Piranesi

By: Susanna Clarke

Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Bloomsbury presents Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021
WINNER OF THE KITSCHIES' 2021
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, FINANCIAL TIMES, i PAPER, NEW STATESMAN, SPECTATOR, TIME MAGAZINE, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, BBC CULTURE, NETGALLEY AND THE CHURCH TIMES

The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, ‘one of our greatest living authors’ New York Magazine

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has.

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.

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

*****

'What a world Susanna Clarke conjures into being … Piranesi is an exquisite puzzle-box' DAVID MITCHELL
‘It subverts expectations throughout … Utterly otherworldly’ Guardian
'Piranesi astonished me. It is a miraculous and luminous feat of storytelling' MADELINE MILLER
‘Brilliantly singular’ Sunday Times
'A gorgeous, spellbinding mystery … This book is a treasure, washed up upon a forgotten shore, waiting to be discovered' ERIN MORGENSTERN
‘Head-spinning … Fully imagined and richly evoked’ Telegraph

©2020 Susanna Clarke (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Not for everyone, but exceptional

I cannot fault the negative reviews of this book or the disappointment some felt. They are right. Conversely, I agree with all of the glowing reviews and share that opinion. Why the dichotomy? The answer lies in the book. Some will see it as a disjointed tale of nothing as that is all their brain can make of it. Others can see the door Clarke painted, because it is one they have been searching for. I hope you can see it and walk through it. If you cannot, it is not your fault, nor are you wrong. This simply is not the medium you need to reopen the door within yourself. Perhaps it is too late, but I hope you do not stop searching.

Almost Great

It feels like it was lacking something. A twist or some other element or facet to the story. The plot just seems too simple for the expansive world building, beautiful prose, and complex MC.

Hopefully there is a sequel in the works.

So Beautiful

I was spellbound throughout. Be patient, the story unfolds slowly so you can revel in the poetry of it, and notice the small clues that things are not as they seem. It is healing and satisfying and utterly lovely.

Listened to it, then re-listened and will re-listen again.

It’s subtle, a slow reveal. Be patient and let it happen. You don’t have to know everything all at once. Maybe we all have magical escape places within us

Gorgeous prose, excellent narration

Stick with it, as it takes some time to get traction. But it gets under your skin. I can’t stop thinking about it. Listening to this audiobook was just a beautiful experience.