CBR Square- Mythic
I was talking to my husband about Piranesi after he asked me what I thought about it and I told him I loved it but I didn’t want to spoil any of it so I didn’t know what to say. He told me to just say “and then all died.” Sorry.
Piranesi is a slow building mystery where the main character is in a House by the sea full of statues that is built like a maze. The main character, who doesn’t remember his name but meets once a week with a mysterious and foreboding figure known as The Other who calls him Piranesi. The Other seems shady and untrustworthy to the reader but Piranesi trusts him completely which is strange.
Piranesi knows the House intimately with all of it’s twists and turns and rushing tides and is at peace where he is. The Other is terrified of the house and tells Piranesi he can’t move around in it because he will loose his memories/mind. Piranesi records his daily activities and scientific discoveries in a series of journals which are revealed to the reader. While Piranesi is a calm and soothing presence, the reader is alerted to the fact that Piranesi can’t leave the house and The Other can, and overall The Other doesn’t treat Piranesi well.
So that’s the set up for the book. Where is this House? Is it real? Does Piranesi understand that there is a “real world” outside of the house, and if so, why doesn’t he ask The Other to take him with him when he leaves? There are so many interesting ideas in this book; about life and death and how we care for the dead, and other things I just deleted because they would be significant spoilers.
I read this book because I’m trying to catch up on all of the Hugo award nominees. It’s the kind of book that sticks in your gut afterwards and won’t let you stop thinking about it. I loved it.