book review: piranesi by susanna clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

(no star system)

STORY ✔️

CHARACTERS ✔️

PROSE ✔️

Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: We follow one man’s journey to figure out his current reality, which seems like a maze in the middle of the ocean, quite literally.

One-sentence review: Expectation-bending read that helps us to reflect on our own reality and how to enjoy it. (But you have to hang on until around pg. 80 to get through all the groundwork to the meat of the action)

Overall storytelling/structure: Unique and fresh. At first it was confusing, but then you have to stay in it to find out what happens. 

Writing style/prose: In the end you understand why the story/voice is shared this way. But I desperately feel for the copy editor having to work with the style.

Characters: Well developed, but unfold to us in a backwards way...yes, it is a bit different. At first everything is odd, but then Piranesi’s thoughts and diction become endearing.

Mood: Some dark moments but you are more focused on the solution and hopeful for a happy ending.

Books Similar/Read if you like: this is difficult because I’ve never read a story like this. I’ll read some of the books others recommend that are similar and come back to edit this.