...(book review) piranesi by susanna clarke

PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke
Published: Sep 2020

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Piranesi lives in the House.

Perhaps he always has.

"...I heard the Tides roaring in the Lower Halls and felt the Walls vibrating with the force of what was about to happen."

Piranesi is the long anticipated new release from the bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and I was so excited to get my hands on it! I had it on pre-order and fell upon it ravenously the moment it arrived on my doorstep.

Piranesi is the Beloved Child of the House, a great sweeping labyrinth of endless halls that he knows by heart and walks daily to document, though he has never reached the end of them. The lower halls provide him with food from the seas, the upper with fresh water that rains from the clouds. "The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite."

Piranesi believes he has always occupied the House, and that it had always provided for him as it does now. 

The halls are filled with statues and the bones of previous residents, but when it comes to human interaction, Piranesi is restricted to infrequent visits from "the Other" whom he meets with twice a week and reports his recordings of the house. Beyond that he is alone and meticulous in his solitude.

This novel is considerably shorter than its predecessor, but the strange and archaic feeling of the writing and the fantastical element of the genre make it just as intriguing and unusual to read.

The story is told by Piranesi himself though a series of journal entries dated by his own system of naming the years, for example: the eighteenth day of the fifth month in the year the albatross came to the south-western halls.

In these journals he records everything he sees. He documents information as it's revealed to him, and refers back to past happenings when his memory fails him. The House, it seems, has a way of making you forget. And Piranesi has been a resident within its walls for some time.

The first third of the book, although cryptic and mysterious, is arguably uneventful as Piranesi details the House, the Tides, the statues etc. I can't describe this as an action packed Fantasy Fiction that keeps you desperately turning pages, but rather a curiously paced unveiling of hidden and past truths, and a clever weaving of knowledge and magic.

The fantasy you find in this book is integrated so seamlessly that we feel it is a natural part of the world that we've simply forgotten how to access. An archaic knowledge that we've lost, but can still reach if only we know how.

I enjoyed every word of this book and cannot praise Susanna Clarke's newest creation highly enough.

I recommend you read PIRANESI (2020), but also her previous books JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL (2004) and THE LADIES OF GRACE ADIEU (2006).

Let me know your thoughts. I hope you're as entranced by Piranesi as I was myself.

Zuzu 🖋

Find me across social media @zuzuspages on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest

...autumn equinox

Here comes Autumn Equinox, riding in on the back of a belated heatwave here in England. When did the seasons become so dysfunctional?

No matter! Come rain or shine, I'm diving determinedly into my Autumn activities with extra enthusiasm this year. I feel like the festivities that Autumn and Winter bring are being greeted with even more fervour this year since Spring and Summer were unpredictable and a little bit of a write off due to the pandemic. Everyone wants to escape into some festive fun and remove the pressure of planning activities in the sun to fill long summer days. Now we have a good excuse to stay indoors and watch cosy films, or sit in our gardens drinking apple cider and melting marshmallows around a firepit.

Let the good times roll!

I've got a seasonal checklist that sees me thought till Christmas every year:

🍁 unpack jumpers and keep them on standby 

🍁 swap out your Spring/Summer décor with warmer tones for Autumn/Winter

🍁 collect conkers, pine cones and autumn leaves to wax and display around the house

🍁 drink pumpkin spiced lattes at every opportunity

🍁 visit a pumpkin patch or a pick your own farm

🍁 put pumpkins EVERYWHERE!

🍁 bake seasonal muffins - apple and cinnamon are my personal favourite

🍁 decorate the front of the house for Halloween

🍁 keep sweet treats everywhere

🍁 make a Halloween playlist

🍁 DIY a Halloween costume

🍁 bust out the festive films: Hocus Pocus, Corpse Bride, Labyrinth, Monster House, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Beetle Juice, Edward Scissor Hands, Halloween Town, The House With A Clock In It's Walls

🍁 stock up on hot chocolates and marshmallows

🍁 scatter snuggly blankets on beds and sofas

🍁 make pumpkin soup

🍁 buy autumn candles - and sometimes pre-emptive Christmas candles too

🍁 go on picturesque walks and appreciate the beauty of the leaves changing

🍁 make the most of the rainy days for cosy reading time

🍁 read spooky books (follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks at my October reads!)

I'm sure there will be an abundance of such blogs available to read as Autumn Equinox approaches, but this time of year I really am living my best life.

I've always been incredibly inspired by the seasons, and I think it's evident in my writing as it transitions with me throughout the year. I fully expect the Autumn months to shed a layer of dust from me and bring new colour to my writing and also my writing habits.

