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Piranesi Paperback – September 28, 2021
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New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction
World Fantasy Awards Finalist
The instant New York Times bestselling novel from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic book set in a dreamlike alternative reality.
Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, 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.
For readers of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds.
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
- Publication dateSeptember 28, 2021
- Dimensions5.45 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-101635577802
- ISBN-13978-1635577808
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“[Piranesi] flooded me, as the tides flood the halls, with a scouring grief, leaving gleaming gifts in its wake… rich, wondrous, full of aching joy and sweet sorrow.” ―The New York Times Book Review
“A novel that feels like a surreal meditation on life in quarantine.” ―The New Yorker
“Piranesi astonished me. It is a miraculous and luminous feat of storytelling, at once a gripping mystery, an adventure through a brilliant new fantasy world, and a deep meditation on the human condition: feeling lost, and being found. I already want to be back in its haunting and beautiful halls!” ―Madeline Miller, New York Times Bestselling Author of CIRCE
“Unforgettable - surely one of the most original works of fiction this season. It drops you into a mind-bending fantasy world, a vast labyrinth with infinite rooms and seas that sweep into halls and up staircases with the tides. … It's a hypnotic tale that you can devour in a day (and probably will; it's that hard to put down).” ―AARP
“Piranesi is a high-quality page-turner-even the most leisurely reader will probably finish it off in a day-but its chief pleasure is immersion in its strange and uncannily attractive setting. . . Establishing that sense of totality-and the feeling of peacefulness that accompanies it-is Ms. Clarke's standout feat.” ―Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal
“Could Piranesi match [the hype]? I'm delighted to say it has, with Clarke's singular wit and imagination still intact in a far more compressed yet still captivating tale you'll want to delve into again right after you read its sublime last sentence.” ―The Boston Globe
“Piranesi is a gorgeous, spellbinding mystery that gently unravels page by page. Precisely the sort of book that I love wordlessly handing to someone so they can have the pleasure of uncovering its secrets for themselves. This book is a treasure, washed up upon a forgotten shore, waiting to be discovered.” ―Erin Morgenstern, NYT bestselling author of THE STARLESS SEA and THE NIGHT CIRCUS
“A short and beautiful novel that reads like a poem, not in its use of language (which is very accessible) but rather in its cumulative effect of expressing an emotion and state of being that is inexpressible. It's a strange and lovely read.” ―Buzzfeed
“What a world Susanna Clarke conjures into being, what a tick-tock-tick-tock of reveals, what a pure protagonist, what a morally-squalid supporting cast, what beauty, tension and restraint, and what a pitch-perfect ending. Piranesi is an exquisite puzzle-box far, far bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.” ―David Mitchell, New York Times bestselling author of CLOUD ATLAS
“Destined to become a work of classic fantasy.” ―Ron Charles, CBS Sunday Morning Book Report
“Piranesi Will Wreck You: The novel establishes Susanna Clarke as one of our greatest living writers.” ―New York Magazine
“Infinitely clever… none of [Clarke's] enchantment has worn off - it's evolved. . . to abide in these pages is to find oneself happily detained in awe.” ―The Washington Post
“Enthralling [and] transcendent… the sweetness, the innocence of Piranesi's love for this world is devastating to read. Clarke's writing is clear, sharp - she can cleave your heart in a few short words. . . The mystery of Piranesi unwinds at a tantalizing yet lightening-like pace - it's hard not to rush ahead, even when each sentence, each revelation makes you want to linger.” ―NPR.org
“The long-awaited followup to Jonathan Strange is even more magically immersive. . . Here is a protagonist with no guile, no greed, no envy, no cruelty, and yet still intriguing.” ―The Los Angeles Times
“Susanna Clarke's first novel in sixteen years is a wonder.” ―Slate
“Susanna Clarke's astonishing Piranesi proves she's one of the greatest novelists writing today.” ―Vox
“Piranesi hit my mind and soul like a thunderbolt. It is a work of deep power.” ―EW.com
“Susanna Clarke has fashioned her own myth anew and enlarged the world again.” ―The New Republic
“Almost impossible to put down… lavishly descriptive, charming, heartbreaking and imbued with a magic that will be familiar to Clarke's devoted readers, Piranesi will satisfy lovers of Jonathan Strange and win her many new fans.” ―Bookpage, starred review
“Readers who accompany [Piranesi] as he learns to understand himself will see magic returning to our world. Weird and haunting and excellent.” ―Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“Clarke wraps a twisty mystery inside a metaphysical fantasy in her extraordinary new novel . . . Sure to be recognized as one of the year's most inventive.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“As questions multiply and suspense mounts in this spellbinding, occult puzzle of a fable, one begins to wonder if perhaps the reverence, kindness, and gratitude practiced by Clarke's enchanting and resilient hero aren't all the wisdom one truly needs.” ―Booklist, Starred Review
“Clarke creates an immersive world that readers can almost believe exists. This is a solid crossover pick for readers whose appreciation of magical fantasy leans toward V.E. Schwab or Erin Morgenstern.” ―Library Journal, Starred Review
“Clarke's imagination is prodigious, her pacing is masterly and she knows how to employ dry humor in the service of majesty.” ―Gregory Maguire, The New York Times
“Nobody writes about magic the way Clarke does . . . She writes about magic as if she's actually worked it.” ―Lev Grossman, TIME Magazine
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing (September 28, 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1635577802
- ISBN-13 : 978-1635577808
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.45 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #33 in Magical Realism
- #219 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Books)
- #385 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

Susanna Mary Clarke (born 1 November 1959) is an English author best known for her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), a Hugo Award-winning alternative history. Clarke began Jonathan Strange in 1993 and worked on it during her spare time. For the next decade, she published short stories from the Strange universe, but it was not until 2003 that Bloomsbury bought her manuscript and began work on its publication. The novel became a best-seller.
