(Short review on except I obtained from publisher via NetGalley)

A mesmerizing introduction to what is sure to be a unique fantasy experience. Although the style isn’t exactly the Regency pastiche of Clarke’s Strange & Norrell and Grace Adieu, there is still something “retro” in the delivery, and Clarke’s signature humor seeps through. There is an unexpected narrative construct which allows a swifter insight into Piranesi’s character and perception and imbues a bit of a Dracula narrative vibe to the whole affair. Based on the excerpt, the book is brilliant, and I am excited to read more!

I have not read anything like Piranesi. The book reads as a series of archaeological journal entries akin to something you might find from the 18th or 19th century, detailed observations on place, space, and, art, and nature. The main character, Piranesi, lives in a seemingly infinite house, filled with statues, that makes up the strange world of this tale. Only one other living creature resides in the House, an entity that is almost as alive as its inhabitants, with three layers on different floors: the lower level of salt water and tides, the middle halls of birds and men, and the upper halls of the clouds. There are only celestial bodies outside of the House, nothing else, the world is entirely interior. Based on the name of the main character and the nature of the House, I can only imagine that the setting of this book is inspired by the 18th-century artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, famed for his etching series of Rome but also for his series Carceri d'invenzione (Imaginary Prisons). The artist's strange and feverish interiors feel like a starting point for Susanna' Clark's Piranesi, and I for one look forward to exploring more of the House.

This was an amazing exceprt! There is this girl who meets with a curious other who calls her Piranesi! She catoluges a maze of intricate halls and alcoves and contemplates what and who they were at a time. Writes it in a form of a diary for one day she could look back upon it. Maybe something will catch her eye or somebody else could use it because she will one day be something somebody else will catalogue. Theres 15 items on a list and she believes she will be number 16. She watches the tides come in and go out and most likely will fill everything up soon or not at all it rarely happens.
She and the Other are searching and contemplating something larger in life. All of a sudden he starts asking her questions about what she remembers about her past without looking in her diary. Just off the top of her head ( she knows Piranesi is not her name ) What bothers her is she can't remember? Brings up the question did she lose her sense of self? Is she doomed to this existence forever? What is her real name?
I was provided this Arc in exchange for an Honest review by NETGalley.

I'm going to need more chapters from this book! As always, Susanna Clarke writes with erudition, warmth, and the natural flowing style of a born storyteller. After so many years of waiting for her next book, give me more!

I am currently reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell with audiobook and can see the similar writing styles between the two works. I was a little confused with the excerpt, but I do feel like it would make a great audiobook when I get the chance to listen to it.

From the other comments I've read, apparently I'm in the vast minority on this one - but I didn't get it at all. I found it dry to the point of parchment - a series of descriptions that read like dictionary entries, and when there finally seemed to be something happening near the end of the very short excerpt, instead of finding it interesting and intriguing I mostly felt like it was intentionally confusing, which I found irritating rather than curiosity-driving... I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I read it a long time ago, right when it came out, and recall it as having a great deal of description also, but in a way that felt like it was feeding you toward a necessary understanding of the world she was creating, whereas here the description just felt flat and recitative. It didn't hook me at all, so I think I'm going to take a pass on the full book - I just don't think this one is for me...

Piranesi was something new, something strange and disorientating. It felt like a dream, in world which seemed at firsr familiar enough but there are endless halls with giants statues of mythical beings and entire seas within the House,which in itself seems alive. As I read I felt a growing feeling of dread.

The story is told through journal entries by a narrator who doesn't recall his name but is referred to as Piranesi. He knows a great deal about the House, about its the endless halls and how to travel to them (at leasts the ones he has visited before) yet he knows nothing of the outside world and his life before found himself in the house.

It gave me same feeling as those psychological horror games where you explore an old house or something which is distorted and unreal (like hallways that go on forever) and as you play you slowly put together what it actually happening through glimpses of memories and recovered journal entries.

I honestly found reading this very uncomfortable, confusion and disorientating. It is very well written and everything I felt was probably intentional on the part of the author. I'd recommend this if you like to unravel a mystery that is not straight forward in a strange but magical world with a (probably) unreliable narrator.

I requested the excerpt, thinking to satisfy my curiosity. Instead, I am hooked! I’ve submitted my request for the full novel. Such an intriguing concept and vivid imagery/atmosphere. My fingers are crossed...hoping for approval quickly, as I’m dying to dive back in.

This was a very short excerpt of what intends to be a very long novel, but I think it gave me a sense of tone and style. I haven't read any of Clarke's work, but I have seen the mini-series based on her book Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which I loved. So quirky and delightful. So I have great hopes for this novel and look forward to it coming out in September!