In a few months time, November will bring us National Writing Month, and although I've never officially taken part in NaNoWriMo (an annual internet-based writing project), I am very motivated by the concept of it. My work load is a little lighter this year than it normally is, so maybe this year will be the year I commit. We'll see what November brings!

I hope you're all as excited for Autumn as I am. I know it sounds as though I'm wishing the year away, but I promise I relish and savour the second half of the year enough to make it count. Let me know if your Autumn check list resembles mine, and if you'd add anything!

There's undoubtedly going to be some autumn content both in this blog and on my socials, so make sure you're following me @zuzuspages on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Zuzu 🖋

...everything's a story

"Everything's a story - You are a story - I am a story." 

- Frances Hodson Burnett, A Little Princess

I don't know about you, but I love buying second hand and vintage, whether I'm shopping for books,  clothes, or especially furniture. I like knowing that almost everything I own came with its own past and story before it came to me. And that, in buying it, I've become part of that story too.

It's like owning a piece of history.

Sometimes the story isn't visible at first glance, but you know it must exist, and it's fascinating to think about what sort of person a 1920's cameo ring might have belonged to, for example. Its appearance alone suggests a certain fashion and era. Where it's been and what's it touched? Was it a gift? Was it passed down from generation to generation before ending up on a stall at a vintage market and finding it's way onto my finger 100 years later?

I've mentioned before that I take writing inspiration from the things around me. In my "ode to my desk" blog, I mentioned a couple of thought provoking trinkets that sit on my desk. A silver pocket watch being one of them. This is something I actually acquired in a raffle, and chose because I was intrigued by the sun and moon images that rotate into view dependant on the time of day. The sun and moon are incredibly relevant in my book THE BLOOD DRAGON, and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it!!! I'd wanted one of my characters to have a pocket watch, and to always be winding it, and so it was immediately situated on my desk as inspiration.

It's personal preference of course, but I like the character and fortitude of old things. Being surrounded by them creates a specific feel and environment, that influences a lot in my life, including my writing style, the blogs I write, and the way I orchestrate photos to post on social media.

I've got my favourite antique haunts, and amongst them I know I'm sure to find something that is not only unique and quirky, but that hints at the origin of the item I'm buying: a hat box labelled with an inked description of the hat it originally contained, a beaten-up travellers trunk with the initials of its owner printed on the side, a second hand book with a handwritten message to its previous owner penned into the cover. All examples of imperfections that to me can make an item so special.

If you're Kent based in England and would like some recommendations for vintage or second hand shops, I'll list some of my favourites below with website links:

- Chart Sutton Antiques in Chart Sutton, Maidstone, Kent

- Corner House Antiques in Lenham, Maidstone, Kent
- Trash or Treasure Second Hand Store in Maidstone, Kent
- Strand Quay Antiques in Rye, East Sussex
- Allsorts Antiques Vintage & Collectables in Headcorn, Kent

And many more! 

Feel free to add suggestions into the comments below!

I hope you enjoyed this random little blog entry. I'll be posting again next Monday at 6pm. Until then, you can find me across social media @zuzuspages on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest

~ Zuzu

...my fifteen favourite book to film adaptations

Alright,  I confess it! This is a little bit of a cop out blog, owing to the fact that I'm feeling sorry for myself following a wisdom tooth extraction. Because of this, I'm not feeling my most creative. All I want to do it sit on my sofa and indulge in films and books. Which frankly is what's inspired this weeks blog topic: BOOK to FILM recommendations!

I could write about these for days, and I struggled to limit myself to just 15! Feel free to add to these in the comments below, or to contradict me if you disagree!!

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA by Arthur Golden

Published: 1997

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII, Novel

Film adaptation: 2005

Directed by: Rob Marshall | Produced by: Steven Spielberg

This is a film I would probably never have watched had it not been for a friend of mine who introduced me to it. I was moved by its beautiful artistry that lends itself to the subject matter of a Geisha, a word that literally means Artist. When I saw that it was adapted from a book, I knew I had to read it. The film has stayed very true to the author's voice and I think the story told is incredible. 

The novel is told from the perspective of Chiyo, whose parents sell her to a geisha house in Kyoto Japan before the start of the second world war, where she's to be trained in the customs that will one day allow her to become a geisha herself. No more spoilers, but definitely a must-read and a must-watch!

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN by E. Nesbit

Published: 1906 

Genre: Children's Literature, Domestic Fiction

Film adaption: 1970

Directed by: Jason Figgis & Ross MacGibbon

This book and this film are both nostalgic classics in my opinion. There have been many adaptations of the original novel, but the 1970 film remains my personal favourite. Like so many great adaptions, the cast is crucial in making this one great. The characters are cast and played as I imagine them in the book. It's such a simple, feel good story, and it translates so well to film.

