Book Club 21 September 2024: Susanna Clarke - Piranesi

[Jason L.]

Update: this has been rescheduled, per Jonny's request.

Join us for a discussion of Piranesi, presented by Jonny!

Jason Locke is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: 21 September 2023: Susanna Clarke - Piranesi
Time: Sep 21, 2024 08:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time

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Meeting ID: 876 8795 6417

 

[Hannah F]

Damn! Loved this book, but I'm away on Saturday and will be driving home during that time.

 

[Pamela Jo]

That is after Huddle correct?

 

[Hannah F]

Actually, all is grand, I'll be there (here) on 21st.

 

[LJ Beck]

Will come if feeling decidedly less zombified.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Will come if feeling decidedly less zombified.

It will be good to see you-but zombies need their beauty sleep. We understand.

 

[Bloo]

It will be good to see you-but zombies need their beauty sleep. We understand.

I sleep plenty, but still scare myself in the mirror. Any other suggestions ?

 

[Bloo]

Thanks for a great time. You have no idea how much I needed this.

@Hannah F and @Jonny - sorry the book really wasn't for me. Guess I'm not the "literary" type.

 

[Jonny]

No worries, Bloo. It would be an odd world if we all liked the same things. Understand your misgivings.

Great to see you back on the ball again.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Ahoy Matey. Glad to see your flag flying again.

It's not as easy book, but I think Matt is right in that there are lessons to be learned. She broke most of the rules of story, but got a lot of people to like it anyway. She is not literary in that sense. Her readers are those who read fantasy genre and I think that is the hook. I love fantasy for the world building not the characters so much. Her desultory character building, which you so accurately noted, is the opposite of literary. But she does know a lot of nerd humanities stuff and there are a lot of easter eggs for humanity nerds which is cool.

The first thing `I read from her was this.
The Ladies of Grace Adieu" was Clarke's first published story. While working on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, she enrolled in a writing course co-taught by Colin Greenland and Geoff Ryman, which required each student to submit a completed short story before the course began. Clarke culled "The Ladies of Grace Adieu" from her incipient novel. Greenland was so impressed with the story that, without Clarke's knowledge, he sent an excerpt to his friend, the fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. Gaiman later said, "It was terrifying from my point of view to read this first short story that had so much assurance ... It was like watching someone sit down to play the piano for the first time and she plays a sonata




Allegory of the cave - Wikipedia. I never really bought this idea. Plato is also known as the father of fascism-so it's not like he was Aristotle or anything.

 

[Bloo]

Ahoy Matey. Glad to see your flag flying again.

It's not as easy book, but I think Matt is right in that there are lessons to be learned. She broke most of the rules of story, but got a lot of people to like it anyway. She is not literary in that sense. Her readers are those who read fantasy genre and I think that is the hook. I love fantasy for the world building not the characters so much. Her desultory character building, which you so accurately noted, is the opposite of literary. But she does know a lot of nerd humanities stuff and there are a lot of easter eggs for humanity nerds which is cool.

The first thing `I read from her was this.
The Ladies of Grace Adieu" was Clarke's first published story. While working on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, she enrolled in a writing course co-taught by Colin Greenland and Geoff Ryman, which required each student to submit a completed short story before the course began. Clarke culled "The Ladies of Grace Adieu" from her incipient novel. Greenland was so impressed with the story that, without Clarke's knowledge, he sent an excerpt to his friend, the fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. Gaiman later said, "It was terrifying from my point of view to read this first short story that had so much assurance ... It was like watching someone sit down to play the piano for the first time and she plays a sonata

Allegory of the cave - Wikipedia. I never really bought this idea. Plato is also known as the father of fascism-so it's not like he was Aristotle or anything.

Hehe...thanks for the GIF. I remember watching the opening scene for the first time. The theater broke out in laughter. Right then we knew the movie would be a good one.

Too bad I look more like Keith Richards than Johnny Depp.

I appreciate for the education and context. Yeah, I fell into the trap of calling something "Literary" when I didn't understand it. The character dev was really meh, tho'.

I don't get a fantasy vibe with Piranesi. The world-building was similar (and well done). Yet despite the beautiful ruin of times past, there was no magic - either within the story or for the reader. I would expect both in fantasy. It's more like a psychological thriller, but without many thrills and even less emotion. Have you seen a film called The Cell? It felt a bit like that to me.

I barely remember the Allegory of the Cave in HS; I didn't buy it either. I didn't know Plato is considered to be "the father of fascism." I'll check that out.

 

[LJ Beck]

Sorry I missed it. Seems like it was a good un.

I did read the book. In the tradition of too little too late... my two cents. I didn't love it but I did finish it and was glad I did. I found there wasn't anything super compelling until the later plot kicked in, and even then, not compelling, but curious enough. But the whole book had this weird vibe undercurrent happening that kept me going. And the writing was good. That said, I found the story was kept at arm's length the whole time, and I didn't really connect to much other than that weird vibe. Like that feeling that all is not as it should be, an unseen creepy sensation that lives in the dark. So she did that really well.

Not my usual fare, but this is what's great about book club! Broadening my horizons.