? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

The whole world fits into one house in Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. The structure is neverending with infinite rooms, halls, walls, statues, and paths to take. Trapped inside the endless walls is Piranesi and a whole ocean that threatens to take over the palace. Remains litter the halls, but other than The Other, who visits Piranesi biweekly in a quest for knowledge, he is alone…

Or is he? Piranesi thought he knew everything about his confined world, the only one he has ever known, but when that belief is threatened, it opens up a whole new universe that he might not be ready for. The endless limits he had set for himself might be more restricted than he thought which threatens his entire existence.

Written like a dream, the book beautifully blends the magic of mythology with the process of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge. At the same time, there are themes of isolation and the fight between good and evil.

It can be polarizing: Being a work of philosophical fiction with heavy descriptive language and vague symbolism, not every reader will love this. If you’re a fan of the absurdist Albert Camus or the mystical realism of Haruki Murakami, you’ll likely enjoy this. But if you’re more into fast-paced plots with thrilling suspense, you might not. There’s no doubt that writing is really well done, it just may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

The book is currently sold out at Diwan, but you can find it at Virgin Megastores.

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