Lost in the Labyrinth

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Pages: 272 Genre: fantasy, mystery

Rating: 4.5 Star

Kindle Notes & Highlights

Piranesi's home is full of infinite rooms filled with statues, many birds flying around, and an ocean filling the rooms. But Piranesi knows this place better than anybody, and he's not afraid of the tides. He loves and reveres the House. He is alone, except for The Other, who is the only other living person Piranesi knows. Until rumors of another person begin to change everything Piranesi understands about his reality.

Once I got my footing with this book, I really loved it. It was atmospheric, introspective, and very unique. There were some moments where it dragged a bit, but I felt so much for Piranesi that I was always engaged with his story.

Piranesi himself is a really good main character. I was instantly endeared to him, and the use of dramatic irony worked really well. I liked watching him unpack the mystery of his reality, and I thought the circumstances around him were very engaging.

I don't want to talk too much about it because I don't want to spoil the book, but the beginning was a bit disorienting in a way that I really grew to appreciate. The way the mystery was utilized to really emphasize the way Piranesi would've been feeling for the reader, even though our understanding was so different than his, was so effective. I just love the way this story was structured.

I also really enjoyed the religious allusions in the book. To fully appreciate it, I think I'd need to read it again, but I found it to be a fascinating aspect.

The only part that really started to lose me was the very ending. I think the main story was so imaginative and contemplative, but by the end it was getting a bit more literal. I didn't need to be so grounded in reality — while it may have been the point, I just didn't find it necessary.

Overall, this was a very beautifully written book. It's not really action-packed, as you're mostly just watching Piranesi make a series of discoveries, but it's a very engaging and unique story that I still think many readers would enjoy.