Piranesi (not his real name, though he's not sure what else to call himself) loves his labyrinth. He knows its tides and its stars. Its innumerable statues are his friends. He has memorized its endless galleries for kilometers in every direction. The only other human in the world is the Other, Piranesi's partner in unlocking the secrets of the labyrinth. Then, the Other warns Piranesi that another human may have found their sanctuary. A very dangerous human. Just like that, his world tilts on its axis and nothing will ever be the same. The strange and exquisite world roots this disorienting tale.

I can see why many reviewers thus far are compelled to state how different Piranesi is from Clarke's masterful Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. They are, in form, very different. The themes, however, are very similar, though to keep from spoiling anything I won't say specifically why this is. Piranesi is much more surreal and much less concerned with plot than its predecessor—not to mention much, much smaller in both narrative scale and literal size. Do I love this book as much as Strange & Norrell? No, but it's not because it is an inferior book; it's simply based in my personal love for huge, historical narratives versus smaller, more contemporary stories, so take that for what it's worth. The overall story can feel a little slow at first, as it relies heavily on the quiet, personal experiences of a single character, yet the book itself is not a slog. Overall, this is a worthy follow up to Clarke's earlier novel and well worth the wait.

I struggled to read this book and found it incredibly difficult to follow. I would not recommend it.

A lot of reviewers have said that Piranesi is totally different from Susanna Clarke's previous book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. I agree with them to an extent but there is one important way in which the two books are strikingly similar. Unfortunately, I can't say what that way is without spoilers. Read the books and you'll see what I mean.

Completely different than Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but in a similar way, totally singular and itself. The atmosphere is both claustrophobic and expansive. I went in knowing almost nothing, and I think it is the best way to experience this book and let it unfold. A gorgeous and engrossing book, and maybe even perfect, book.

While nothing like Jonathan Strange, it has echoes of the similar dissonance and a requirement of a lot of focus on the reader’s part. And just like Jonathan Strange readers are rewarded!

I did not know what to expect from Piranesi, and at first hesitated to start it, for fear of being disappointed, before opening it at lunch, and finding it unexpectedly both tranquil and compelling. The setting: a seemingly endless progression of large open halls, full of statues, prone sometimes to flooding, made me think of stepping suddenly into an Alma-Tadema painting, and such escapism is only more appealing as one reaches the fourth month of lockdown.

It is better to read Piranesi without knowing too much about what is being set up: the narrator, who is called Piranesi, though he knows that that is not his actual name, believes himself to be a "beloved child of the house;" and the novel is about the world he inhabits, and his coming to understand it.

I started it on my lunchbreak. I made myself read it slowly in the evening, both wanting to savor it, and a bit fearful that it would disappoint, or fail to stick the landing, but it was entirely satisfying, and I can already tell that it is likely to become a comfort read. This is not to say that it does not deal with harrowing subject matter -- it does -- but Clarke manages to play with known and familiar traditions in a way that renders them fresh and original. The setting is emphatically distinct from Clarke's first book; no one will suggest that this is Strange & Norrell all over again; but I am delighted to report that the voice and style are consistently Clarke; spare and elegant in turn. Recommended especially for anyone who has ever felt transfixed by the silent but unmistakable energy that is present in museum statue galleries.

I would give this 6 stars, if I possibly could.

Piranesi was not the book I was expecting AT. ALL. and I loved it. It's weird, and strange and so so wonderful. I will caution readers that the world building begins quickly and can take a few pages to get used to. The descriptions are detailed and wondrous, the world of the House is amazing. It's complicated to say any more without giving away the end, so I will say this, unreliable narrators make for the most interesting stories....

It's nothing at all like JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL. I liked the difference! It's a brilliant title by a talented author. I can't wait to read more books from Clarke.

An interested and curious tale. I kept reading because I had to know what the heck was going on. Was not disappointed in the climax.

