"THE BEAUTY OF THE HOUSE IS IMMEASURABLE, ITS KINDNESS INFINITE": A SPOILER-FILLED BOOK REVIEW OF PIRANESI

Source: NYPL

Piranesi Book Review

I finished Piranesi a few days ago and I'm still not entirely sure how to describe it.

It's one of the strangest books I've ever read, but also one of the most beautiful. Going in, I knew almost nothing about the story other than the fact that people loved it.

For the first fifty pages, I was completely confused. Who is Piranesi? Why does he live in an endless House filled with statues? Why are there oceans inside the building? Why does he keep talking about birds and tides like they're old friends?

I didn't understand what was happening, but I also couldn't stop reading. What surprised me most was how quickly I became attached to Piranesi himself. He's such a genuinely kind character.

In a lot of books, innocence can feel unrealistic or annoying, but here it never did. Even when the evidence starts piling up that something is terribly wrong, Piranesi continues to approach the world with curiosity and gratitude. That made the truth hit even harder.

The reveal that Piranesi is actually Matthew Rose Sorensen wasn't shocking because I'd guessed there was some sort of memory manipulation happening. What shocked me was the emotional impact of it. By that point, I'd stopped thinking of him as Matthew. He was Piranesi.

When the pieces finally came together and it became clear that Ketterley—the "Other"—had essentially stolen his identity and trapped him inside the House, I was furious. The casual way the Other treated him throughout the novel suddenly felt much darker.

Looking back, it's amazing how many red flags were there from the beginning. The Other constantly dismisses Piranesi, lies to him, and treats him as a tool rather than a friend. Yet, because we're seeing everything through Piranesi's perspective, it takes a while to fully appreciate how manipulative he really is.

The journals were probably my favourite part of the book. Every new entry felt like discovering another piece of a puzzle. At first they seemed random, but eventually they became the key to understanding everything.

And then there's the House itself. I don't think I've ever read a setting that felt this alive. Most fantasy worlds are impressive because they're detailed. The House is impressive because it feels mysterious even at the end. We learn more about it, but it never loses that dreamlike quality. Part of me actually preferred the sections before the mystery was solved. Once the story enters the "real world," I found myself missing the endless halls and statues almost immediately.

That's probably the biggest compliment I can give the book.

The ending was also much more emotional than I expected. I liked that Susanna Clarke didn't completely erase Piranesi once Matthew regained his memories. The novel could have treated Piranesi as a broken version of Matthew, but instead it suggests that both identities matter. That final idea stuck with me.

Piranesi isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone. If you need fast pacing, constant action, or clear explanations from the start, you'll probably struggle with it. But if you're willing to spend time wandering through a strange world and slowly uncovering its secrets, it's a genuinely unforgettable experience.

It's rare for a book to feel this unique. Months from now, I'll probably forget some of the plot details.

I don't think I'll ever forget the House.

Thanks for reading my Piranesi book review! Stay tuned for the next book review—there's always another book waiting to completely take over my life, and I'll be here to talk about it.

Until then, happy reading!