![]() Clarke deftly creates a bifurcated perception of the House, allowing us to see it from both Piranesi’s worshipful eyes and also from a more detached perspective. He also has a deep confidence in the House, seeing it as a parent and protector despite the hardships it causes. The Politics of Worldbuilding in “The Thick and the Lean” ![]() From the beginning, he has principles, a strong sense of logic, and a deep confidence in his own mind. In his relationship with the Other, we see his empathy and tolerance, as he works to see the best in the Other despite the dismissive, abusive treatment he receives from him.īut while its main character is innocent and even naive at times in his understanding of human nature, Piranesi is no simplistic Bildungsroman, and its main character is no unformed novice. In this way they know they are not alone.” I speak to them, telling them what I have been doing and I describe any Wonders that I have seen in the House. I bring them food, water and water lilies from the Drowned Halls. “I visit all the Dead, but particularly the Folded-Up Child. We see his kindness in the way he cares for the birds he shares the House with, and his compassion in the way he treats the human remains he has found within it: ![]() The journal shows his sharp mind and his devotion to science and reason, as it contains orderly records of the data he has collected in his explorations of the House: detailed notes about each hall, a catalogue of statues, a table of tides. We come to know him through his journal entries, which reveal both who he is and how he has created a full and meaningful life for himself in the lonely labyrinth. Though the book’s setting is stark and its characters initially few, Clarke nevertheless finds a way to create an endearing, multidimensional character in Piranesi. But when his world collides with another, he is shaken by revelation and unprepared for the choice that will present itself after the tides converge again. Piranesi has learned how to survive in the House, navigating its dangers and getting the food and materials he needs from the sea in its Drowned Halls. While he reveres the Other and is glad for his company, Piranesi has only limited interactions with him, and after their twice-weekly meetings the Other mysteriously disappears to “his own halls,” leaving Piranesi to fend for himself. He is called “Piranesi” by his sole living companion, the Other. Our main character has lived on the House’s middle level for six years, which marks the beginning of his memory. Clouds and mist shroud the highest of the House’s three levels, while the sea surges through the halls of its lowest level, occasionally causing massive, sudden floods when the tides converge. Within the halls are myriad statues, some colossal in size, featuring figures in an infinite variety of forms: a woman carrying a beehive, a young boy playing the cymbals, an angel caught on a rosebush, an elephant carrying a castle. ![]() The House is a vast labyrinth in the form of a limitless white marble temple, its colossal halls linked by unending staircases, doorways, and vestibules. There is no one to help him, as he is alone in his world, the House. ![]() In Piranesi, we meet our main character as he fights to survive a violent and dangerous confluence of tides within his home. Though these features appear in a very different time and place, their effects are still magical. The new novel, Piranesi, bears a family resemblance to its predecessor, sharing its unique creative vision and a detailed approach to the fantastic. Norrell, Susanna Clarke’s second novel has arrived. Sixteen years after the publication of her breakout novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. ![]()
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