【英語で読書感想文】Piranesi by Susanna Clarke スザンナ・クラーク『ピラネージ』
Title: Piranesi
Author: Susanna Clarke
Just finished reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke a few days ago and still digesting this uncanny story. I’m not a fantasy person but this book totally captivated me from the very beginning to the end and everything in between!
It’s hard to give an overview of the story without spoilers but I’ll try: The protagonist is a guy called Piranesi and he lives in a huge mysterious house, where there are many rooms, stairs, vestibules and statues. He usually takes care of himself but occasionally has short meetings with another man called the Other. Piranesi writes journal entries about what he did and found in the House. One day he discovers the possibility of the existence of other human beings. Piranesi is excited about the third person but the Other does not look happy about it at all…
I bet you won’t get what’s happening in this world at first. Piranesi is the narrator but it’s immediately apparent that his information and knowledge is limited and there are many secrets the protagonist does not know. We readers have to move forward with few clues so this book may be categorized as a “slow burn”. However, I didn’t have a single doubt to keep reading to the end, probably because the author’s writing is compelling and the storytelling structure is uniquely engaging.
The characters, the house, and every other detail of the story leaves plenty of room for interpretation as allegory or metaphor, which is another reason why I loved the book so much. Now I enjoy reading other readers’ thoughts and observations about Piranesi via websites and podcasts. This book is short but provides us a long-lasting enjoyment after we finish reading it.
P.S.
I didn’t know the author Susanna Clarke and her world-wide bestselling book (according to the Internet) “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell”. I found the book was published in Japanese as well but have never seen anyone even knowing the title.
It's not limited to books, but it's often the case that global hits aren't a hit at all in my country for some reason. It’s another (sad) mystery.
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マジで奇妙な話なんですが、英語はとても読みやすく、惹きつけられました。
日本語版も出ているみたいです。
元の投稿はコチラ↓です。