Piranesi by Susanna Clarke!

I won’t lie when I tell you that I picked up this book because of BookTok (I’m living in France right now, of course, they have TikTok here, duh!). I was looking for something apart from a thriller, which I am a sucker for, and wanted a book that is a quick read. And boy, didn’t I read this book within 4 hours and in one sitting!

The heavy use of metaphors in this book didn’t let me put it down. I was dying to know if Susanna was referencing something in real life or not. And, well, the other reason I couldn’t put the book down was because of the cover page. I mean, look at this!

I will try to keep this review spoiler-free and try to give you a reason to go and read this book!

I borrowed this book from my university’s library via the Libby app. I was amazed to see almost no waiting time to borrow this book, which might change after this review goes live smirk.

So, coming back to the book…

”Piranesi” will make you feel utterly lost in a labyrinthine house filled with endless halls and statues. Who needs a straightforward plot or easily understood characters when you can wander aimlessly through a maze of metaphors?

We read the journal of a certain Piranesi, or so the narrator calls himself. He lives in a house that is infinite, a house with endless corridors, rooms, and staircases. The house is filled with statues and the ocean. The house is the world, and Piranesi is its only inhabitant.

Piranesi is a scientist. He keeps a detailed record of where the statues are and takes care of them like his family. His childlike nature is what drew me to him. The way Clarke portrays his innocence and his love for the house was a beautiful touch to the book.

I know all of this sounds kind of weird, but trust me, it’s a good weird. This book is a fantasy thriller that will take you to a world like no other.

I usually get bored of books like this, but this book was a quick read, and I was hooked from the first page. I mean it when I say this because I’m a very picky person when it comes to books, or almost anything in life.

We can take this book in a chill way, or we can take it in a deep, philosophical way. It’s up to you. One can draw multiple interpretations of this book if we decide to go the philosophical route.

But I didn’t do that, at least not yet. I read it as a fantasy thriller and I loved it. I will definitely read this book again and try to understand the deeper meaning of it.

This book was fun to read, I have heard a lot about Susanna Clarke’s other book “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell”, which came out waay back in 2004! Maybe that’s the next book I buy and add it to my ever-growing TBR list!