Name: Piranesi
Rating: 4.269792694965449 (1013 reviews)
ISBN: 9781432886578

Susanna Clarke

From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality.

Piranesi

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.

While reading this, I either listened to ocean white noise or ‘I, Carrion’ by Hozier. Both very fitting!

The storytelling was beautiful and so engaging. Also, love that fan fiction was cited in his Index… (one of us 😈).

The twist and ending was genuinely understandable and intriguing, I didn’t feel like it was a cop out, it felt like that it was the right ending… if that makes sense.

Amelia Reed

OMG SO AMAZING!

While reading this, I either listened to ocean white noise or ‘I, Carrion’ by Hozier. Both very fitting!

The storytelling was beautiful and so engaging. Also, love that fan fiction was cited in his Index… (one of us 😈).

The twist and ending was genuinely understandable and intriguing, I didn’t feel like it was a cop out, it felt like that it was the right ending… if that makes sense.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel 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.

I genuinely flew through this. It surprised me in so many ways and exceeded all my expectations. I'm so pleased with the end and left a bit reeling after the revelations and conclusion. The pacing of this book (especially the ending) is so well executed that I feel perfectly satisfied. 

Paige Leitner

Kara vd Berg

Weird, wonderful and mind boggling. I felt it was a bit over descriptive for my taste, but Clarke really has a way of constructing this weird world.

charlowwe

Nadine MacDonald

Wow I cannot express the excellence of this book in words. Didn’t want to put it down, was hooked the entire time!! CANNOT WAIT for the film!!!! I read that it’s also a stop motion film which is amazing except that I’m sure it will take a while to make ahahah

So clever!! I usually hate books where I spend my time wondering what the hell is going on, and just feeling completely lost. But this book! THIS BOOK!! I don’t know what she put in it, but I was lost, but totally and completely hooked. I guessed the twist towards the end, but that didn’t take away from the brilliance of this book! I listened on audiobook, highly recommend! 

Aims

So clever!! I usually hate books where I spend my time wondering what the hell is going on, and just feeling completely lost. But this book! THIS BOOK!! I don’t know what she put in it, but I was lost, but totally and completely hooked. I guessed the twist towards the end, but that didn’t take away from the brilliance of this book! I listened on audiobook, highly recommend! 



This book was a strong 4 star, soft 5 star for me. But I have been thinking about it non-stop since finishing it. Its literally made me want to sit down and write an essay about the possible meanings for everything in the book like I was in my high school AP lit class again (shout out Mrs. Harbour - you do not know how much of a profound impact your class had on me as a human being). 

I will say that I fully don't know what Clarke was trying to articulate in this book. I do think it was very clever. Without going into a full blown essay in this review I think my top takes and likes from this book were: 

1. The theme of enjoying something for the sake of enjoyment/ loving how it simply is. Why is this house so big and why are these statues that showcase so many different parts of the human experience? You will never know- and that’s fine. Piranesi himself says that it’s fine- just enjoy it how it is - you don’t need to have some deeper meaning to enjoy it.  He also “allegedly” had said to stop the pursuit of knowledge multiple times (I doubt or at least if he did he did so in another manner- like I don’t wanna be here and do your bidding before he forgot). He is a child of the house and is content in enjoying the beauty (and the roses if you will)- even enjoying the walk when he’s finally free. 

2.  I really liked the statues being interpreted as like lingering of the the past and knowledge. You will never ever know it first hand since it’s in the past but it leaves its mark. You can try to learn from it (and can) but part of it will always forgotten or truly not understood since it’s not a first hand account/ time passing makes it hard to remember. Humans also are so obsessed with progress that things in the past do get cast aside for “advancements” when you can appreciate how it was done in the past without saying it was bad or primitive. I think Ketterley was also the personification of that and a foil. 

3. It was interesting at the end, Piranesi thought of himself as a third person- because imo he is still the person he was in the house just now a wider perspective since he no longer lives in “a cave” (imo I couldn’t stop thinking about the cave analogy - his shadows are the statues). He seems to believe identity is tied to where you are, whereas I believe it grows and transcends. He is a different person when he leaves the house, and he also is not the same person he was before he forgot who he was. But to believe he is a third person… I’m not sure I fully agree. Identity is tied to place, but I don’t think you lose that fully when you leave or are displaced. Like the forgotten knowledge it still lives with him. But then again he has a new perspective that makes it hard to have the views he had before. But to say his former self is dead I think is wrong since he still understands that perspective. (HOWEVER, take this with a grain of salt because I know that many people would argue otherwise/ I don't have a life experience that makes me feel this way - I just feel that you can't erase what you experienced in said place if you are no longer there - it is apart of you unless you literally forget everything as Piranesi did in his first life.) 

