Ian answers “What is the significance of Pinny Wheeller...”

Julie asked this question about Piranesi:

What is the significance of Pinny Wheeller (from Askill’s story at the end)? I assume there is a connection to The Concealed Person but can’t figure it out.

Ian Ok, so this is bothering me tremendously. The story of Pinny Wheeller is long and detailed, and comes very late in the book, but I can't for the life …moreOk, so this is bothering me tremendously. The story of Pinny Wheeller is long and detailed, and comes very late in the book, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it's doing there. It introduces a named character for apparently no reason (also, what is the deal with his name, and why does it sound like 'pinwheel') and has what looks like a lot of symbology (fire raining down, Raphael--the archangel--braving through it and saving the day) which also doesn't seem to relate to the main story, or add anything to it.

Is this really just a weird, unnecessary distraction, which for some reason survive editing? I want to think more of Susanna Clarke so I refuse to accept this. If anyone has any insights, please share.(less)

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