Anything I can say about this book is wholly insufficient to explain how I feel about it.

This book changed how I see myself. It made me want to be kind to myself. I’ve never felt so much love for a character, and I’ve never felt so sure that a character loved me. I’ve never had a book that was such a perfect answer to the question “What should someone read if they want to understand me?” That so many other people feel the same way makes me feel very understood indeed.

If you think you might be interested in this book, I urge you to avoid reading anything else about it before you open it—having exactly the knowledge the novel gives you, exactly when it gives that knowledge to you, is such an impactful part of the experience of reading this story that it becomes an entirely different book if that learning process happens out of order. You might avoid reading any more reviews, even spoiler-free ones. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you stopped reading this review right now. You might even avoid reading the back of the book. As much as I loved all the forum posts for this book, I was glad to have avoided the forum until I’d finished, although I know a lot of people have fun exchanging theories and guesses as they read.

It’s true of most books that the reading experience depends on what the reader brings to it, but I think it’s especially true of this book. That kind of subjectivity means there will be enormous variety in the details and themes that stand out to each reader, but it also means that everyone’s experience of the early chapters will be different. Not everyone will be convinced right away. When I know a book has a reputation for being profound, there’s a cynical part of me that looks for reasons to roll my eyes—that part of me went to sleep pretty much immediately in this book, but I know it stays awake a while longer for some readers. All I can say is that how you feel about the early parts of this book will almost certainly not be how you feel about the book as a whole. I know someone who considered quitting this book for quite a while, but immediately called it a favorite upon finishing it. If Piranesi doesn’t speak to you right away, you might consider giving it a bit more of a chance than you might give other books, because if this book is for you, it has so, so much to offer.

Even though it’s only been about a month and a half since I read this book, it’s strange to think that there was a time when I hadn’t read it. It’s so rich with detail and emotion that I can’t imagine there’s an upper limit on the number of times I could read it again and still find something new. The experience of reading Piranesi is a world in itself, and I’m so glad I have that world to return to now.