4. The introduction of Raphael was really interesting. I looked up that Raphael was the angel of the travelers and mercy. Seeing it in that view was really interesting- also that she also kept wanting to go back- and perhaps also forget for a time the struggles of life. The view he paints of her being like the two different statues was one of my favorite parts of the book, showcasing how knowledge can change over time and how it impacts a person.

5. I think there also had to be some symbolic meaning for the 12 dead (12 apostles?) but we go up to 16 people so I forget if the starting number was 12/13? but I mean Ketterley is he is in that count betrayed him from the very beginning. 

6.  It’s also jarring how even in the before - Piranesi’s character was so… innocent? Maybe is the best word- but he trusts everyone no matter which identity he is in. When Ketterley asks if he came alone I think any sane person would have immediately ran- but he doesn’t? Maybe there’s some thing about him being a man therefore maybe not feeling as in danger- but I think again and sane person would have an alarm bells blaring. It was interesting to me that Piranesi always defaults to trust. Maybe humans always do that- and in their purest form they do (him living in the house) but they pay a price to live in that state?

7. I love at the end how he appreciates life as it is around him - and sees connections in people to the statues. We are patterns of the past. He also sees these lanterns as the day is approaching evening lighting up the world ever so brightly in the snow. It made me realize he sees the world in a different form (snow now solid and perhaps more real) than the water filled house. Yet he appreciates it even if he is less naive and sees there are bad things that can happen in the world. 

I might be going too far into English teacher mode but this book has really made me think and I really appreciate that.

Ashley Denktas

This book was a strong 4 star, soft 5 star for me. But I have been thinking about it non-stop since finishing it. Its literally made me want to sit down and write an essay about the possible meanings for everything in the book like I was in my high school AP lit class again (shout out Mrs. Harbour - you do not know how much of a profound impact your class had on me as a human being). 

I will say that I fully don't know what Clarke was trying to articulate in this book. I do think it was very clever. Without going into a full blown essay in this review I think my top takes and likes from this book were: 

1. The theme of enjoying something for the sake of enjoyment/ loving how it simply is. Why is this house so big and why are these statues that showcase so many different parts of the human experience? You will never know- and that’s fine. Piranesi himself says that it’s fine- just enjoy it how it is - you don’t need to have some deeper meaning to enjoy it.  He also “allegedly” had said to stop the pursuit of knowledge multiple times (I doubt or at least if he did he did so in another manner- like I don’t wanna be here and do your bidding before he forgot). He is a child of the house and is content in enjoying the beauty (and the roses if you will)- even enjoying the walk when he’s finally free. 

2.  I really liked the statues being interpreted as like lingering of the the past and knowledge. You will never ever know it first hand since it’s in the past but it leaves its mark. You can try to learn from it (and can) but part of it will always forgotten or truly not understood since it’s not a first hand account/ time passing makes it hard to remember. Humans also are so obsessed with progress that things in the past do get cast aside for “advancements” when you can appreciate how it was done in the past without saying it was bad or primitive. I think Ketterley was also the personification of that and a foil. 

3. It was interesting at the end, Piranesi thought of himself as a third person- because imo he is still the person he was in the house just now a wider perspective since he no longer lives in “a cave” (imo I couldn’t stop thinking about the cave analogy - his shadows are the statues). He seems to believe identity is tied to where you are, whereas I believe it grows and transcends. He is a different person when he leaves the house, and he also is not the same person he was before he forgot who he was. But to believe he is a third person… I’m not sure I fully agree. Identity is tied to place, but I don’t think you lose that fully when you leave or are displaced. Like the forgotten knowledge it still lives with him. But then again he has a new perspective that makes it hard to have the views he had before. But to say his former self is dead I think is wrong since he still understands that perspective. (HOWEVER, take this with a grain of salt because I know that many people would argue otherwise/ I don't have a life experience that makes me feel this way - I just feel that you can't erase what you experienced in said place if you are no longer there - it is apart of you unless you literally forget everything as Piranesi did in his first life.) 

