Piranesi

Delightful and mysterious, the main character has an infectious joy about him that draws you into his magical world. A lovely piece of fiction.

This book is so special. It's the second book I read this year, and the second one was after I realized I love books that have houses as the main theme or even the character. Here's how I saw the house on this one, it's a place to retreat when everything in the world is overwhelming. The labyrinth and the halls where the familiar routines and faces that Piranesi was entirely comfortable with it's become his safe space. I love it, a world inside of your own.

I entered this house in a dream, leaving it waiting to return.

One-Sentence book review
Insightful book that makes you think about your being while unraveling an interesting mystery throughout the book's story.

Summary, thoughts and notesThe book's narrative is told through a series of journal entries from the main character, Piranesi spends his days wandering through a house made up of a labyrinth of an endless amount of rooms, these rooms are usually filled with statues, all of them different, as well as some wildlife like birds. The basement of the house itself has an ocean with rising tides which on high tide floods the upper, main floors.Piranesi writes on his journal about his daily life, as well as meeting another person twice a week, a person he only calls "the Other", until one day, the Other tells Piranesi to be wary of another person that might get in contact with him. This makes Piranesi very excited, but also doesn't want to make the Other upset, since he's his only acquaintance. The third person manages to get in contact with Piranesi, and gives him clues that lead him to his oldest kept journals, where he documented how he got to where he currently is and the mystery starts unraveling while at the same time Piranesi starts struggling with coming to terms with who he really is.This book really resonated with me, I am definitely in the group of people who love this book, and it's frankly hard to put into words all of my thoughts on it, but suffice it to say that what I've read as points against the book, the repetitive descriptions, boring first half of the book, were not a problem for me. I found the descriptions interesting, they were mostly about statues, sure, but they were interesting. Additionally, I didn't think it was that slow, the second half definitely picks up the pace, but the first half is not really what I would consider slow paced. I love that it's on the shorter side, (< 300 pages in length), the author had a story in mind and didn't add any unnecessary fluff, that plus the themes that really resonated with me, make this one of my favorite reads of the last few years.I thought the book was fantastic, rarely do I read books and still think about them months after finishing them. It feels weird to say that the philosophical themes of the book have stayed with me, but they have. Thinking about who I am, and what makes me... me? Is something I've been thinking since I read this book, and I still think about it.I think the idea of pondering what defines you as a person is the main driving force of the story. Piranesi all throughout the book is enamored with the house, despite acknowledging he doesn't remember anything before the last few years. The author managed to make me think about who I am, and what makes me, me. This is something I hadn't really thought about before, and the fact that it's now been over a week since I read the book and I'm still thinking about it, is a testament to the author's success in transmitting this idea.I've read a few reviews of this book, opinions are very divided in both extremes, most either love it or absolutely hate it. For me, personally, this is a fantastic book, which I'm sure I will re-read in the future and whenever I do so, I'll probably ponder about the same things, although with a new point of view given an older age/more experience, and that's something I'm really looking forward to.I think I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a straight up mystery book, this is not it, the mystery is not the focus of the book, more an instrument that's used to delve deep into its themes, which are more psychological/philosophical in nature. Similarly, I think that anyone not too keen on somewhat repetitive descriptions will fall short for people who the book isn't "clicking with" either.

I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment I had an inkling of what it might be like if instead of two people in the World there were thousands.

This... wow. WOW.
Throughout my reading I came across numerous ways that the text could be interpreted, and I'm very curious to read some of those analyses. For me, there is only one way. Suppression, willing ignorance towards the cause of your pain. To forget is to heal, and to face it head on will only make things worse.
This is one of the most entrancing books I've ever read. It almost feels like it was written for me; the occult, the loneliness, the lingering sense of loss . . . all things I am transfixed by. I almost dropped Piranesi early on, and I am so so glad I didn't. When I became fully invested, I never wanted to leave this World. I'm still there, letting the waves sweep over me. Always I am saved.

Dan & I saw this on quite a few staff picks or suggested reading displays, listed as a “whimsical” or “comforting” read. Dan was upset about this, and said it was nothing of the sort.

So I offered to read it and tell him if he was remembering it correctly.

While the childlike wonder of Piranesi is really wonderful, and probably lends itself to the whimsical label people give it .. it is not a comforting or whimsical tale. It's about deceit, and betrayal, and loneliness.

As usual, Dan is correct.

I love me a good labyrinth. Reminiscent of Gene Wolfe and Shutter Island, where things are not as they seem, but much more accessible.

This was CRAZY!! So long since I read such an original and vividly described fantasy world!

Susanna Clarke's first book, “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” was absolutely amazing. A truly un-put-downable read.

When I learned that “Piranesi” was coming out, I was very excited. But, I guess not reading as much during the pandemic (because I had to work as much, if not more, than before) and life after got in the way.

