*Content warning: Spoilers ahead!
I initially picked this book up off the shelf because of the cover image. (Yes, that's right, I DO judge a book by its cover.) The picture on the front is of a half man half goat creature, which I believe is called a satyr. I spent about 3 minutes looking up the difference between a satyr, a minotaur, and a centaur but I'm still not exactly sure which one it is. However, the image intrigued me because I thought the story might have some elements of Greek mythology in it, which I happen to love. Unfortunately, beyond some of the statues described in the book, there really isn't much reference to Greek mythology at all (bummer). There is some pretty spectacular imagery, however.
I'm going to start with what I loved about this novel and try my best to sprinkle in the problems I had with it. First, as I mentioned before, Clarke uses imagery that is stunning and almost poetic. In fact, the writing is so beautiful at points that it almost reads more like an epic poem in certain chapters.
The setting of the story is inside of a giant house with what seems to be endless hallways, vestibules, and staircases. Each hallway has a myriad of doors and inside each door is a different room, filled with extravagant and varying marble statues. But what I found to be the most enchanting of all is that within this elaborate labyrinth is a living, breathing ocean, flowing and sometimes smashing in waves between each room. This setting is what we learn is another world, an abstract concept in stark contrast to reality, which is a direct reflection of the reality we all (well, most of us) live in today.
So, why create these two opposing worlds? As it turns out, the author has created a character balanced on the fine line between brilliance and insanity. This man has discovered that not only do "other worlds" exist, but it is possible to access them and even become lost within them. This isn't explained until close to the end of the novel, though, and so the reader is led to believe that the labyrinth is the only world that exists within the story.
We see this beguiling and artistic world through the eyes of our protagonist, Piranesi. At least, this is what the other person inside the labyrinth chooses to call him. The character who gives Piranesi his name is identified in the novel only as "The Other," as Piranesi does not have an understanding of there being other people in the world. Pirinesi meets with The Other twice a week and discusses the changing tides--Piranesi has memorized when and where the ocean will suddenly surge through hallways and submerge rooms. This is important because if Piranesi did not have this information, he could easily be swept up in the tide's powerful currents and perish.
Because Piranesi's entire world is an ocean trapped in the walls of house, his days make for a very boring storyline. He sometimes catches fish, he looks at statues, he collects seaweed, etc. Not only this, but the book is written through Piranesi's journal and includes intricate titles which are difficult and annoying to read. An example is the opening page:
"When the Moon rose in the Third Northern Hall I went to the Ninth Vestibule"
What a mouthful. Although Piranesi explains his system for documenting his experiences in the coming chapters, there is definitely way too much detail assigned to this task and it becomes exhausting for the reader. By the time readers are introduced to the main conflict, it's almost as if our anticipation for it has been dulled by the pedantic writing style.
As it turns out, Piranesi is actually a young man named Matthew Rose Sorensen, who was tricked into entering this world of waves and endless hallways. As he began to spend more and more time in this other world, his memories of the real world faded, until he had no recollection of who he was. Through the discovery of more journals, and a visit to the to the other world by a police detective, Piranesi begins to discover who he used to be. The detective asks him to come back to the real world, just to see the people who have missed him. Piranesi is hesitant at first, but eventually decides to see what this real world is like, since he can return to his hallways any time he would like.
The concept of the story, to me, is creative and odd. Usually, this makes for a remarkable pairing in my opinion (think The Night Circus), however, I don't think Piranesi pulled off the same magical atmosphere that other novels like it have. Overall, the imagery was stunning, but the story fell flat.
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