Piranesi

By: Susanna Clarke

Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Bloomsbury presents Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021
WINNER OF THE KITSCHIES' 2021
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, FINANCIAL TIMES, i PAPER, NEW STATESMAN, SPECTATOR, TIME MAGAZINE, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, BBC CULTURE, NETGALLEY AND THE CHURCH TIMES

The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, ‘one of our greatest living authors’ New York Magazine

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.

Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

*****

'What a world Susanna Clarke conjures into being … Piranesi is an exquisite puzzle-box' DAVID MITCHELL
‘It subverts expectations throughout … Utterly otherworldly’ Guardian
'Piranesi astonished me. It is a miraculous and luminous feat of storytelling' MADELINE MILLER
‘Brilliantly singular’ Sunday Times
'A gorgeous, spellbinding mystery … This book is a treasure, washed up upon a forgotten shore, waiting to be discovered' ERIN MORGENSTERN
‘Head-spinning … Fully imagined and richly evoked’ Telegraph

©2020 Susanna Clarke (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Never heard a story like this one, but hoped to

I’ve been waiting for this story for so long, even though I had no idea what Susanna Clarke would craft next. But here she is, offering yet another world that is complex and eerie but beautiful and worthy of spending time in. Piranesi and his labyrinth will break your heart then put it back together again. ‘The beauty of the House is immeasurable; it’s kindness infinite.’

astonishing book and excellent production

Piranisi was entertaining, unique, the perspective, pacing, and story telling style all make an interesting story incredible. I will be searching for more from Susanna Clarke. The voice acting from Chiwetel Ejiofor was excellent.

Poetic and Beautiful

If you are looking for magic realism and poetic writing, this book is for you. I loved how the plot slowly unfolded, and the reader captured the feelings wonderfully.

A F@#%ing Masterpiece, Original & Brilliant & Beautiful

I almost never write reviews. I'm very particular and I don't find contradictory reviews helpful at all. So I don't expect anyone to disregard any bad reviews and but the book just on my say so.

That said, this book is just about perfect. It's character-driven; if you need a whole bunch of action all the time, it might not be for you. But it's beautiful and poetic and wonderful and...

It's read by someone who really understood the book and how it needed to be read/performed. The performance is one of the best I've ever heard, and i have over 1000 books in my audible library, having been a member since 2001.

Yeah, on second thought, please DO disregard the poor reviews and buy the book on my say-so. You must! You will not be disappointed. (Unless you love constant action, in which case, you might be disappointed. But who knows, maybe not!)

A vivid story of fantasy and

This was a very interesting story. Susanna Clarke has a fascinating way of describing the magic which inhabits her stories.

Borges would have loved it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s characters and the way Piranesi catalogued and made sense of the world around him. It reminded me of Borges’ poem “Labyrinth”. It was a wonderful discovery.

Deep and exquisite

Piranesi is a beautiful person, gentle, always thinking of and appreciating the best of “the other” and his beloved home. Piranesi’s story is compelling, sad, joyful, enraging, contemplative and consistently told. I have been deeply moved by this beautiful book that is read by an excellent narrator. It’s going to stick with me for a long time.

INCREDIBLE

I loved everything about this. The narration and the story were amazing. I really would want to tell you more, but I don't want to take away from the delightful surprise and emotional roller coaster experience this story has to offer.

Strange and Beautiful

Narration was perfect. Story was odd in the way that makes you too curious to stop. Poetic and painful yet lovely and bright. It’s better than I expected, honestly

Enchanting

I highly recommend this enchanting book. It has an original plot exploring interesting topics in a perfect balance of action, mystery, and whimsy.