******* SPOLERS ********* I just wanted to drop into the Internet that I felt Piranesi was an allegory for trauma. Or since that word is overused in the internet, “for hard times that causes a lot of pain in the individual”.

There’s a before, during and after in these cases much like Piranesi himself exhibits. But the most interesting part is the house. The house for me exhibited the pleasures we seek while under overwhelming stress. Funny things on the internet, comedy shows, video games, books, food or just sleeping. While for others it may seem an “entrapment” people who’ve been through it would know that at times it was the only thing that kept them afloat. It was refreshing to see such pleasures in a different light with this book. Although everything in moderation they say.

The three peripheral characters also felt like people you’d come across when under some sort of breakdown

1. The prophet - who sees you more with intellectual curiosity than as a person needing saving.
2. 16 - the one who helps by being patient and helpful
3. The Other - most interesting of the three but this represented people who ignorantly or maliciously give bad advice like “Get over it” or “Keep the eye on the price” even when you decide to look at the bigger picture. Adhering to their advice pulls you in deeper instead of getting out of the abyss. Only true enlightenment like the one brought by 16 would be helpful to wake up.