Piranesi
- Susanna Clarke
- Albany, WA
- December 16, 2021
Goodreads Book Blurb:
Piranesi lives in the House.
Perhaps he always has.
In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls.
On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.
Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?
Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
Perhaps he always has.
In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls.
On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.
Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?
Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
Genres:
My Review:
enjoyable / easy to read:
☆☆☆☆☆ 3.5/5
"Then, sir, may your Paths be safe," I said, "your Floors unbroken and may the House fill your eyes with Beauty."
I don’t entirely understand Piranesi, even after letting this sit for almost two weeks.
The best advice I was given, which I think everyone needs before starting, is to make it to 25%. You’re probably going to want to DNF before this point – trust me, I almost did several times. It is so repetitive. I get it. There are halls, and you numbered them, and there are statues and columns and water and fish and birds, and repeat ad nauseam. At 25%, a switch flips, though; there’s still counting and statues and repetitiveness, but there’s a mystery and a meaning behind the madness now.
So while I fully respect your right to DNF – I think more people should DNF books they aren’t enjoying and wish I was better at doing this – I’d highly recommend pushing past 25% before making this decision. Piranesi is a pretty short book, and the read goes much faster after this point, so I think it’s a reasonable request.
I won’t give anything away; I think you need to go in blind for this one and draw your own conclusions. Good luck!
The best advice I was given, which I think everyone needs before starting, is to make it to 25%. You’re probably going to want to DNF before this point – trust me, I almost did several times. It is so repetitive. I get it. There are halls, and you numbered them, and there are statues and columns and water and fish and birds, and repeat ad nauseam. At 25%, a switch flips, though; there’s still counting and statues and repetitiveness, but there’s a mystery and a meaning behind the madness now.
So while I fully respect your right to DNF – I think more people should DNF books they aren’t enjoying and wish I was better at doing this – I’d highly recommend pushing past 25% before making this decision. Piranesi is a pretty short book, and the read goes much faster after this point, so I think it’s a reasonable request.
I won’t give anything away; I think you need to go in blind for this one and draw your own conclusions. Good luck!
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