Piranesi

Highlights

Page 8

The bones of his skull are particularly fine with high, aristocratic cheekbones and a tall, impressive forehead. The overall impression he gives is of a friendly but slightly austere person devoted to the life of the intellect.

Note: How does he know what aristocrats look like if he only knows 15 players? Perhaps the statues

Page 9

If he requires my presence at other times, he calls out ‘Piranesi!’ until I come. Piranesi. It is what he calls me. Which is strange because as far as I remember it is not my name.

Page 11

Question: when I feel myself about to die, ought I to go and lie down with the People of the Alcove? There is, I estimate, space for four more adults. Though I am a young man and the day of my Death is (I hope) some way off, I have given this matter some thought.

Note: How does he know how long he will live?

Page 12

I have postulated that the House intended the Folded-Up Child to be my Wife, only something happened to prevent it. Ever since I had this thought it has seemed only right to share with her what I have.

Note: How? Did he date the skeleton somehow?

Page 13

Both No. 2 and No. 3 have gaps where pages have been violently removed. I have puzzled over the reason for this and tried to imagine who might have done it, but as yet have reached no conclusion.

Note: Yeah I’ll bet it was you, but you don’t remember

Page 15

Reading over what I have just written, I have realised something. I have used two systems to number the years. How could I not have noticed this before? I am guilty of bad practice. Only one system of numbering is needed. Two introduces confusion, uncertainty, doubt and muddle. (And is aesthetically unpleasing.)

Note: Yeah his memory is suspect. The house is erasing his memories.

Page 29

What could it be? It must be a bird, but if I could see it at such a great distance, then it must be a bird of much greater size than the birds I was accustomed to. It swept on, coming directly towards me. I spread my arms in answer to its spread wings, as if I was going to embrace it. I spoke out loud. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! was what I think I meant to say, but the Wind took my breath from me and all I could manage was: ‘Come! Come! Come!’

Note: He named this year the year he saw the albatross already. Was that a different albatross or is this a paradox?

Page 33

I have named this year the Year the Albatross came to the South-Western Halls.

Note: Feels like a paradox

Page 44

‘Who or what is Addy Domarus?’ I asked. ‘A king. Long dead. Someone who possessed the knowledge. Or some of it at any rate. I’ve had success calling on him for aid in other rituals, notably for … ’ He stopped abruptly and for a brief moment looked confused. ‘I’ve had success calling on him in the past,’ he finished.

Note: Sus

Page 50

A blush rose to my face. I fixed my eyes on the Pavement. The Other was so neat, so elegant in his suit and his shining shoes. I, on the other hand, was not neat. My clothes were ragged and faded, rotten with the Sea Water I fished in. I hated drawing his attention to this contrast between us, but nevertheless he had asked me and so I must answer. I said, ‘What changed was that I used to have shoes. Now I have none.’ The Other gazed in astonishment at my naked brown feet. ‘When did this happen?’ ‘About a year ago. My shoes fell apart.’ He burst out laughing. ‘Why didn’t you say something?’ ‘I did not want to trouble you. I thought I could make some shoes out of fish leather. But I have not found the time to do it. I have only myself to blame.’ ‘Honestly, Piranesi,’ said the Other. ‘What an idiot you are! If that’s all that’s preventing you going to the … the … whatever you call this room … ’ ‘The One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall,’ I interjected. ‘Yes. Whatever. If that’s all it is, I’ll get you the shoes tomorrow.’ ‘Oh! That would be … ’ I began, but the Other put up his hand. ‘No need to thank me. Just get me the information I need. That’s all I ask.’

Note: Where do you get shiny shoes from, especially when you never explore?

Page 60

As I walked, I was thinking about the Great and Secret Knowledge, which the Other says will grant us strange new powers. And I realised something. I realised that I no longer believed in it. Or perhaps that is not quite accurate. I thought it was possible that the Knowledge existed. Equally I thought that it was possible it did not. Either way it no longer mattered to me. I did not intend to waste my time looking for it any more. This realisation – the realisation of the Insignificance of the Knowledge – came to me in the form of a Revelation. What I mean by this is that I knew it to be true before I understood why or what steps had led me there. When I tried to retrace those steps my mind kept returning to the image of the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall in the Moonlight, to its Beauty, to its deep sense of Calm, to the reverent looks on the Faces of the Statues as they turned (or seemed to turn) towards the Moon. I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpreted, and that if ever we discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery. The sight of the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall in the Moonlight made me see how ridiculous that is. The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not the means to an end.

Note: Good for you!

