathanstormblessed785]

I went and bought it this arvo, hopefully I enjoy it as much as you did!

[@Bookborn]

I hope you do too!

[@championcitypeople7921]

A lot of people liked this book but I ended up DNFing it because I thought it was boring. I’ll probably give it another chance since so many people since say that it get better from half way through until almost the end.

[@Bookborn]

It's always so funny how different people interpret different things! For whatever reason, the beginning of this novel was as un-put-downable as the end.

[@championcitypeople7921]

@@Bookborn that’s true. That’s why I’ll always give a book another chance after DNFing it when people keep talking about it and saying it’s really good. I wish I could do that with people and maybe one day I will.

[@Bookborn]

@@championcitypeople7921 lol people are a lot harder to give more chances to than books, sometimes, because they change while a book never does haha.

[@vincemess]

@@championcitypeople7921 True. This is actually my first time reading a novel. I was intimidated in the first 17 pages because of those unfamiliar words like vestibules, plinths, apse (I'm not a native English speaker). After a few googling, I've managed to catch up to what Clarke is trying to tell me lol. 18 onwards, I can no longer stop myself from reading until I finished it 3 days ago.

[@liamariavoelker4162]

@@vincemess Same here. Not a native englisch speaker and I really struggled the first 30 pages. I think it was because of the numbers. After page 55 it really picked up. Haha and I was so confused in the beginning. How does he know what a Ham Sandwich is? And how comes that there are so many real world elements that don‘t seem to fit into this word. That why I loved how it slowly revealed the truth and made me question everything. So great.

[@americanchic1101]

People didn't feel attached to Piranesi. He's an adorable lil bean, I love him! I think the journal entry style writing threw me off a little bit at first and that's why I thought it was slow going. Once I really got hooked into it, I didn't want to put the book down.

[@Bookborn]

I know! I wanted to protect him so badly!

[@liamariavoelker4162]

Oh I really really like him.

[@thatsci-firogue]

I finally read it and its a strong contender for my book of the year

[@goldenhorde6944]

For context on the "clues" towards an unreliable narrator, one of the main inspirations behind this book was the Library of Babel by Luis Borges, which has a whole thought experiment thing going on where one character knows what a pyramid is and another has an encyclopedic knowledge of some obscure Baltic language despite everyone living in an infinite library without any real-world architecture or geography. It's absurd, but it also makes you question how we think about the real world; We all know *intrinsically* what a chessboard or gorilla looks like, but only a small percentage of will ever interact with something like that regularly enough to be able to immediately point to something in our daily lives and say "yes, this is a perfect material representation of my mental conception of xyz" So I was quite impressed with how the first third or so of Piranesi recreated that idea and was rather disappointed by the twist because it felt like Clarke wasn't actually understanding what made her inspirations so great to begin with.

[@aliciaguzman]

I started this last night and finished it last night. Lol It is gripping !!

[@Bookborn]

YESSS another stan! It's so so good.

[@agnishom]

Spoiler Question What was the knowledge The Other was looking for?

[@Bookborn]

I always assumed that it was a way to travel to other worlds - but...obviously that's just my interpretation.

[@agnishom]

@@Bookborn Hmm, that does not go with the bullet points that Piranesi lists at the beginning of the book about the Knowledge. But maybe this was not something that was meant to be revealed. I kept thinking that the mystery of what is the purpose of this house and what the other is looking for will be given a satisfactory explanation. But I suppose this is more of a 'Journey before destination' kind of book

[@pjalexander_author]

I just finished a re-read and loved the book more the second time. As to the Knowledge, I understood it to be humankind's original understanding of nature and our ability to commune with it, giving us wisdom. Eventually we "advanced" beyond this harmony with nature and had forgotten it. When the Prophet meets Piranesi, he explains that when humans forgot about this knowledge, the knowledge wouldn't have simply evaporated, it would have gone somewhere. He describes the House as having been created by the flow of that knowledge, similar to how caves are created by water flowing through cracks in the stone. To me, the irony is, while the Other traveled to the House seeking the Knowledge, he was clueless to the fact that Piranesi himself had already rediscovered the Knowledge himself. Piranesi had forgotten our modern life and reestablished that connection with nature, talking to the birds and to the wind, etc. And he retains that knowledge when he returns to the real world, seeing the echoes of the statues in real people, and finally proclaiming "The beauty of the House is immeasurable" at the end. That was my take, anyway :) (though I'm not sure I explained it very well lol)

[@adamborst]

Perhaps it's just me, but calling "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" a slow burn could be the understatement of the year. Again, just for me, it just seemed to meander too much without much actually happening. Character A is doing this and Character B is doing this. About 75% of the way through I wanted to scream, WHAT'S THE POINT!?!? IS THERE PLOT?!?! Anyway, I could be in the minority as I've seen a number of Booktubers really really enjoying it. That said, the writing was very well done, so maybe Piranesi is worth a look. Thanks Bookborn!

[@Bookborn]

lol I mean...it def got boring in a lot of places but I thought it was ultimatey worth it in the end. Piranesi is VERY different though. Much faster paced (imo, although some people said they felt the beginning was a bit slow), much shorter (like a third of the length) and a very different feel.

[@adamborst]

Great! Definitely will add it to the TBR. Thanks!

