![]() Book name: Piranesi Author: Susanna Clarke Genre: Fantasy, Mystery Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link One of the most unique novels I have read where Its even hard to place what sort of category this novel falls into which is a mix of fantasy, SciFi and a detective/mystery story. The novel is told from the perspective of an individual who is referred to as Piranesi, who inhabits a vast labyrinthine house of many halls which is periodically subject to flooding and other natural dangers. As the novel progresses you as the reader sense something is off about the world he inhabits and what has brought him here and as you progress you begin to unravel the mystery of this enigmatic place. While it is a relatively short novel, (compared to the 1,000+ page debut novel by the author Dr. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell), the characters of the novel are well fleshed out with interesting personalities, some really interesting world building and also very evocative language flourishes that used to describe what its like to live in this house. The novel also poses a number of questions to the reader an delves into a number of themes including spirituality and faith, nature vs materialism, and what it means to be human. As you start off with the novel, you as the reader are likely to find yourself quite confused about whats going on, but if you stick to the end you are rewarded with a compelling mystery and some interesting questions to ponder over. Overall would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery set in a strange and richly detailed environment. Quotes “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.” The story is told from the perspective of a mysterious person, Piranesi who resides in a vast labyrinth of halls that are filled with elaborate statues and is affected by the tides and the elements. “Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.” The only other companion of Piranesi in this Labyrinth is 'The Other' whom he looks upto as a knowledgeable figure. However later events prove this not to be the case and the book seems to offer a commentary of the danger of following charismatic figures. “The House is the cause of my forgetting... And if the House has made you forget, then it has done so for good reason... It does not matter that you do not understand the reason. You are the Beloved Child of the House. Be comforted. And I am comforted.” At the same time, the book comes across about the value of spirituality and faith, where Piranesi has a child-like wonder of the world and puts his faith in the house and thinks of its as an omnipotent, benevolent entity that sees him and provides for his needs “I do not see why you say I can only see a representation in this World,’.. You make it sound as if the Statue was somehow inferior to the thing itself... I would argue that the Statue is superior to the thing itself, the Statue being perfect, eternal and not subject to decay.” The books title is a reference to the Renaissance artist Piranesi who was famous for his sketches of famous historical landmarks in Italy such as the Roman Colosseum. In some of these he imagined what these structures would have looked like before they fell into ruin which is what is experienced in the many halls Piranesi wanders in compared to the real world where all things decay “I’ve never been very interested in what you might call morality, but I drew the line at bringing about the collapse of civilisation. Perhaps that was wrong. I don’t know. I do have a rather sentimental streak.’.” The book has an underlying humor to it while also dealing with some deep themes such as a the importance of giving time to reflect on what it means to be human “I can pay for things with money –though I still find the process strange and artificial. .. Piranesi wants to say: But I need the thing you have, so why don’t you just give it to me? And then when I have something you need, I will just give it to you. This would be a simpler system and much better!” Piranesi is someone who is well attuned to his surrounding. Hence we finds things that we take for granted baffling, which if you step back and think about it, is actually quite strange, while things we would normally be repulsed by, he sees it as a natural part of life. “I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpreted, and that if ever we discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery.” A key theme of the book is on the importance of giving time for ourselves to take a step back and reflect on what we value in life and what it really means to be human
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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