Two years later, she published a collection of her short stories, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006). Both Clarke's novel and her short stories are set in a magical England and written in a pastiche of the styles of 19th-century writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. While Strange focuses on the relationship of two men, Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell, the stories in Ladies focus on the power women gain through magic.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Patrick Nielsen Hayden from Brooklyn, New York (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
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I went into Piranesi blind, not knowing at all what this story was about. Because of this, the first two parts of the book gave me an incredibly different feeling than the rest of the book, due to the fact that I had no clue about the “twist” that was to come.
I would say that my biggest love of this book is the feeling that it invokes. I described it to a friend as a similar feeling to what Song of Achilles gave me two years ago: a feeling of mystical innocence and a deep appreciation for the world.
I also think that the writing in the book is beautiful. There are multiple statements from Piranesi that are beautiful in their innocence and his understanding of his world.
Overall, this is just a beautiful book that was also interesting in the world building and the plots. Piranesi was the perfect narrator for this story.
Editing to add some of my favorite quotes (light spoilers ahead):
“The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”
“Is it disrespectful to the House to love some Statues more than others? I sometimes ask Myself this question. It is my belief that the House itself loves and blesses equally everything that it has created. Should I try to do the same? Yet, at the same time, I can see that it is in the nature of men to prefer one thing to another, to find one thing more meaningful than another.”
“Every year, as Winter approaches, I congratulate Myself on having a plentiful supply of dry seaweed to use as fuel…” (An example of Piranesi’s innocence.)
“Nor do I have any desire to live forever. The House ordains a certain span for birds and another for men. With this I am content.”
“I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment I had an inkling of what it might be like if instead of two people in the World there were thousands.” (This part gave me chills.)
“Over the years, as it has grown longer, I have interlaced it with pretty things that I have found or made: seashells, coral beads, pearls, tiny pebbles and interesting fishbones. Many of these little ornaments are bright, shiny and have eye-catching colours. All of them rattle when I walk or run.” (Piranesi’s innocence.)
“‘Yes, I suppose that’s right. But what do you mean, you take care of them?’
‘I make sure they are in good order. As complete and tidy as they can be. I bring them offerings of food and drink and water lilies. And I talk to them. Don’t you have Dead of your own in your Halls?’
‘I do. Yes.’
‘Don’t you take them offerings? Don’t you talk to them?’”
“‘Your good looks are gone,’ I told him. ‘But you mustn’t worry about it. This unsightly condition is only temporary. Don’t be sad. Don’t fear. I will place you somewhere where the fish and the birds can strip away all this broken flesh. It will soon be gone. Then you will be a handsome skull and handsome bones.”
'The word albatross is sometimes used metaphorically to mean a psychological burden that feels like a curse. ... Therefore, the albatross can be both an omen of good or bad luck, as well as a metaphor for a burden to be carried as penance."
So this signals a psychological change in the narrator. The Other calls him Piranesi but he says it's not his name. This suggests that the narrator has an alter ego. The Other sometimes acts as the narrator's psychologist.
This year could have easily been named the year the Covid19 virus came. One critic mentioned that Clarke's Piranesi is so very timely. We are sequestered yet we are yearning to explore. Clarke's Piranesi's allows us to do this a little bit. It's a guide to our own psyche. Clarke puts up symbolisms, ancient icons, and myths that echo within the vast hall.
We see the statues make an appearance in Clarke's novel 'Strange and Norrel' 16 years ago. Norrel performed the only trick in the book was to make the statues in the cathedral speak bring back ghostly accusations and pleadings.
