I find it very hard to read fiction as an adult. Since my school days, we’ve been taught that books are a valuable source of knowledge and that one should treat books as a serious matter. I’ve had — and probably still have — this mindset for most of my life. Because of that, I usually skip fiction novels. If a book isn’t teaching me something new or helping me grow as a professional, why bother? Books aren’t meant for entertainment, right? If you want to relax, go play some games or watch a movie.
I’m aware that this mindset is wrong and even harmful, so I want to change it. My wife gave me a book from her library — Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. And wow, did I enjoy reading fiction for the first time in many years!
Piranesi lives in a House. There are endless Rooms filled with Statues. There are Floors with Waters and Floors with Clouds. And there are thirteen People in the House — eleven are Dead, and the two living are Piranesi and the Other.
The book grabs your attention right from the start, forcing you to ask questions, so you keep reading, eager to uncover the truth. I often get irritated when books deliberately make their worlds so convoluted that it’s hard to understand what’s going on. But that’s not the case with Piranesi. The rules of this world are simple, even primitive. The real challenge lies not in understanding what is happening, but why.
The worldbuilding is fantastic, and the book itself is very easy to read. The only thing I didn’t quite like was the ending — it felt a little too simple for my taste. There was definitely room for something more imaginative and mysterious.
But overall, if you, like me, often struggle to finish a fiction novel without getting distracted, give Piranesi a chance. You’ll probably finish it in just a few evenings and won’t be disappointed.
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