I’ve read minor complaints about a lack of character development, but those seem to miss the point. Small & simple it may be, the construction is nonetheless intricate, and even though its artifice clearly shows – Clarke doesn’t try to hide it – the emotional effect of Piranesi was deep and unexpected. ![]() The book’s descriptions in the press of the rococo setting obfuscate the fact that Piranesi is at heart a very simple, small story. It is mostly the result of careful, deliberate construction, not of some spectacle in the plot. Piranesi is a tragic figure, and Clarke wonderfully managed to evoke traumatic personal dissociation – truly a tour de force, especially as she uses so little means to do so. The fact that the book is named after the title character is a strong indication he is the focus, not The House. At the same time, the oblique early revelations make it clear Clarke’s endgame is not the mystery, but the psychological portrait of the main character. I’ve seen the book’s biggest shortcoming identified in other reviews as well: earlier than expected the central mystery becomes reasonably clear to the reader, and for a while that results in less narrative tension. There are links aplenty – disenchantment for one – but Piranesi deserves to be treated & read as its own thing first. I will not say anything about its relationship with Jonathan Strange & Mr. I do think this review is safe for those who haven’t read it yet, but as I will try to unravel some of the book’s philosophical underpinnings, there will be mild spoilers – even so, nothing you can’t guess after about 30 pages in. Taken as a whole, Piranesi succeeds brilliantly, and easily stands among the very best I’ve read this year. Not that this book is a 100% triumph, but it would be foolish to dwell on its few, minor flaws too long. So I entered The House with a certain reservation, but Clarke’s narrative powers quickly swept me away. Clarke’s short story collection wasn’t fully successful, and the early descriptions of this new novel hinted at a dreamlike, labyrinthine, magic-realist puzzle – not really my cup of tea. My expectations for Piranesi were lukewarm.
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