Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Piranesi lives in a house containing 7,678 halls, all full of statues and birds, and all of which are combined by halls. As a scientist he keeps meticulous journals about the sun, moon, stars and tides, along with minute details about the locations of the halls and statues. It's a very simple and lonely existence but he has a lot to keep himself busy - collecting rain water, fishing, cooking his meals, and collecting and drying seaweed. "The Other" is the only other person in the house, and they meet twice a week for a one-hour meeting.
I became immersed in the magical world of Piranesi, watching as the story unfolded, trying to figure out the mysterious house and inhabitants. Piranesi's story is being told through his journal entries and the descriptions are very evocative. This genre is considered fantasy / magical realism and is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I was enthralled by the world in which he lived. It's a difficult book - both to read and to describe to others - but it definitely makes you think. I was able to discuss it at book club last night which was helpful in coalescing my thoughts about it. It certainly was a unique reading experience!
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