[@Millenwagon182]

First 40% was a slog for me, I know that b/c I made a point to document on my kindle when things finally started to get interesting.

[@capital_tm]

The reader is as unreliable a source of information as Piranesi is a narrator. Only as Piranesi learns things does the reader learn them as well. Its really one of the beautiful strengths of this book. We get to enjoy the naivete of Piranesi followed by his subsequent pain at slowly learning of the Other's nature as well as his own.

[@ladydiana71]

Excellent review! I loved this book. It's so unique! Definately a 5 star!

[@sunshiningmanojmanoj1122]

I wnat to read this book. I m from India.

[@ramenpower8097]

I just read the entire book in one sitting. Never done that before

[@michaelbarbera6222]

Catcher in the Rye is still my favorite book and I’m 33.

[@Bookborn]

I haven't reread it since I was 15, so I'm hesitant to make a comment on it until I do lol!

[@surajkumarsuman8842]

I am indian try to read this novel😇

[@connoroleary725]

*stares at literal TBR pile* *stares at the tote with Piranesi in it* Damn it.

[@Bookborn]

JUST DO IT. Your TBR pile will forgive you. Maybe.

[@connoroleary725]

@@Bookborn it may have taken a couple weeks but I have NO regrets. Dear god I loved this book

[@Bookborn]

@@connoroleary725 YESSSS!!! I'M SO GLAD

[@lionheartstanza]

Loved this book. Jonathan Strange was amazing as well.

[@Bookborn]

Both were so good in totally different ways

[@rebeccaroy3751]

I loved Piranesi. I didn't think the beginning was slow, personally.

[@DNPinthePP]

I definitely agree about the beginning. For me the best part was the beginning. In any form of media I love being oblivious to what is going on. It makes me think of being born. If only we could only remember what it was like to have absolutely no idea what we are or what the world around us is. This book gave me that feeling. Starting from scratch. Last book I read that gave me that was Anathem by Neil Stephenson. That book is a hell of a trip too.

[@Bookborn]

What a cool way of putting it! I agree - if you're confused in the *right* way it's awesome. I understood enough of what was happening that it wasn't disorienting. ahhhh man I already miss this book. I've never heard of Anathem. I'll have to look into it!

[@DNPinthePP]

@@Bookborn if you read Anathem just be aware that there is a glossary that helps with the made-up terms. It isn’t necessary to enjoy the book but it helped me a lot at the beginning.

[@stephsbooklife9684]

Good review! Will check it out

[@Bookborn]

I hope you like it!

[@hennie2006]

you are quite a beauty..I am reading Piranesei now..

[@AliaFast]

Hello, great review, thank you. Does the book have any LGTBQ... character or theme? Or any hint?

[@Bookborn]

Nope! Not that I noticed. It’s a very short book and there isn’t even any romance.

[@AliaFast]

@@Bookborn Bu more than one review answered me that (yes it does have) :( that’s weird

[@carl_oak]

Yes, it does. You might get the reference in the second half.

[@JF-zv4oc]

This novel’s ending was predictable 100 pages before the end. The quick shift from the amazing and mysterious world Clarke sets up at the beginning to the mundane ‘literal’ world was a jolt and didn’t really work. We knew exactly what was going to happen. The Other was the bad guy, Susannah? Really?! Didn’t see that coming from as soon as he started talking and had items from the other world and lying to Piranesi. It was just all so disappointingly predictable.

[@Bookborn]

I personally disagree! I felt at first that the Other was rude, yes, but not necessarily as evil as he was in the end. I went on the journey with Piranesi and discovering...I would also say, though, I wasn't necessarily *trying* to predict anything, more enjoying the ride.

[@JF-zv4oc]

@@Bookborn I wasn’t ‘trying’ to predict! The prediction just happened because of how obvious the novel’s conclusion was from the moment the Other withheld information from Piranesi. The dramatic irony was set to 11 so I don’t see how it was possible to miss it. But even if you did miss it, how is it possible to read a book without thinking about what is going on with the characters, their development and future, as well as a whole host of other things like structure, narrative, technique, context etc. I’m not saying every reader has to analytically dissect everything they read, but if you are reading for plot alone then it seems strange not to think ahead. Otherwise what’s the point of reading if it simply just washes over you?

[@samankhalid1279]

Hard agree! I LOVED Piranesi but it was hella predictable. I dont care tho.

[@carl_oak]

The plot might even be predictable, but not really. The real motives and insights you might take, only are revealed by the end. I might have understood her clues more than the usual, and there are at least two opposite ways of interpret the book. Would you say that he suffered from schizofrenia? PTSD? Alternative worlds? Was it a cult? Was it a fantasy?

[@cheeseandonions9558]

I liked 60% of this novel even though it made look up the definition of "vestibule" in the first paragraph.... But yes, it's basically a dreamscape of someone who is fascinated with something she saw once in her life and can't forget. Amazing opening... Fart-inducing end.

[@Bookborn]

Oh no, why didn't you like the ending? I loved it!

[@cheeseandonions9558]

@@Bookborn Sorry, but I wish the story was resolved within its own reality, without entering our normal reality. Particularly when 16 admits that she's a police officer, the dream is over and you have to wake up.

[@AndrewTomayko]

What the heck is this book about