Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi is one of those books you don’t know what to expect from when you pick it up for the first time. The title gives nothing away about the content, and if you’re willing to get spoiled and read some reviews beforehand, you’ll find the reviews are just as cryptic as the title. But once you pick it up, you can’t put it down again.

Piranesi, our main character, lives in a bizarre house. There are rooms after rooms after rooms, an endless labyrinth filled with statues made of marble. The lowest are flooded by the ocean, the highest are lost in the clouds. His days are filled with keeping records of the tides and trying to survive.

Although Piranesi is alone, he’s not afraid of the house; it seems like he and the house share some deep connection, and he feels protected by it.

I was in a house with many rooms. The sea sweeps through the house. Sometimes it swept over me, but always I was saved. — Piranesi, Susanna Clarke

Piranesi is not alone in that house. There is The Other, who seems to help him from time to time. But after a while, we get the feeling something is off: with the house, with the Other, and with Piranesi himself. We start asking questions. Just as Piranesi does.

What does The Other want? Why are they trapped in the house? Is there a reason for them being there? Was Piranesi always Piranesi? And what will he do if he ever gets the chance to leave the house? Is there even a way out?

The story is about magic, about memory, about believing in the unbelievable. It’s about what the human mind is capable of, about trust and hope.

The writing is so unique. I’ve never read anything like it before. Susanna Clarke’s words are magical; they pull you right into the world. Although the story moves slowly, I never once felt bored. It feels like a puzzle you need to solve, a slow-burn mystery. It’s intelligent, stimulating, and by the end you need to reconsider everything you’ve read.

This book isn’t for everyone, I get it. Some people find it boring, for whatever reason – but trust me on this one.

Piranesi is not a book you rush through. It’s a book you sink into, slowly, the way the tide moves through the House itself. If you’re looking for fast-paced fantasy with clear answers, this might not be for you. But if you’re willing to trust the fog, to sit with not knowing, you’ll find one of the most quietly magical reading experiences out there. Some books you finish and move on. Piranesi is one you finish and carry with you.