Page 67

‘This is the most vital thing I have to say. Piranesi, this isn’t the first time you’ve told me that you want to stop the search for the knowledge. This isn’t the first time I’ve explained why that’s not the right course of action. Everything we’ve just said? We’ve said it all before.’ ‘I … What?’ I said. I blinked at him in astonishment. ‘What? … No. No. That is not correct.’ ‘Yes, I’m afraid it is. You see, the labyrinth plays tricks on the mind. It makes people forget things. If you’re not careful it can unpick your entire personality.’ I sat dumbfounded. ‘How many times have we said it?’ I said at last. He thought for a moment. ‘This is the third time. There’s a pattern. The idea of stopping the search for the knowledge seems to occur to you roughly once every eighteen months.’ He glanced at my face. ‘I know. I know,’ he said, sympathetically. ‘It’s hard to take in.’

Page 68

‘You never forget anything about the labyrinth. That is why your contribution to my work is so valuable. But you do forget other things. And, of course, you lose time.’

Note: Your contribution to my work. Not our work.

Page 69

I was astonished. I did not believe him. But neither did I disbelieve him. I did not know what to think. But in all my uncertainty one thing was clear, one thing remained that I could absolutely rely on: the Other was honest, noble and industrious. He would not lie. ‘But why do you not forget?’ I asked. The Other hesitated for a moment. ‘I take precautions,’ he said carefully. ‘Could I not take them too?’ ‘No. No. That wouldn’t work. Sorry. I can’t go into the whys and wherefores. It’s complicated. I’ll explain it to you one day.’ This was not very satisfactory but just then I did not have the energy or mental capacity to pursue it. I was too busy thinking about what I might have forgotten. ‘From my point of view this is very worrying,’ I said. ‘Suppose I forget something important, like the Times and Patterns of the Tides? I might drown.’ ‘No, no, no,’ said the Other, soothingly. ‘There’s no need to worry about that. You never forget anything like that. I wouldn’t let you go wandering about if I thought you were in the slightest danger. We’ve known each other for years now and in that time your knowledge of the labyrinth has grown exponentially. It’s extraordinary, really. And as for the rest, anything important you forget, I can remind you. But the fact that you forget while I remember – that’s why it’s so vital that I set our objectives. Me. Not you. That’s the third reason we should stick to our search for the knowledge. Do you see?’

Note: Just trust me bro. Can’t be more sus than this.

Page 76

‘I will try,’ I said. A new thought struck me. ‘When did you meet 16?’ ‘Mmm? Oh, the day before yesterday.’ ‘You have visited the Far-off Places where 16 lives? You never said so before. Tell me about them!’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘You said you met 16. But you also said 16 does not know the way here. Meaning that you must have met him in his own Halls or, at any rate, in some Remote Region. This surprises me because I do not believe that you have undertaken any long journeys since I have known you.’ I smiled at the Other, awaiting his answer, which I fully expected would be very interesting. He looked blank. Blank and slightly horrified. A long silence. ‘Actually … ’ he began, then seemed to change his mind about what he was going to say. ‘Actually, it’s not important where we met. And I don’t have time to go into all that now. I’m needed … I mean I can’t stay today. I just wanted to warn you. You know, about 16.’ Then he nodded briskly at me, picked up his shining devices and walked away towards the First Vestibule.

Note: Worst liar in the world haha

Page 78

Knowing Myself as I do, I do not think I would have chosen it had I not felt some sort of strong connection with it; yet I no longer remember what that connection was. (Is the Other right? Am I forgetting things? It is an unpleasant thought and I push it away.)

Note: Yeah I sympathise. He’s clearly forgetting things, but he can’t question that without questioning reality itself.

Page 79

I could still smell rain, metal and petrol,

Note: How does he know what petrol smells like

Page 105

I examined the Journals carefully, paying particular attention to the covers and the numbers written on them. My Journals are black and I number each one with a white gel pen at the bottom of its spine. To my astonishment I discovered that the first three Journals had originally been numbered differently. They had been numbered 21, 22 and 23, but someone had scratched out the initial numeral ‘2’, transforming them into 1, 2 and 3. The scratching out had not been done perfectly (gel ink is difficult to remove) and I could still make out the ghostly form of the ‘2’.

Note: His memory is being overwritten.

Page 126

This was the writing of a very angry and unhappy person. I wondered who it had been?

Note: It’s you

Page 228

Perhaps that is what it is like being with other people. Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.

Page 523

The legal system that they created also ensured that it was effectively impossible for Muslims—or for that matter Christian or Jewish subjects of the Caliphate—to be reduced to slavery.

Note: Saladin sold the soldiers captured at Hatton to slavery. The Janissaries and Mamelukes were slaves. Makes me question what else he’s wrong about

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