Susanna Clarke’s ‘Piranesi’ was wonderfully weird, and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s such a unique book that I have enjoyed tremendously. Relatively short, especially in comparison to Susanna Clarke’s previous book, it still took me longer to read it than expected – predominantly because it’s such a vivid and complex narrative that draws you inside this weirdly peaceful and yet somehow dangerous world, and you don’t necessarily want it to end. I certainly didn’t.
The first part of ‘Piranesi’ makes the reader get to know the weird and unique world Piranesi inhabits, but still leaving far too many questions unanswered, and at the same time allowing our imagination to run wildly. The world, or rather the House, Piranesi inhabits, somehow feels like a reminiscent of the past – with its huge columns and still places, but at the same time, this peace, almost stillness of the House, allows you to breathe, and allows the reader – through Piranesi’s narration – to appreciate simple things and find a joy every day, which is something I think we all need this year. And yet, there is a danger coming, something darker is lurking the corners, and we get a sense that Piranesi, as does the reader, doesn’t know everything – and what he knows, he might be wrong about. In a sense, the second part of Susanna Clarke’s book brings this air of mystery to a greater force, and the action speeds up. But while I have enjoyed this, it is the first part of the book I loved the most.
The first part of ‘Piranesi’ makes the reader get to know the weird and unique world Piranesi inhabits, but still leaving far too many questions unanswered, and at the same time allowing our imagination to run wildly. The world, or rather the House, Piranesi inhabits, somehow feels like a reminiscent of the past – with its huge columns and still places, but at the same time, this peace, almost stillness of the House, allows you to breathe, and allows the reader – through Piranesi’s narration – to appreciate simple things and find a joy every day, which is something I think we all need this year. And yet, there is a danger coming, something darker is lurking the corners, and we get a sense that Piranesi, as does the reader, doesn’t know everything – and what he knows, he might be wrong about. In a sense, the second part of Susanna Clarke’s book brings this air of mystery to a greater force, and the action speeds up. But while I have enjoyed this, it is the first part of the book I loved the most.