I read Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation after being recommended it by a close friend, who told me she sometimes pictured me as the main character while reading because I am a biologist. At the time, I thought this was sweet. After finishing the book, I am pleased to have been compared to the biologist, but wow, that must have been a heavy read for my friend.
This book is insane. The connections forged between the reader, setting, and main character are incredibly strong despite the lack of explicit knowledge shared throughout. In fact, I feel that its obscure nature at the start is why it grabs the reader so quickly. From the very beginning, the reader craves an explanation, and this explanation is never fully given, but nothing more is needed. The reader expects to explore the setting through the eyes of the main protagonist, but by the end, the main focus of the story is the protagonist herself. The story is not about Area X, it's about the biologist.
[spoilers ahead]
I love the biologist. She has such a distinctive personality that the reader can easy gain familiarity with. She is unlike most people and yet still relatable. Her severe paranoia translates beautifully to the reader, and I found myself questioning every character's judgement because of it, including hers. Later on, as more is revealed about what shapes her perspective, she is developed as a heavily biased narrator. I no longer trusted her but rooted for her nonetheless. I might even like her more after learning of her flaws. I also appreciate how she mentally juggles her own moral priorities, specifically when she states that she does not support the destruction of humanity at the hands of pristine wilderness yet could be convinced. She seems to only care about ecology and wildlife in terms of interests yet recognizes this as her own flaw. As she navigates conflict in the story, her feelings of regret take shape and
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
date: 02/23/2026
I don't have much time to read these days (more like I choose other ways to spend my free time...), but I always want to do it more. During my most recent attempt, I picked up Piranesi by Susanna Clarke after a recommendation from a friend, as it is less than 300 pages. I assumed it would be a quick and easy read that would help me get back into the routine of reading. However, it turned out to have the opposite effect. Not because it was bad--in fact, I would now call it one of my favorite books of all time. No, the problem was that it was too gripping. Too all-consuming. After I put it down, I could not think about anything else, only rewind the tape of what I had just read and try to relive the feelings I had felt while reading it.
[mild spoilers ahead]
Piranesi is the best example of dramatic irony I have ever seen. At the very beginning, you seem to be looking through the eyes of a narrator living in some kind of fantasy world or alternate reality. After the scene is set, it suddenly becomes clear to the reader that something is very, very wrong. As the narrator goes about his business, the reader is aware that his perception of reality is false, and yet no explanation presents itself until the narrator starts to unravel the mystery alongside you. I have never read a book that operates like this, and I loved it.
The plot is fantastic, but the style and mechanics of Piranesi are what make it a magical and unique read. I wish I could read it again without knowing what happens.
