Piranesi

Author: Susanna Clarke

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Format: Physical purchase

Publish Date: September 2020

Read: April 2024

Favorite Quote: Perhaps that is what it is like being with other people. Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.

Story Synopsis: Piranesi is one of two (living) people in the House. The House contains a multitude of hallways, vestibules, atriums, niches, and hiding spots, each with its own story. The House is also full of statues and Piranesi’s mission is to investigate and document the statues and their locations. Twice weekly, Piranesi meets with the Other, who is on a mission to uncover the Great and Secret Knowledge the House contains.

As Piranesi meticulously notates his journals, he discovers his own notes - in his handwriting - referencing people and places he doesn’t know. When he asks the Other about it, the Other becomes distressed, causing Piranesi to suspect his world is not as straightforward as he believed.

Why does this book beguile? Piranesi is a wild story! Recommended to me by one of the owners of my local bookstore, Piranesi is unique and exciting. It’s part mystery, part fantasy, part magical realism, and part character study. I read this book in two days because I was desperate to know what would happen next.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

If you’re interested in this, read*: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman