Piranesi by Susanna Clarke BOOK REVIEW

"I placed my hand on my chest. Hush now! I said, Do not be afraid."

It's been a hot minute since I've read anything traditionally published. I was in such a life rut that I wasn't able to use more than 1/8th of my brain for a while, so I was looking to read something short and had mostly good reviews. In comes Piranesi, and what a great book to get (re)started! 

I don't want to spoil this book because it's true when they say the less you know about the book, the better. As someone who tried to avoid seeing any spoilers of this book I'd say the experience was heightened and every page was thrilling to encounter as I didn't know where it would bring me. It did take me a while to get into, but it's largely a me problem. The descriptions are lush and paints a clear picture in the mind but girl, I'm half a brain cell gone. The Virus ate it away. Please forgive me. If I had more space in my head I would have read every word but for some more wordy description paragraphs my eyes just skimmed the contents. But what's great is unlike some superfluously and pretentiously adjective-d books a slight glance was enough for me to understand what was happening.

It's a bit difficult to write a review on a book I'm unwilling to summarize but I'll try: mysterious, curious, wonderful, revealing, and devastating. Those are the words I think best suit this book. A loveable main character, mystifying side characters, and a setting so inviting as to be akin to a siren's call. Short, sweet, and a treat to read.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars!

My Storygraph review