Well... that was... philosophical.

As of now, I'm still struggling to digest the contents of this excerpt, as engaging as it is. I'm a little lost in the concept, but I suppose this was what the Clarke intended for her readers.

One thing I definitely am intrigued about, is the characters introduced. They don't go by regular names, but instead, by long form descriptions of themselves. Even the locations are twisty and windy, like a spiral staircase in an abandoned castle. Clarke even 'broke the fourth wall' which I really liked, but to be honest, I found it a little... disarming. But I suppose she's achieved her desired effect.

Overall, I'm not too sure about this. I may read the whole book, I may not. For an excerpt, this was a trip.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an excerpt in exchange for an honest review.

Susanna Clarke returns to literary work in this book, demonstrating a command of atmosphere and literary engagement. I can’t wait to read more.

I downloaded this excerpt because the book's description seemed interesting enough and I have enjoyed some of Clarke's previous work. However, I'm not quite sure how I feel about Piranesi, based on this excerpt of the novel's first 26 pages. The prose is a bit obtuse. It's almost overly descriptive but in a kind of distanced, emotionally-removed way. The descriptions are so matter-of-fact, but also far too obtuse. Clearly, the narrator understands what he's describing, but the description didn't actually help me visualize the setting at all. It was this weird mixture of far too vague in parts while being far too descriptive in others, and the narrator's naming conventions just served to make everything more confusing. Instead of feeling enlightening, it just felt like padding.

Additionally, you don't get any insight into the narrator's mindset; who they are, what they're doing, what they want, why they want it, and how they're going to get it. You're just sort of dropped into the middle of this already-in-progress story and it feels like you have to do a lot to keep up.

I initially found it difficult to get into the story at all. But as it went on, it did pick up some, especially with the introduction of the Other in the final few pages of the excerpt, and I found myself more invested in what was going on. Obviously, this is just the first little bit of the novel, so I don't want to pass too harsh a judgment. There's a lot of potential here and I find myself eagerly wanting to uncover where this story is going. The prose got easier to digest as I got used to its style and I am intrigued to find out what, exactly, is happening and to further explore the relationship between Piranesi and the Other. So, even with some initial stumbling blocks, this excerpt has me hooked enough to want to read more.

Unfortunately, this book did not draw me in. While this is only an excerpt, I did not find myself interesting in the writing or premise.

It's hard to tell from just the excerpt however, this book definitely sounds like it could appeal to a lot of people. I'm just not sure if I'm one of them.

Susanna Clarke excels in creating worlds that pull you in, immerse you in what's happening there and keeps you locked in, and that's exactly what this excerpt promises. In just a few pages, you are immersed in a weird world and you are torn between chucking out and staying in- and I promise you that if you choose to stay, you're in for a treat.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. I also find it interesting that the only Piranesi I know of was the artist- Giovanni Battista Piranesi who created imaginary prisons :-)

Although I read only a short excerpt from the new book of Susanna Clarke via NetGalley, it seems intriguing. It starts with 2 people in an isolated environment, in a rather huge architecture, lower parts shaped by tides. This feel like a dream sequence, but the story appears to be pages from a journal. We don’t know what year it is, or even what planet or world they are on. I’d certainly want to read more to discover who these people are, if they are in some sort of experiment, and what kind of a world they are part of. It looks there is a lot more to discover.

This book looked so interesting with its description and the cover, plus I've heard great things about the author. It took a while to get used to the writing and understand exactly what is going on and by the time I did, the excerpt ended!! But this makes me all the more excited to read the whole book.

I've only read an excerpt of this book, so I can't give it a full review yet. But the short chapters I read promise that the book will be full of fantastic imagery. Susanna Clarke is the author of the classic fantasy, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which combined supernatural elements with good old-fashioned storytelling. I'm looking forward to reading this new novel to see if Clarke can live up to her promise.

What a teaser! I can't wait to jump into Susanna Clarke's newest novel, set in a strange fantasy world seemingly contained within an enormous, magical house. While setting certainly takes center stage in this preview, the narrator's voice is strong and unique, and I'm fascinated by his personality and experiences.

This excerpt raises so many questions, that I cannot wait to have the entire novel in my hands. Who is Piranesi and the Other. What is this world of theirs that they call The House, with its halls filled with statues, ebbing tides, and the occasional skeleton of those who have lived before them. Piranesi is an explorer who is also seeking the same answers, and I will be right there with him when he finds them.