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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.