A quiet riff on the effects that Knowledge leaves on the world, how those who grasp hardest at it miss what's before their eyes, how those who come to it with learning eyes find it in every facet of the universe, and how it shapes our mind while at the same time, our mind shapes our response to and interpretation of that knowledge.

Touches on Ritual Magic, ceremony, truth, and divinity and leaves the reader thinking carefully on what's been said and what's been ignored.

This is a fascinating puzzle box of a book. It's labyrinthine in both the literal and metaphorical sense; it kept me flipping back and forth to put all of the clues together. The setting of the House is expertly rendered - I felt like I was wandering through its halls with Piranesi as I read. It's not really possible to discuss the plot of the book without robbing a reader the opportunity to watch the story as it reveals itself, and I would never want to do that.

The first 25 percent of this book is brutal. It is slow. It makes little to no sense. I get that it is supposed to be confusing as Piranesi himself is confused, BUT, it goes on SO long that I almost gave up. The last 75 percent of this book is simply amazing. I am left thinking about faith, reality, science, mysticism, and all kinds of other head spinning ideas. I am glad I rode it out, and I would recommend anyone do so. You may have to skim and scan or even skip over the extremely long dates at the top of each chapter. Anything to help you get to the part where everything changes. You’ll know it when you get there.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

A man wanders the many halls of a great "house." He knows only one other living person, and together there are fifteen people in the world. That is what Piranesi knows to be true.

Part mystery, part fantasy, Clarke leads the reader to a sooty window with a view into humanity.

What a quirky book. When I first began to read my reaction was, “What the ...”. The book was not fitting into any of my little book niches. I thought I would put it down but I didn’t. I had to see where the author was going with this and I had to learn more about this strange creature and his world/mansion. So I kept reading. I had to finish it and I am so glad I did. What a wonderful world, what a fresh and wonderful story, very memorable. Thank you, Susanna Clarke!

It is hard to describe this book -- so different, so other-worldly, yet so human and beautiful. I was on the edge of my seat, even while the writing was slow and winding. I felt at first like I was stepping into The Starless Sea, but it wasn't at all what I expected. If you liked The Starless Sea, you will LOVE Piranesi.

If you’ve been waiting for a new novel from this author for some time, you won’t be disappointed. It’s is wonderful, strange and beautiful.

Piranesi lives in a labyrinth of rooms that have tides and statues, clouds, birds, and skeletons, along with "The Other" the only live human being he knows to exist.

In Piranesi, Susanna Clarke creates a majestic and mysterious world that is utterly captivating. It is definitely a book you want to go into knowing as little as possible in order to get the most out of your reading experience.

While I was enraptured by the setting and premise of the book, and thoroughly enjoyed the characters and plot, I did come away from the book wanting more from all these elements. At times it felt like there was a disconnect between these pieces of the book that left me hesitant to fully let myself love this book. By the time I finished reading, I wasn't sure what I felt about it, though I ultimately realized I had enjoyed reading it.

Regardless of my own opinion on these aspects of the book, it will be a welcome title for any fans of Susanna Clarke and an interesting addition to any library's shelves.

So, this blew me away. Considering the plot description (and what I remember of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell) I figured this book would be predominantly atmosphere with some vague plot happening around the edges, but no. No, this book is as gripping and enthralling as a thriller. It is so perfectly paced (those well-timed reveals!) and so intriguing that after a certain point it's almost impossible to put it down. Everything was so wonderfully deliberate and the fact that it managed to be satisfying as a mystery, a character study, and a fantasy is pretty incredible. Pretty much the only real complaint I have is that I could've done less with the listing off of numbered halls and vestibules. I didn't really get why this bugged me so much until the end when we get a hall that is not named after a number. Just the name of that particular hall gave a sense of what it looked like and what it would feel like to be there, whereas the numbered halls just gave a sense of how big the House was. Which is information that after the first few chapters you've pretty much absorbed, so I thought that was kind of a wasted opportunity.

But other than that? An incredible, enthralling read. I'll be recommending this one far and wide.