A book that is very hard to describe and even harder to forget. Clocking in at only about 250 pages (quite the turnaround from her last book, [b:Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|14201|Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|Susanna Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1357027589l/14201.SY75.jpg|3921305], which has over 1,000), it tells the story of Piranesi, a man wandering / exploring in a huge labyrinth. He carefully journals his travels, tides and statues. Oh the statues! And twice a week, he meets with The Other, the only other being he knows, to see what the plans are. But gradually his situation become clearer to him and he begins to wonder about his place of "entrapment".

Wow. Just wow. It took a bit for me to get into the book, but much like the main character, I quickly became surrounded by the labyrinth itself and his meticulous descriptions. I am sure the character must be named after Giovanni Battista Piranesi, an 18th century architect and artist, famous for his (fictitious and atmospheric "prisons"). And how the story ever so slowly unfolds itself and gradually worms its way into "reality" is truly amazing.

And yup, tears were even shed by the end. I became completely engrossed in the book and it clearly became a "can't put this down". She weaves a true magical realism through every believable page and you really inhabit both the world and Piranesi himself. A real master work of psychological writing. Wow.