'I dreamt of him once; he was standing in a snowy forest and speaking to a female child.' This is a reference to Narnia. The epigram from C.S. Lewis also is the frontispiece and the cover is a figure similar to Tumus. Of course, statues are a result of the wicked queen turning her enemies to stone, even the lion got turned. The statues are paralysis, could possibly be a psychological one as experienced by the narrator. In the end, the lion is turned back to flesh. The Medusa also turns flesh into stone.
The statue with the beehive. Bee has appeared in 'The Magician' novel by Lev Grossman. What was hinted at in Piranesi is a full-fledged tribute to Narnia in 'The Magician'. As a child, Tumus seems innocent enough. But in the Greek characterization, Pan is a sexual and seductive God that plays with nymphs. Of course, these are just mere guides after we enter through the doorway, wardrobe, and fall into another world that is largely in our heads. The medium here is the book. The journal as a record. The house itself is an expanding world. We are given measurements in meters. It takes the narrator 3 hours to reach a certain hall. It is mentioned that the Hall is created for giants. The statues are larger than human size. If we scale it back, the idea of the house as expansion and is magical is in the novel by John Crowley 'Little, Big'. The house itself is the key, the entry point. The house is magic and so is the Hall.
I can't remember how Piranesi showed up on my radar. But the first enticement is that it had to do with architecture. It reminded me of 'Little, Big'. But here was this reference to Piranesi. I also thought of Bolle and his large structures. Piranesi is classical and Boullée is more modern. Bolle created a monument to Newton. The first hint of this expansion is in Norrell's library. When I read this some years ago, I immediately drew some parallels to 'Little, Big'. Norrell left his visitors baffled at the vastness of the library that is bigger than the modest house could contain and also managed to remember very little of what the library contained. I remember reading it as one of my favorite parts of the book. Frankly, when it got to the warfare it was less interesting. Maybe it was my interest in architecture and books. The magic is an expansion of spatial relations. I'm a little disappointed when I read review yearning for the sequel or prequel to Norrel and Strange. People complained because it lacks certain malicious warfare. But to me, Piranesi is a continuation of this theme of spatial expansion and our own mind's capacity for spatial renderings, our yearning to reach far with telescopes and drive on interstates highways. Clarke takes just two elements (statue and spatial expansion0 from Norrel and Strange 16 years later to create Piranesi. When we were studying, Piranesi and Boullee, were presented as paper architects. They fantasized about the possibility of architecture. Their architecture was for the mind to inhabit. The profession also derides architects that didn't build physical buildings. But as you can see Piranesi inspired other creatives and novelists to that it further to link it back to magical practices. In some case, Calvino and now Clarke has something to teach the architects. Sure we were given books to read such as 'Invisible Cities' and Heidegger's 'Being and Time'. Yes, we were encouraged to imagine. The cross-breeding of discipline enriched the work. I guess my point is, Clarke mixed genera in Norrel and Strange by rendering it with Victorian romance languages that read like Wuthering Heights to the fantasy story which contained magic. Here we see a similar cross-breeding of architecture, art, and myths. It could easily be written by Piranesi himself if he attempted a novel.
The Other is about to perform ceremonial magic to bring the answer to the secret knowledge. Here we see magik as practical as a modern-day revival of it similar to the Golden Dawn tradition instead of the fantasy kind. Clarke doesn't dwell on this. It's a hint of modern-day era magical practices. The Pan god suggests Paganism.
The element of water is pervasive. There is this element of a Protean dream within the space that is destructive and shifting but the narrator tries to record.
This vast complex that the character traverses in reminds me of Calvino's Invisible Cities. Perhaps there are other similar structural organisms of this microcosm. There is a stratified layer. At the bottom is the element of water. Also, the pentagram has five directions for the earth, water, fire, air, and spirit. The Drowned Hall is in water and The cloud chamber in air.
Mentions of the commonplace method of record-keeping and journaling. Journal keeping as a way to store memory and going back to it restores sanity.
“They were all enamoured with the idea of progress and believed that whatever was new must be superior to what was old. As if merit was a function of chronology!”
Piranesi is a mysterious tale that is likened to Leo DeCaprio’s, Shutter Island. For the longest time you don’t really know what’s going on, but as the story develops, more and more information is given and you slowly start to see things. It’s very thought provoking and made me constantly think about the words on each page, if something was a clue or not to what was going on. I really enjoyed this very much. The characters were just as fantastic as the plot was, and Piranesi without question is a superb character given so much opportunity to be fleshed out in such little time. I’m not 100% sure I would call this fantasy, even though it’s tagged that way on Goodreads. Maybe low fantasy, but this is more on the level of just fiction/mystery, but I now realize why people love mystery books so much. It was exciting seeing everything unravel. I’m definitely reading more Susanna Clarke after this!
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Reviewed in Mexico on November 12, 2023


















