Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This is what I would call a top-notch, ★★★★★ read.

A vision of cosmic grandeur, I suppose. A symbol of the mingled glory and horror of existence. No one gets out alive. (177)

---

What is the book about? 

Piranesi is a book of journal entries. The journal entries are being written by a man in his thirties whose name has been given to him by the only other human which lives in the House. He is known as the Other, and the name he has given our protagonist is Piranesi. Piranesi doesn’t feel like this was always his name, but he accepts it. The journal entries detail Piranesi’s movements, daily routines and discoveries as he moves about the House. The House is the entire world in which only two people live. But there are rooms full of water, and tides which Piranesi has noted the patterns, there are birds of all different types, long halls and thousands of statues. He is a Child of the House. But, all is not as it seems in the House, and as Piranesi begins to unravel the mystery, he uncovers secrets that could potentially cause madness. Piranesi’s once beautiful world is becoming something strange, and the more he uncovers, the more dangerous it becomes.

Thoughts and Feelings 

I am absolutely awestruck with this book. I have a feeling this is going to be a short review, not because I didn’t love it (I did), or because I don’t have a lot to say about it (I do), but there just isn’t a lot I can say about it without spoiling it. I thought the writing was beautiful, for a novel set out in journal entries, I thought the language was incredibly evocative, and the journal entries read more like the action or the conversion was happening as you read it, rather than it being a later account. In this way, I was in awe at the writing and I thought the style of writing was the perfect way to express this story. You are in the mind of Piranesi the entire time, and for once, I was thankful we only had his thought process and point of view. As Piranesi discovers secrets and uncovers mysteries, you are right there along with him, which is why I just could not put this book down. It’s atmospheric, strange, beguiling and so complex. Not everyone will like this book (as with all books). It wanders from hall to hall, slowly opening up and the magical realism-esq feel of this book is probably why I loved it so damn much. If you’re looking for action and a straightforward plot, this is not the book for you.

Not everything about the Wind was bad. Sometimes it blew though the little voids and crevices of the Statues and caused them to sing and whitle in surprisnig ways; I have never known the Statues to have voices before and it made me laugh for sheer delight. (28)

The House is absolutely phenomenal. There are hundreds upon hundreds of great halls and corridors, there are rooms which open to the sky above, rooms with no windows, rooms full of water, rooms full of clouds, and birds of many types who have found a home in the House and its walls. The description of the House, and the way Piranesi interacts with it is such a pleasure to read, as he treats everything and every creature with respect and kindness. The labyrinth of rooms and corridors is also laden with statues; thousands upon thousands of statues. Many of these statues depict actions and concepts that do not exist in the House, such as gardening and beekeeping. Many of the statues are imbued in metaphors, and many depict figures and creatures from mythology such as minotaurs and satyrs. I found that, although this book had nothing to do with mythology, the whole thing made me think of the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and the notion that only one person survives the labyrinth, and it was 99% of the time, the Minotaur (there’s a chance that I blame Erica over at Moaninc for this, but I am so glad for it). It was like this constant feeling that not everything was as it seems. This book exudes a whisper of mythology, but is rooted in the idea of a higher order of being, in Piranesi’s case, the House. It’s so hard to explain the way in which the beliefs and rituals of civilisations passed such as Ancient Greece, are woven into the foundations of this tale (to me, at least).

I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment I had an inkling of what it might be like if instead of two people in the World there were thousands. (59)

That’s all I’m going to say about this book, simply because I don’t want to say too much and ruin anyone else’s experience whilst reading this book. I’m sure people have gotten more out of the metaphors and subtleties from this book than I have, but I say thought it was a spectacularly written story with an incredibly original and unique plot. I absolutely adored it. I would recommend that you read this in as little sittings as possible. It is best experienced as undisrupted as possible. If you have read this book, I would LOVE to chat with you about it!! Please chuck a comment down below or find me at @kell_read on Instagram!!

Review: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

★★★★☆

Lore by Alexandra Bracken was described to me as a Greek Mythology x Hunger Games vibe, and honestly, after reading it, I agree wholeheartedly. Every seven years, nine of the 12 Olympians are turned mortal and sent to earth for one week, in an event called the Agon. During the Agon, the mortal bloodlines of infamous Greek heroes such as Perseus, Odysseus, and Achilles hunt the gods, and if they kill one, they assume the gods’ immortality and power. Lore Perseous left that life many years ago, but when her friend Castor (whom she assumed was dead) and a gravely injured Athena both turn up in her life at the beginning of the Agon, she is thrust back into the world she truly hoped she had left for good.

