I’d almost call this a psychological thriller based on the fact that Piranesi spends a lot of time doubting his state of mind and questioning the motives of his enemy. Example: “ENTRY FOR THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIFTH MONTH IN THE YEAR THE ALBATROSS CAME TO THE SOUTH-WESTERN HALLS.” It is almost incomprehensible until you get used to the language and jargon Piranesi uses. Even the way he dates his journal entries with a description instead of a year is awkward to get used to. Piranesi is a bit tough to start because the world is so strange. Imagery and metaphor guide the reader into a lull of literary wonder. Who is Piranesi and why is he here? Can he trust anyone, including himself?Ĭlarke is incredibly imaginative when it comes to creating the House and its unique rules. This new peril causes strife between Piranesi and the Other and causes him to question more than he ever dared before. ’16’ is the 16th person in the world and is coming for them. A happy life.īut his life and happiness are threatened when the Other tells him of an enemy that wishes to do them harm. He lives with the most basic supplies provided by the House or his friend, the Other. He tells his story through a series of journal entries recounting events that have happened over the course of about 6 months. Piranesi is grateful that the House provides for him and offers a means to feed himself and enjoy his life. Of course, there were others before his time, but they are only bones now.
His friend is the Other: the only other living person in the world. The middle halls are the land of men and birds and statues. It is a wondrous universe where the sea floods the lower level halls and the clouds dominate the upper halls. It is his entire world made of a never-ending labyrinth of grand halls filled with statues big and small. “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable its Kindness infinite.” -Susanna Clarke, “Piranesi”
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