Piranesi is a 2020 novel by English author Susanna Clarke. A fantasy driven by a mystery, it is set in a parallel universe. The eponymous narrator lives in a boundless world comprised of interconnected halls and vestibules adorned with countless statues, known simply as the House. He meticulously records his observations of the House's enigmatic tides, clouds, and even the skeletal remains of long-deceased inhabitants. Piranesi believes he has always dwelled in the House—he can't remember being anywhere else. Also living in the House is a man identified only as the Other, with whom Piranesi meets twice each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Piranesi considers the Other as a friend, as well as his guide in seeking a Great and Secret Knowledge concealed within the House's labyrinthine chambers.
Suddenly, messages materialize indicating the arrival of another person in the House, whom the Other warns may pose a threat to Piranesi. As the House grows increasingly strange, Piranesi uncovers fragments of his forgotten past—and a terrible truth begins to unravel.
Highly immersive, Piranesi keeps readers engrossed in the narrator's search for meaning, reality, and his very identity. Intensely atmospheric and wonderfully intriguing, this novel is the perfect escape for fans of riddles and enigmas.
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About the author
Susanna Clarke
Susanna Clarke is an English author best known for her debut novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), a Hugo Award-winning alternative history. She spent a decade working on the novel in her spare time in between her duties as an editor at Simon and Schuster's Cambridge office.
Clarke's writing style is often described as a pastiche of 19th-century British authors such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Her works, including the short story collection The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006), often explore themes of magic and female empowerment. After struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome, Clarke eventually published her second novel, Piranesi, in 2020. The novel won the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction and was shortlisted for several other prestigious honors, including the Hugo and Nebula Awards.
Born in Nottingham on November 1, 1959, Clarke had a nomadic childhood due to her father's career as a Methodist minister. She studied at St Hilda's College, Oxford, and worked in various publishing roles before turning to writing full-time. She currently resides in Derbyshire with her partner, the science fiction novelist and reviewer Colin Greenland.
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