I always find it easier to talk about things that I didn’t like (I don’t know why that is), but for this book, there was only a couple of things, so let’s start with them! The first was the writing itself, every now and then Bracken would write something like ‘half-past eleven o’clock,’ and I feel like the ‘o’clock’ just feels off-kilter. Also, there were a number of instances where I had to re-read a sentence because the phrasing just didn’t make any sense to me. I would also say that it’s quite a long book (my edition is 547 pages), but it only covers 7 days in total (although there are flashbacks throughout the story). I had a recommendation from Erica that it isn’t a book you can draw out, it’s best read in as little sittings as possible, and honestly, I agree! I read the first 270 pages in around three weeks, and the last 270 pages in about 5 hours, and I enjoyed the second half of the book more than I enjoyed the first half! I would have LOVED more to do with the new gods, I feel like they could have taken more space in this story than they did. I also feel like this book could have been improved with multiple points of view (although to be fair, I think this about most books I read that are only a single POV). Reading parts of this from the eyes of someone like Miles who is ‘unblooded’ and just thrust into this world, or Castor who goes through such an incredible arc could have added a bit more substance into the world building and the Agon.

‘It was a morbid sort of marathon relay, with immortal power as the baton being passed between bloodlines.’ 

Alexandra Bracken

Okay, on to all of the good stuff!! This book was so action-packed, but it never felt overwhelming. This was such a fresh and unique way of bringing Greek gods and Greek mythology into an urban setting, which actually took me a bit to get used to. The idea that the gods could be killed, and then when a human took their powers they also chose a new name for themselves and would be referred to as ‘the new Dionysus’ for example is so different from any other book I’ve read. I loved the fact that Bracken kept this story in the world we know, and if you were from New York, I can only assume that the places and street names mentioned would have been very familiar!

I think one of the things that really struck me was the bloodlines, and their beliefs. These groups of people are all descendants of these ancient heroes, heroes that we would be familiar with, but they’re living in the world we know today. They descend from these great heroes and they believe in the Greek gods, yet their religious practices and social order barely altered in over 2,000 years. I found the contrast between these families believing in archaic systems of men basically owning women, and prohibiting women to be heads of the family or in any position of power, with the modern world which is working SO HARD to disestablish these ideas to be pretty shocking. There is this one scene in one of the flashbacks that literally made my skin crawl. the inequality between men and women that we are still fighting today has been an integrated part of societies for as long as history traces back. We are aware of the lack of choice, of voice, and of freedom that women were given in most (not all) ancient societies and no one today pretends that the way ancient societies functioned wasn’t inherently misogynistic. But reading these antiquated beliefs functioning in the modern world, with most of the characters accepting it because ‘that’s the way their world is’ was much harder than I thought it would be.

‘she was merely reborn as a being who could gaze back at the world, unafraid’

Alexandra Bracken

The occasional banter in this book was such a highlight, plus the way the main characters Lore, Castor, Miles, and Van all converged in a very cute, found family sort of way. The way the four of them all worked together, and worked to each other’s strengths was a dynamic in this story which I really, really enjoyed. Although, I was never really sold on Lore’s friendship with Iro. I just didn’t feel the depth of their relationship like I did with her and Miles, Castor, and even Van. Having Athena as the main god that Lore interacts with was such an interesting choice, one that I really liked. Athena is the goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, crafts, and defender of cities and towns. Many of her responsibilities lend themselves to the story which played out in Lore, and I thought she was the perfect choice. I thought the character of Lore was so multi-faceted and three-dimensional. Her constant battle between avenging her family, her guilt, her need for survival, her desire for a normal life, and her inability to forget who she is and who she was brought up to be makes this book even more interesting. Reading from the point of view of a character so conflicted was so compelling, and one of the best parts of this book.

“Sometimes the braver thing is to accept help when you've been made to believe you shouldn't need it.”

