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FantasyPiranesi | Susanna Clarke
Posted December 23, 2020 by lucrecia in Books

A few people mentioned this on spinster a while back, and I just finished it, so figured I might as well make a thread for anyone who wants to say anything. I daresay there will be spoilers so this is your chance to click away if you haven't read. :)

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Misc. thoughts:

This was fun! The descriptions of visual layouts, though dramatic and clear, were somewhat wasted on me, as I have no talent for visualising that sort of thing. But I wasn't bored since they're always grounded in the narrator's attitudes to the details, and the underlying ideas are cool. It's a little like reading someone describing the scenery of a dream (I wondered if that inspired her, though I haven't looked yet), or even a videogame (I'd've loved to see Team Ico do a take on the setting!). In terms of other books, it put me in mind of Garth Nix's Old Kingdom, especially eg: the library of the Clayr, combined with The Secret History (Donna Tartt). I feel like this is The Secret History's cheerful cousin, if a book can be such a thing. I think you could have some fun constructing a crossover, anyway...

And the cover is very pretty.

Feel free to share any thoughts!

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