4. The introduction of Raphael was really interesting. I looked up that Raphael was the angel of the travelers and mercy. Seeing it in that view was really interesting- also that she also kept wanting to go back- and perhaps also forget for a time the struggles of life. The view he paints of her being like the two different statues was one of my favorite parts of the book, showcasing how knowledge can change over time and how it impacts a person.

5. I think there also had to be some symbolic meaning for the 12 dead (12 apostles?) but we go up to 16 people so I forget if the starting number was 12/13? but I mean Ketterley is he is in that count betrayed him from the very beginning. 

6.  It’s also jarring how even in the before - Piranesi’s character was so… innocent? Maybe is the best word- but he trusts everyone no matter which identity he is in. When Ketterley asks if he came alone I think any sane person would have immediately ran- but he doesn’t? Maybe there’s some thing about him being a man therefore maybe not feeling as in danger- but I think again and sane person would have an alarm bells blaring. It was interesting to me that Piranesi always defaults to trust. Maybe humans always do that- and in their purest form they do (him living in the house) but they pay a price to live in that state?

7. I love at the end how he appreciates life as it is around him - and sees connections in people to the statues. We are patterns of the past. He also sees these lanterns as the day is approaching evening lighting up the world ever so brightly in the snow. It made me realize he sees the world in a different form (snow now solid and perhaps more real) than the water filled house. Yet he appreciates it even if he is less naive and sees there are bad things that can happen in the world. 

I might be going too far into English teacher mode but this book has really made me think and I really appreciate that.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone. Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims? Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

This book was a fun mystery to unravel in a fantasy world but that ultimately left me with more questions than answers. Piranesi is a beautiful, pure soul with childlike innocence and wonder, and he made for a great narrator (through his journals). This was a short read that piqued and held my interest, mainly because it's not like anything I usually read, yet it has similarities (in my mind) to the dark academia of The Secret History and is clearly influenced by the ancient world and mythology, which I obviously love to read about. At times I laughed reading this book, even when Piranesi didn't mean to be funny; clearly Susanna Clarke has a sense of humor. Other times I felt like crying at the sheer tragedy that unfurled. I wish the setting wasn't so confusing or difficult to wrap my mind around. And again I wish some other mysterious aspects would have been revealed or answered; not enough was for my tastes. As much as I liked it, I can see how others wouldn't. I think it's good to get out of my bookish comfort zone from time to time. 

Amanda

i attempted to read this book on 4 different occasions but was so confused in the first few pages about trying to understand the layout of the House. but finally on this attempt, i tried to ignore that attempt at logic and just embraced the confusion and i think thats exactly how you’re supposed to experience this book. i loved the parallels between the reader being confused about the World in which piranesi lives in, and then the confusion that piranesi feels when learning about the world that Matthew (?) came from. it was beautiful and dark but also so positive at the end, i loved the ending wasnt rushed and piranesi had time to think about if he even wanted to leave

 “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”

this was my sleepy sunday read for a few months, and it never failed to put me in a dream-like state. the writing felt just as beautiful and expansive as how i imagine the halls of the house would be. if i had to describe this book as a feeling, it would feel like yelling “hellooooooooooooo” into a large vacant cave, expecting to only hear an echo, but instead hearing someone respond in kind. this was warm, unexpected, delightful, and new. with interesting worlds and the interworking’s of one man’s mind, Piranesi is a lovely read i’ll never forget.

avie

 “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”

this was my sleepy sunday read for a few months, and it never failed to put me in a dream-like state. the writing felt just as beautiful and expansive as how i imagine the halls of the house would be. if i had to describe this book as a feeling, it would feel like yelling “hellooooooooooooo” into a large vacant cave, expecting to only hear an echo, but instead hearing someone respond in kind. this was warm, unexpected, delightful, and new. with interesting worlds and the interworking’s of one man’s mind, Piranesi is a lovely read i’ll never forget.

Like Borges at its best but K-Pax at its worst. 

Luke Pearce

Short Reason: Confusing as fuck and boring as hell.

So, the main character was pretty dumb, and the story made no sense. These days, it feels like people can write any random nonsense and call it "deep" or "metaphorical." Honestly, I've read better Shawn Mendes fanfics on Wattpad that were written by some 14-year-old who barely speaks English.