Alexandra Bracken

At one point, Lore brings up Athena’s history and her tendency to give her favour to male heroes, and, using the example of Medusa, her history of turning her back on women. This was another moment for me where the issues of Greek Mythology came rushing back in stark contrast to the modern world. The story of Medusa isn’t often depicted as a happy one. The beautiful Medusa (one of the three gorgons) was seduced by the god of the oceans, earthquakes, and horses, Poseidon, in a temple to Athena. In retaliation for desecrating her temple, instead of punishing Poseidon, she turned Medusa into a monster with snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone with one look. The face of Medusa was depicted on Athena’s shield, known as an Aegis, and is the symbol of the House of Perseus (Lore’s bloodline). The plotlines, character motivations and underlying mythological background interwoven throughout this book keeps you constantly on your toes as more information is revealed. It is an intricate balance of modern life, ancient beliefs, and an epic hunt, and Bracken executed it brilliantly. If you want a book that brings ancient myths, gods, and beliefs into an urban setting like you’ve never seen it before, this is the book for you. If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments, or you can find me on Instagram at @kell_read!

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

★★★★★

Putting words down for how I feel about this book, how it made me feel reading it, is proving to be an incredible challenge. It is intriguing, dazzling, beguiling, wondrous, mesmerising and whimsical. It was soft, gentle and absolutely nothing like how I imagined it, and I am so incredibly glad.

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

Erin Morgenstern

The book is about a circus, which isn’t really anything like a circus. It all began with a challenge, a girl named Celia and a boy named Marco. This challenge has rules, but Celia and Marco don’t know them, and it takes them many years to fully understand the stakes upon which they are battling. However, it is the most thoughtful, gentle and elegant challenge, with each move made with purpose and intention. There was no action in this book, it was an incredibly slow burn and the romance is subtle, yet fits in perfectly with the book.

It was written out of time, with the beginning of each chapter probably in a different location, day or year than the one before. Its disorienting, like the entrance to the circus; you don’t know where you are, or where anyone is but you know if you keep going, you’ll be in the circus. The writing was so spellbinding, just as the magic in this book. It’s impossible to describe my feelings about this book, its soul is the circus, and the circus is nothing without those making it what it is. The Rêveurs were such a wonderful idea, and I will be a Rêveur for this book, forever. 

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

Erin Morgenstern

I want nothing more than to experience a circus like this, and I know I haven’t done this book justice with this review, but it is truly impossible. The characters, every single one (and there were many), were fleshed out, unique, and utterly pivotal to the story. They were (almost all), morally ambiguous, which heightened the level of ‘realness’ to this. People aren’t purely good or bad, people make bad choices, and the actions of the characters in The Night Circus, were so incredibly believable within this dazzling world. I will have to shout out my two favourite characters, Poppet and Widget. They brought something to the book that no other characters did, it’s an indescribable quality, but it’s there nonetheless. 

From the first chapter, and the obvious link to William Shakespeares The Tempest, I knew I was in for a story about spirits and illusions, magic and performances, and that’s exactly what I got. This book is much like Le Cirque de Rêves, it is beautiful, mystifying, and unique, and only with you for a short while. This book will not be for everyone, there is no action, it is not fast-paced, and there is no steamy romance, but it is probably one of the most intricate books I have ever read, and I implore you to give it a try.

Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

★★★☆☆.5

This book was good, I love VE Schwab’s writing style, it is the most poetic prose that I’ve encountered in a long time. I’m a fan of stories that are gentle, and don’t have crazy battle scenes or fast paced action, but I never got really hooked into this like I thought it was. Maybe I was coming in with too high expectations since so many people have absolutely adored it and sobbed at the end and so forth. It just never demanded to be picked up and read. I could always put it down at any point. 

I really enjoyed the beginning with Addie in France, I loved her grappling with the possibility of a pointless and static life (I feel that), and her initial meeting with the darkness. And then I didn’t enjoy it quite so much, but when Henry was introduced that definitely picked up the interest. He’s such an interesting, and to me, relatable character in so many ways. Also, a cat called Book will always make me happy. I really liked the ending, the last 5-10 pages I thought were such a great way to end the book, but also not really where I thought was going which was a good note to end the book. 

I don’t know, it was just missing something for me but I can’t really put my finger on it. Don’t get me wrong, overall I really enjoyed it, but it just isn’t 5 stars for me.

“What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.” 

VE Schwab