Again I won't be able to make the monthly book club I go to so I'm writing down my thoughts on the book instead. This month the book was Piranesi by Sussana Clarke. I didn't recognise the author until I picked up the book and was reminded she was the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrrell, which I read and enjoyed a few years ago after watching the miniseries adaptation.
Piranesi is similarly set in a world similar to our own but with some forgotten magical element that has been rediscovered. In this case this takes the form of an alternate world consisting of hallways full of statues which induces amnesia. We are first introduced to this world by one this world's only current permanent resident, for whom this is the only world they know, but we are soon given hints that this is not the case. We see his journals change from a whimsical dating scheme (e.g. The Year the Albtoss came to the South West Halls) change to a more familiar numerical 2011 as they go further back in time. We meet some of the other people who have entered this world, although only one of these is still alive. This Other knows more about the world than the main character does, and over time reveals his sus nature and his access to our world.
We follow the main character as he comes to learn more about the world, who he is, and how he came to be here, and ultimately, how he leaves the hallways for the real world. It's not a complete return as most of his original memories remain lost and he isn't able to easily slip back into the life that was once his.
The story and the world its set in is intriguing and keeps the reader interested in learning more about it, and the only thing I'm disappointed in is that there wasn't more exploration of the world itself in the story. The aesthetics of the world is inspired by the art of Giovanni Piranesi, the main character and book's namesake. Overall it's a good read that I enjoyed.