LITTLE WOMEN by  Louisa May Alcott

Published: 1968
Genre: Children's Literature, Bildungsroman

Film adaptation: 2019

Directed by: Greta Gerwig

This latest film adaption of this classic novel touches on the story and the characters in ways that no adaptation has succeeded in before, in my opinion. I feel like it's been approached from a feminist perspective, possibly because of the female director and the strong female cast lending insight to the various trials faced by the characters. I felt it examined the struggles of women in history and addressed that it's okay for us to want more for ourselves. I loved Saoirse Ronan as Jo. She fit the character description perfectly, and brought Jo to life. 

This book is such a favourite of mine, and it brought me joy to see it brought to life so successfully!

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett

Published: 2009

Genre: Historical Fiction

Film adaptation: 2011
Directed by: Tate Taylor

There is a quote from this book that I'm sure will sound familiar: "You is kind, you is smart, you is important." I love it so much that I have it framed on one of my bookshelves.

This is another adaptation that's very true to the book, and one that I think became even more impressive due to its exceptional cast. Viola Davis as the strong and resilient Aibileen, Emma Stone as Skeeter, and Octavia Spencer playing my personal favourite character, Minnie Jackson.

The film is true to the book, which I respect. Both are touching, and tear-jerking and thoroughly enjoyable.

This was a book from my Summer Reading Recommendations blog a couple of weeks ago, which is me vouching for it twice now. Check that blog out if you want to hear more about the story.

THE NOTEBOOK by Nicholas Sparks

Published: 1996

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Novel

Film adaptation: 2004

Directed by: Nick Cassavetes

There is something about Nicholas Sparks' novels that lend themselves to brilliant film adaptions. I have seen all of them, but The Notebook remains my favourite. There is a longing and a nostalgia to it that puts you in the mindset of watching some black and white movie reminiscent of old Hollywood. I can’t explain it, and perhaps it's only me who feels that way when reading his books and watching the films, and if it is, so be it.

The two main characters in the book, Allie and Noah, are so brilliantly represented by Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Their love feels real and gripping. I wouldn't claim to be a great lover of romance novels or films, but this one definitely forced itself into my heart.

THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Published: 1911

Genre: Children's Literature, Fiction

Film adaptation: 1993

Directed by: Agnieszka Holland

What more can I say about this book other than it makes me unconditionally happy. It's a book I read many times as a child and have read many more as an adult. Somehow it keeps getting better, and growing with me. The magic and imagination of it becomes more potent and freeing every time.

The 1993 film perfectly captures the feel of the book, and the characters were all cast so well, particularly Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox. I know there was a remake of The Secret Garden due to be released this year. I never had the opportunity to watch it due to Cinema closures and Covid19, but if you've seen it, let me know how it compares!

THE BOOK THIEF by Marcus Zusak

Published: 2005

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Story, YA Fiction, Novel

Film adaptation: 2013

Directed by: Brian Percival

The best thing about this book is its unusual method of narration, for the story is told from the perspective of Death, which is haunting in itself given that the book is set in Germany during WWII where death was abundant and real as any human. In the film adaption, I loved the choice of casting for Death. You never see him, only hear his voice, and there's nothing sinister in it's sound. Death is human sounding and nothing to be feared.

I can't ever find the right words to express how much I love this book and this film by extension. Sophie Nélisse was excellent as Liesel Meminger - expressive, innocent and relatable all at once. 

The Book Thief is the book I find myself recommending most, and a book I think everyone should read and experience to fully appreciate it's unique story.

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

Published: 1999

Genre: YA Fiction, Epistolary Novel, Bildungsroman, Coming-Of-Age Book

Film adaptation: 2012

Directed by: Stephen Chbosky

This one is worth noting as an additionally exceptional adaptation as the book's author actually had the unusual privilege of directing the film himself. It won an Independent Spirit award for Best First Feature. Stephen Chbosky has always intended to adapt his book to film, and eventually sold the rights with the agreement that he could be the one to write and direct the film. I think he did so brilliantly, and with the added satisfaction that his story was told to his specifications. He captures the highs, lows, solitudes and regrets of growing up. It's a coming of age story through and through and one definitely worth the time to read and watch.

WHITE OLEANDER by Janet Fitch
Published: 1999

Genre: Bildungsroman, Fiction, Novel

Film adaptation: 2002

Directed by: Peter Kosminsky

I saw this film before reading the book, but once it was over, I knew I had to read the book to compare. Thankfully they're both amazing. The film does the book justice, but its length does not allow enough time for us as an audience to truly comprehend the extent of the main character's journey and personal pain. The book delves deeper and I was gripped. The story is so sad, and longing and tragically hopeful. Please read it and watch the film. 