Finally, when I'm not actually pressured to hit my reading goal this year because I've already surpassed it, I decided to finally turn my attention to “Piranesi.”

There are some beautiful meditative portions of this book. And center of the book was particularly good. But, it took me quite a while to get past the first third and the last third could've been chopped off without harming the story. Perhaps, if this had been a novella, that would have been a much tighter tale.

This book gives such a vivid descriptionof the setting that it makes feel like a real place but still gives of this intangible feeling with it and honestly feels more like a diary than a book; something more personal telling the story of a very interesting person.

I hope you grab this book without knowing anything about the story. Very interesting take on human emotions and needs.

It was quite a struggle for me to understand what was going on at first but once the mystery kicked in, I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it at once

I felt the first chunk was EXTREMELY slow and boring. But as soon as I hit the 40% mark I was hooked! It was so good and I had no idea what was going to happen.

I would highly recommend. I also really enjoyed the way it was written.

Hoo boy, how to even describe this book? Epistolary novel where the plot is entirely through journal entries by this innocent guy Piranesi (except he doesn't think that's his name) that lives alone in a giant endless House except he's also got the Other (who is also alive but presumably lives in a different section of the House), as well as 13 skeletons that he's personified. Not-Piranesi basically fishes and explores the endless Halls of the statue-filled house, and writes in his journal and happily survives. He has no memory of arriving in the House or other people being there.

And then things TOOK A TURN.

Suddenly there's a Prophet, and the Other has been lying, and they're awaiting the mysterious Sixteenth Person, whom the Other says is an enemy, but maybe the Other is the real enemy?

Not-Piranesi was actually kidnapped and trapped in a giant labyrinth that was part of this philopsopher's Other Worlds ritual/theory, where an awful lot of people went missing - probably 13 in fact - and the labyrinth has a way of making people forget, which is why Not-Piranesi can't remember his previous life before he arrived in the House 3-4 years earlier. Oh and people (okay just 16) are looking for him in the real world but couldn't find him because he was NOT in the Real World!

And like, I was pretty engaged in this despite it being WAY outside my usual wheelhouse. So I guess 4 stars? I dunno.

I really love a first person POV story, and journal entries works really well as a framing device in Piranesi. Because the narrator only knows what is at hand, and only shares what they think is right to put down in their journal. And what is at hand is memory, flashes written on my own heart, building the House of the Blessed Child.

I remember years ago I was on the north shore of O'ahu during the winter, when the waves can grow to 50 feet high, and they thunder down on the beach. And when I think about that I can feel the thunder again. The House is a soundscape, a feelscape, I can hear and smell and touch in my body the great ocean, that thunder, the spray and mists, see the quality of light on statues, feel the warmth and also the ice cold of winter shore, hear the calling of all sorts of birds, the quiet of the Drowned Halls. It is very Proustian the way it grows as the Blessed Child writes his journal, just a little taste and the whole space fills out.

It reminds me of the game Myst some, that kind of solitary atmosphere. But in Myst, you are alone and feel strange. The Blessed Child does not feel strange, he is home. And it is only when others come into the House and dredge memories that he feels anything is wrong. Why would he want to leave?

Why would I want to leave?

Thank you to @hardybooks for recommending this.

Very odd book.

Read this in one sitting. LOVED the world, loved the narration, loved the atmosphere... but was ultimately disappointed with how many of its secrets this book was willing to give away. Was really disappointed once it explained literally the whole deal and then turned into a pretty conventional crime drama. Why is there a damn COP stalking through my spooky enigmatic mystery house?!

I found this whimsical-mystery-fantasy to be really enjoyable!

This might have been the most excited to read a book I’ve been because of how great Jonathan Strange by the same author was. It lived up to the hype. Piranesi’s house is the most incredible setting I’ve ever read about and felt like a character as much as the others in the book. The journal entry style made it feel like I was watching the events and mystery unfold exactly as Piranesi did. This was one of the quickest, most immersive books I’ve ever read and I enjoyed every page of it.

“Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.”

4.5/5

It took me awhile to get hooked into this story. The writing is slow, lyrical, and purely vibes at the beginning. We're wandering endless halls full of oceans and statues with very little idea of what is going on. Once the plot is added into this visually stimulating setting, I was completely hooked and finished the book during one flight. 

The world and characters are vivid with a dash of mystery. The culty subplot slowly leaked through journal entries was so well written. Clark is skillful at inspiring both horror and beauty and making you feel like your floating through all her worlds.

The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of itself. It is not a means to an end.

I think this is the fastest I've read a book in many years. It was fantastical art. Everything about it was enchanting and engulfing. It's a classic. I wanted to absorb every word and detail. It might be one of my favourite books I have ever read. 

weird as hell but extremely enjoyable. unfortunately for me the plot was rather predictable tho

obc made me do it

A whirlwind tour of a maddening labyrinth. Like every soft sci-fi book I read, I only wish the concepts were more rigorously explained.