When the Moon rose in the Third Northern Hall I went to the Ninth Vestibule to witness the joining of three Tides.
I tend to have the same dreams over and over again. And the dreams are so common that it’s starting to reach the point where I am somewhat aware I am asleep, although I can’t really control what’s going on. It’s almost like lucid dreaming but without the fun part. But in these dreams, I am intimately familiar with what’s about to happen and with my surroundings, no matter how strange things are. Reading Piranesi was like the same.
In the novel, Piranesi—although he insists this is not his real name—only remembers ever existing in The House. He spells his time travelling through its many halls, documenting his journey within his diaries, and occasionally interacting with The Other, a man he works with to better understand the place he lives in. But his life becomes even stranger when The Other reveals someone dangerous has infiltrated The House, and has the power to manipulate anyone’s mind. And to make matters worse, Piranesi learns his memory isn’t as reliable as he had thought when he discovers diaries he has no recollection of writing.
I read Piranesi at the start of this month and I still haven’t really gotten over it. There is something so mesmerising about this book, something so sinister and yet comforting about the world Susanna Clarke has built that I couldn’t help but devour it.
When you first begin this novel, the language and the setting lures you into thinking that it is just a typical fantasy story. But little by little, Clarke reveals small clues here and there that make you question exactly what is going on. Just like in a dream, you know something is off but you just don’t know what it is.
Piranesi is supposed to be a seasoned guide of The House, and you have to trust he is not steering you in the wrong direction. But even he doesn’t know exactly how everything works—he just treats his environment with a devotion only reserved for deities, with the utmost faith that everything is part of some greater plan to which he is not privy. And when he begins to question his own reality, you are destabilised and lost along with your guide.
In the way, Piranesi is a very romantic and intoxicating experience. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the book the more I read, even though I was kind of lost at first because of the language. (We all know I struggle with fantasy anyway.)
The only minor complaint I have is the titular event I was told to expect from the synopsis doesn't actually happen until a few hundred pages in. And during my first read through, because of this mindset, it felt as though the story doesn’t actually happen until much later. But in hindsight, the novel’s pacing doesn’t have any issues; I just have beef with the synopsis.
If you’re looking for something a little odd, a little out of the norm lately, wanting something to match that creeping dread you feel every day, I cannot recommend Piranesi enough.
Rating: 5/5
July Round-up
It’s been a slow reading month this July. I recently just finished out my work contract and in the mess of trying to wrap up everything before I left, reading fell by the wayside. But I did still manage to finish four books—one per week—although it did take me a little longer to work through each of them, including our friend above.
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber
If you struggle to feel as though your job has any meaning, it’s not you, it’s the way capitalism is set up. Expanding on his viral 2013 essay, Graeber delves into how modern jobs work to keep you entrenched in a joyless machine that only benefits the rich. Reading this book made me realise just how useless and unhelpful my day job is (not related to my contracts ending) and I half wish I didn’t read this.
Rating: 4/5
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
When Nina turns 32, what is in store for her is only the “weirdest” year of her life. She’s finally ready to start dating again post-divorce, only to find that what men are available are left behind for a reason; her friendship groups are slowly dissolving as everyone pursues their own dreams of a white picket fence and two children; plus her dad is developing dementia and the only carer available is her mum, who is going through her own identity crisis. Alderton’s debut novel is insightful in a very natural way and it broke my heart as someone whose grandfather is also suffering from dementia. If I was single, I think this book would have killed me.
I will be reading GHOSTS very soon, thanks to your summary/review. Thank you!
I will be reading GHOSTS very soon, thanks to your summary/review. Thank you!