Book Thoughts
Entry 001 (10/4/2026)
Journal-style fiction is hit or miss. I tend to like them more when they’re journals rather than diaries, meant to catalog something. A good writer displays voice and conveys some amount of feeling or bias, giving the events color that way, and so I get the feeling of the thing as well as the “facts”, or at least the truth that the journal writer believes, if they’re even deciding to be honest.
I also like some good ol’ weird fantasy and sci-fi, so getting to explore a unique setting is a huge draw. I want to learn about a place, explore the intricacies and details of how and why it works, or at least as much as can be reasonably ascertained.
I went into Piranesi optimistic - I’d heard good things, and I knew precisely one thing: it was a journal about exploring a weird place.
Because the book starts in media res, we just kinda have to sit and take in the information as given. Fortunately, Piranesi (the titular character) is forthcoming, and in fact loves sharing information. If anything is obscure or otherwise unknown, it is simply because he doesn’t think it is worth mentioning.
It is very clear very early on that he is, in fact, mad. Or at least heavily addled. It becomes apparent when he discuses the date system he’s using to label his journal entries, as well as some rather strange beliefs. They’re extremely self-consistent and based on his keen observations, and he takes substantial joy in exploring and sharing this strange and wonderful place, cataloging its statues and birds and his days.
To someone who is not taking things at face-value, it plays nicely with the reader’s expectations, and I feel like the book rolls reveals out in a good pace, especially given that the main character begins uncovering inconsistencies in his observations.
SPOILER
It wasn’t the biggest shock to find out that Ketterley had been keeping Matthew Rose Sorensen in The House, but the fact that he was also responsible for trapping him there was pretty substantial.
As I leave off this entry, Piranesi and Raphael are being shot at by Ketterley, and I’m wondering how this is gonna friggin’ play out.
Entry 002 (10/7/2026)
Finished the book! It’s quite good - I feel like the conclusion was very satisfying.
SPOILER
Whoever Matthew Rose Sorensen/Piranesi became, it seems like they’ve found some amount of happiness. They’re a very sweet person, and their care for Poor James Ritter at the end was such a wonderful kindness.
Raphael seems like a wonderful person, too - her empathy and curiosity are what make her a great police officer. I’m very glad that she didn’t end up romantically involved with the Narrator. It would have felt trite, forced, and too quick.
Altogether a very satisfying literary experience, and one I’d happily recommend.