I don't hate the book, but I don't like or love it. It's just so bleh and boring -- forgettable. 75% of the book was utter nonsense of just filler "chapters" of random facts about things I don't give a shit about. I was still trying to figure out if the protagonist had literal amnesia or if they were just so bored in solitude that they were documenting everything. Here's a literal list of things Piranesi mentions...

ENTRY FOR THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE SIXTH MONTH IN THE YEAR THE

ALBATROSS CAME TO THE SOUTH-WESTERN HALLS

I have made a list of all the things that the Other has given me, so that I will

remember to be grateful and thank the House for sending me such an

In the Year I named the Constellations, the Other gave me:

• 2 fishing nets made of a synthetic polymer

• 4 large sheets of heavy-gauge plastic

• a torch. I have never used this and cannot now remember where I put

Boo!!!! 🥥🥥🥥 Boring !! I'm throwing coconuts cause tomatoes won't be doing much damage.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

DNF at 25%
Short Reason: Confusing as fuck and boring as hell.


So, the main character was pretty dumb, and the story made no sense. These days, it feels like people can write any random nonsense and call it "deep" or "metaphorical." Honestly, I've read better Shawn Mendes fanfics on Wattpad that were written by some 14-year-old who barely speaks English.

I don't hate the book, but I don't like or love it. It's just so bleh and boring -- forgettable. 75% of the book was utter nonsense of just filler "chapters" of random facts about things I don't give a shit about. I was still trying to figure out if the protagonist had literal amnesia or if they were just so bored in solitude that they were documenting everything. Here's a literal list of things Piranesi mentions...

A list of things the Other has given me
ENTRY FOR THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE SIXTH MONTH IN THE YEAR THE
ALBATROSS CAME TO THE SOUTH-WESTERN HALLS
I have made a list of all the things that the Other has given me, so that I will
remember to be grateful and thank the House for sending me such an
excellent friend!
In the Year I named the Constellations, the Other gave me:
• a sleeping bag
• a pillow
• 2 blankets
• 2 fishing nets made of a synthetic polymer
• 4 large sheets of heavy-gauge plastic
• a torch. I have never used this and cannot now remember where I put
it.
• 6 boxes of matches
• 2 bottles of multivitamins

Boo!!!! 🥥🥥🥥 Boring !! I'm throwing coconuts cause tomatoes won't be doing much damage.

"Piranesi" is a short, charming read about a beautiful nightmare.

I think Susanna Clarke has a real talent for dialogue and displaying a character's inner-workings through their word choice and demeanor. Arguably this is detrimental regarding one character in the book and where they end up, but on the whole I really enjoyed that sense of style, she wears it well.

The Halls are filled with lots of beauty yet are undeniably desolate and unfriendly. There's no sand (and even water), yet I think of the House to basically be an ivory desert. The waters are alive and pulsating, culminating in a crescendo that attacks several rooms and almost kills our lead in the very beginning. Even still, he only speaks to the House's generosity and kindness. Our prisoner writes captive poetry.

I was a bit dissatisfied with how things ended. I think it was drawn out and arguably too happy (though this could 

 by my brain addled by Cormac McCarthy books). Considering the rest of the story, I was surprised that Clarke went with something so tender. I didn't outright hate it, but I wouldn't have minded if it had gone down differently, either. This was only the end, too; I was very happy up until the climax subsided.

Overall, I really liked "Piranesi" and definitely recommend this book.

Evan

"Piranesi" is a short, charming read about a beautiful nightmare.

  

I think Susanna Clarke has a real talent for dialogue and displaying a character's inner-workings through their word choice and demeanor. Arguably this is detrimental regarding one character in the book and where they end up, but on the whole I really enjoyed that sense of style, she wears it well.

  

The Halls are filled with lots of beauty yet are undeniably desolate and unfriendly. There's no sand (and even water), yet I think of the House to basically be an ivory desert. The waters are alive and pulsating, culminating in a crescendo that attacks several rooms and almost kills our lead in the very beginning. Even still, he only speaks to the House's generosity and kindness. Our prisoner writes captive poetry.

  

I was a bit dissatisfied with how things ended. I think it was drawn out and arguably too happy (though this could definitely by my brain addled by Cormac McCarthy books). Considering the rest of the story, I was surprised that Clarke went with something so tender. I didn't outright hate it, but I wouldn't have minded if it had gone down differently, either. This was only the end, too; I was very happy up until the climax subsided.

  

Overall, I really liked "Piranesi" and definitely recommend this book.

Piranesi

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