Piranesi
By Susanna Clarke
- Release Date: 2020-09-15
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
The award-winning, New York Times bestselling fantasy sensation that Madeline Miller called, "a miraculous and luminous feat of storytelling," Piranesi is an intoxicating, hypnotic novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls lined with thousands upon thousands of statues. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; and waves thunder up staircases, while rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.
There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.
"Spellbinding, strange, and unforgettably original" (Esquire), Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty.
Reviews
Held on hoping it was going to get good…
1By Bad and madIt took me two different tries to read this book. I kept reading other reviews saying how phenomenal was. So I dedicated to finishing it on my second try. I love an interesting challenging different book. This story was just bad. I was hoping there was going to be some broader meaning. Nothing! Hated it!above average
4By demoncaat17liminal spaces, inbetweens, a major theme of identity & what happens to the mind when in total isolation from others. has a lot to say about mental health. beautifully written. i would highly recommend this to anybody who has even half of a brain.Another beautiful work
5By dengirlieRich, inventive, thrilling, mysterious.Must read
5By DrDribblesFantastic little book. In a strange way, it reminded me of reading Lord of the Rings for the first time. I won’t pretend I know the deeper meaning, but I feel lighter having read it. I will recommend this to everyone.ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS
5By Rainy Days 22A fascinatingly beautiful read. Literally could not stop reading Piranesi. Will recommend to all my friends. Thank you for a wonderfully thought provoking tale.🌊 Piranesi 🗿
5By VecnoWhat an interesting ride. Read it in one sitting. It’s tough to adjust and get through the intro, but once you catch your stride it maintains that pace throughout. There were a few parts I had “issues” with but not terrible. Definitely a book that will have you thinking about it once you’re done.Severance meets Dark Matter
5By cjdraganoNo Spoilers. Wow. I absolutely adore this book; possibly in my top top of books I've ever read. The answer to: "What's a book you wish you could read for the first time, again?" The vibe parallels the TV show Severance and the book Dark Matter. Don't get overwhelmed at the beginning with all the directions & hallways, just ride it out. Without a doubt recommend this book, & I will without a doubt be rereading this in the future.Powerfully moving
5By SMAMichaelI read this much more slowly than necessary, fighting the urge to race. In a lifetime of reading novels, this is perhaps in the top 10, maybe higher. It will haunt me.Good
3By kayyyyyyyyyyyy5It was a slow start but interesting ending worth the read but not my favorite.Thought Provoking
5By LazyEdI love the originality of this story. Reminds me of a Neil Gaiman book, in the same category as The Ocean at the End of the Lane. After I was done reading Piranesi, I wasn’t blown away, but I continued to think about this story for months. It is written from a point of view that is so specific that it feels like something that really happened to the writer, instead of just words on a page.Tedious
3By Whim1954Complex world building but the names and dates are migraine inducing. I just tried to figure out what the heck was going on. On the plus side…bizarre bold concepts at work here.Magical
5By EmllapThe author does such a great job conjuring up the surreal images of Piranesi’s life. Definitely would recommend.Incredibly creative and imaginative
3By trdurantBut also very slow. I read this every night to put me to sleep. Beautifully written thoughPiranesi
5By renelecAt times heartbreaking but beautiful… we all need a labyrinth to escape this crazy world…Very creative
5By Jackie fitzsThis was a nice surprise to read something well written and so creative.Phenomenal
5By archisonicLike with J. Strange, Clarke REALLY loves to start slow and tableset the first third of a book, and then shift gears and turn it on (and then on some more), thru the breathtaking final acts. Such an interesting and brilliant writer.epitome of literary fiction
5By chris lennythis book was beautifully written. everything the protagonist felt, i felt it, too. i love this bookOne of the great novels
5By Presleyoreed3This book simply put is one of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life. I am not often a reader of fiction, and even if I am reading fiction, intends to not be in the fantasy genre, but there is not a single person to whom I would not recommend this book, not only is it primarily one of the most interesting concepts I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter, but it is so beautifully written and so well constructed that once you get to a certain point, it is basically impossible to stop reading until you finish the whole book. Do yourself a favor and read this book and I promise you will not regret it.I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did
5By easybrieziI typically don’t go for the slower burn books where there isn’t a lot of high stakes action but this book and it’s concept was so captivating! The world building and the mystery behind it were out of this world. Was whimsical in such a hauntingly dark way it was like nothing I’d ever read before. Leaves you satisfied but still asking questions. Probably one of the best books I have ever read and I could not recommend it highly enough!
