EPISODE · Jul 17, 2024 · 1H 25M
Susanna Clarke's Piranesi: Gaslight gatekeep girlboss
from Do You Even Lit? · host cam and benny feat. rich
The beauty of this book is immeasurable, and its kindness is infinite. We all love Susanna Clarke's 2012 metaphysical thriller, which feels like a mashup of Borges/C.S. Lewis/Gone Girl. Venture deeper into the labyrinth with us: Piranesi as amateur scientist: On indigenous knowledge, the dangers of naïve empiricism, achieving dominion over nature, and whether the Other kind of had a point. Metaphysics of the House: Are abstractions real, revisiting Plato's world of perfect forms, and whether the world is fundamentally Good. Identity and mental illness: The illusion of stable personhood over time, repressed memories as trauma response, and how a person with dementia or psychosis can maintain a consistent internal worldview. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) meet the Beloved Child of the House (00:09:55) Piranesi as amateur scientist (00:19:48) metaphysics of the House and Plato’s theory of forms (00:38:13) C.S. Lewis allusions (00:41:21) The BIG REVEAL (spoilers) (00:46:30) The illusion of stable personhood (00:55:02) Internal consistency of dementia or psychosis patients (01:02:30) Piranesi’s escape and reintegration (01:09:11) Is the world (or the House) fundamentally Good? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: We wanna start reading listener feedback out on the pod, so send us a note at [email protected] to correct our bad takes or share your own. NEXT ON THE READING LIST: Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky (reading in three parts over six weeks)
What this episode covers
The beauty of this book is immeasurable, and its kindness is infinite. We all love Susanna Clarke's 2012 metaphysical thriller, which feels like a mashup of Borges/C.S. Lewis/Gone Girl. Venture deeper into the labyrinth with us: Piranesi as amateur scientist: On indigenous knowledge, the dangers of naïve empiricism, achieving dominion over nature, and whether the Other kind of had a point. Metaphysics of the House: Are abstractions real, revisiting Plato's world of perfect forms, and whether the world is fundamentally Good. Identity and mental illness: The illusion of stable personhood over time, repressed memories as trauma response, and how a person with dementia or psychosis can maintain a consistent internal worldview. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) meet the Beloved Child of the House (00:09:55) Piranesi as amateur scientist (00:19:48) metaphysics of the House and Plato’s theory of forms (00:38:13) C.S. Lewis allusions (00:41:21) The BIG REVEAL (spoilers) (00:46:30) The illusion of stable personhood (00:55:02) Internal consistency of dementia or psychosis patients (01:02:30) Piranesi’s escape and reintegration (01:09:11) Is the world (or the House) fundamentally Good? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: We wanna start reading listener feedback out on the pod, so send us a note at [email protected] to correct our bad takes or share your own. NEXT ON THE READING LIST: Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky (reading in three parts over six weeks)
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Susanna Clarke's Piranesi: Gaslight gatekeep girlboss
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