Cover Image: Piranesi (exceprt)

Piranesi (exceprt)

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

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 :-)

Was this review helpful?

Wow. Though this was only an excerpt, It caught my attention and shocked me with how beautiful and intricate the prose is. I have not had the pleasure of reading Susanna’s ‘Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrell’, but after reading just the few pages in the excerpt, it’s safe to say that I will be picking up that one (as well as this one as soon as it’s available!). It was so fantastical and original, with a world that I’ve never seen before, and with mysterious characters to pull you head first into the story. Was it weird? Definitely. But that’s exactly what made it stand out to me, and I can’t wait to read the rest of it. It’s wonderful to see such imaginative and gorgeous writing.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

Wowzers! Thank you Netgalley for this tiny taste of Piranesi. The scene has been masterfully set for what is sure to be an incredible, magical, whimsical tale. I can not wait to see what happens next. I will be putting my "staff pick" sticker on this the day it arrives in store.
5 star introduction

Was this review helpful?

I will admit, in the beginning, I was confused. And then I stopped thinking and let the prose take me.

But questions still plagued me, who are these people? Who is Piranesi? Who is The Other? Where are they stuck? Is it a museum? Felt like one. The excerpt just made me want to know more.

So sure, in the beginning, I was confused. Towards the end of the excerpt however, I was curious - both in terms of how things would progress and how I would feel in the end.

Was this review helpful?

Such a short little excerpt, but I am already so fascinated with this whole new version of the World. I instantly became immersed in the environment and I could picture everything happening. The writing was lush and beautiful. It was quite lyrical and fantastical, teleporting me to a completely ethereal place. I'm now even more excited to experience this story!

Was this review helpful?

Piranesi lives in a house. The house contains the world, the seas, the skies, and many sculptures. The world has held 15 inhabiters, though only two are currently living, Piranesi and the Other.

Susanna Clarke's writing transports you. Already just from reading this short excerpt I have a vivid image of the house. It isn't a complete image, but I suppose that's fair as Piranesi himself hasn't explored every room or hall in the house.

I was already very excited for the release of Piranesi in the fall, I almost wish I hadn't read this excerpt because it's made my anticipation even worse.

Was this review helpful?

A Haunting, but Exquisitely Real, Dreamworld

This is only an excerpt. It's fairly generous, but it feels very brief because it's so good and it ends so quickly you will be left wishing for much more.

Exactly as described by the publisher's blurb, you are thrown into an infinitely complex house that contains our ridiculously unreliable narrator's entire world. Piranesi is obsessive and almost childlike; we observe and accompany him as he follows his daily ritual of exploring and recording the dimensions and landscapes of the house.

The excerpt ends before we can even suspect where the tale will go. But it is perfectly clear that the tale will go somewhere interesting. This is a great tease.

Was this review helpful?

I loved Clarke's previous two books so I've been excited to read this one since I heard it announced. However, after reading this excerpt, I've gone from being hyped to completely indifferent towards it. What is this book about? Descriptions of some abstract location, two weird people, one suffering from amneisa, talking about memory. Bizarre labels for years, lengthy descriptions of architecture. I have no idea. I'll probably give Piranesi a shot at some point but I'm not going to be picking this up on Day 1 after all - I'ma wait for some reviews to see how it reads in totality and whether it's better than the rubbish of this excerpt.

Was this review helpful?

The excerpt I read was interesting and well detailed. I think it will be a wonderful science fiction book. I wish that there had been more to read of it so that I had a clearer idea of where the storyline was going.

Was this review helpful?

A bit difficult to get into at first because of the barrage of information, but very interesting start to a book. It made me think of House of Leaves while reading it. I am intrigued by the sample and was disappointed to finish it so quickly. I definitely plan on returning to read the rest of the story.

Was this review helpful?