Again, I've talked about this book in a previous blog, so feel free to click the link to read a little more about this story.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFÉ by Fannie Flagg

Published: 1987

Genre: Novel, Fiction, Romance Fiction

Film adaptation: 1991

Directed by: Jon Avnet

Mary Stuart Masterson as Idgie Threadgoode

I LOVE THIS FILM! And I can't believe I went through most of my life watching it but not realising it was based on a book! My parents introduced me to the film and I fell in love with the wild character of Idgie and how devoted she was to her friend Ruth and the family she created whilst working in The Whistle Stop Café. There are so many similarities between the book and the film and I'm glad it was adapted so well. The cast is great (Mary Stuart Masterson as Idgie Threadgoode). This book was also in my Summer Reading Recommendations blog, so please check that out if you'd like to know more.

THE TIME TRAVELERS WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger

Published: 2003

Genre: Romance Novel, Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction

Film adaptation: 2009

Directed by: Robert Schwentke

This is such a great concept for a book and a film and I'm so glad that both versions now exist! This is a really interesting take on time travel because there's no time machine, and the character cannot control his coming or going. In the meantime there are those he's forced to leave who worry for his safety and can't predict when he'll return.

Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana make a really interesting casting pair, but one that really works well. I love the film adaptation and watch it regularly. It's got a timeless feel to it, as does the book, and I think if the genre appeals, it would be relatable to all generations of readers.

ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan

Published: 2001

Genre: Historical Fiction, Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Novel

Film adaptation: 2007

Directed by: Joe Wright

What can I say about this book other than to scream how brilliant it is. I love Ian McEwan as an author, and I love the film adaptation of Atonement. The cast is truly amazing, and of course, like all things with the war as a subject matter, I spent my time fighting back tears as I read the book and watched the film. Brace yourselves, it's an emotional rollercoaster. It's strange to confess that I love anything with the war as a subject matter or setting, but of course I don't mean this to be morbid or disrespectful. It's a deep appreciation for the hundreds of stories that came from the war, all of them tragic, and all of them true or based on truth, which is what makes them relatable to so many people. Atonement is no exception to this, despite the story being fictional. I hope you love it as much as I do.

A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodges Hughes

Published: 1905

Genre: Children's Literature, Coming-Of-Age-Story, 

Film adaptation: 1995

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
This is a book and a film that I was brought up on. Not the original Shirley Temple version of the film, but the 1995 version staring Liesel Mathews. So good! And, in my humble opinion, perfectly cast. Of course, the book is always better, but this film came pretty close to perfect for me. There are a few indescrepencies where they've tried to bring it to a more relatable place for a modern audience, but the overall feeling of the story is carried through. It's my go-to movie for rainy days or if I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

WAR HORSE by Michael Morpurgo

Published: 1982

Genre: Novel. Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, WWII

Film adaptation: 2011

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

There's an impressive all star cast for this film adaptation, but the unrecognised star is a marvellous horse whose story we follow throughout.

Michael Morpurgo has such a talent for developing characters that can't actually lend their own voice to a story, in this instance, Joey, the horse we follow through the ever increasing dangers of the First World War. The author gives a voice to all those horses that fought against their will and lost their lives in the war, like soldiers. They couldn't object or protest, and yet they were unfailingly brave in awful situations and conditions. The book and the film are incredibly moving and I challenge you not to cry for the duration.

This book has of course also been adapted into an incredible Stage Play that you have to watch if you ever get the opportunity!

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd

Published: 2001

Genre: Historical Fiction, Bildungsroman, Novel

Film adaptation: 2008

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood

No, this is not a documentary or a book about honey bees, despite what its title suggests. I've tried and failed to recommend this book and film to people on numerous occasions. I don't think enough people have experienced this amazing historical fiction set in 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement. It reminds me of The Help in feel and topic, but the story is so unusual and told from the perspective of a young white girl, Lily.

The book and the film are a pretty close match, my only real complaint being that Lily does not look in the film as she is described in the book. But she's embodied so brilliantly by Dakota Fanning that I'm prepared to overlook it.

Reading this book instantly endeared me to the characters of August, May and June, and the actresses cast to portray them do so perfectly: Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys respectively. It’s a predominantly female cast with such strong, independent characters to play. I knew after watching the film that I would love the book with equal ferocity. I bought it the next day and read it in one night. I promise you will love the book and the film equally, regardless of whether you read the book first or not.

Thanks for reading everyone!

You can find me in between blog across social media @zuzuspages on Instagram Facebook Twitter and now Pinterest