What readers think of Piranesi, plus links to write your own review.

I must admit, this book took a while for me to get into...I kept wondering,,what is the point? But like any good mystery, things are revealed meticulously. Once I was half way through, I found that I could not put it down.

In a world of stay at home, it seems fitting for the main character to be trapped in a world without realizing it. How many of us have created out own worlds and not seen the way out?

This book is not for everyone, but it is well written and thought provoking.

Piranesi is the sole caretaker of a very unusual realm. Most of the time, he sets about mapping and observing the world's features in his journals. Twice a week, he meets with and relays his findings to a visitor known as "The Other," a man who is eager to unearth a special knowledge supposedly hidden there. The discoveries they make are very illuminating.

This story is an incredibly evocative and creative interpretation of Giambattista Piranesi themes: architecture, labyrinths, imprisonment, contrasts, etc. It does require commitment by the reader but will leave a lasting impression.

Piranesi is an interesting book that unfolds as you read along. Piranesi lives in a house/world consisting of labyrinths of halls with statues. The ocean water flows in through the halls. The Other is the only other person there. The Other warns him of a number 16 character who is looking for them and dangerous. Piranesi continues to find clues about his past and situation. I don't want to give more details or it will spoil the book for the reader. The book flows well. At first, it is confusing and hard to follow. The author does a great job unfolding the story. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy a story that includes mysteries to discover.

Piranesi is a fascinating story in an alternative universe setting that was at times challenging for me to plow through. This genre is quite different from my usual preferences. I was intrigued enough to keep reading while questioning why I continued. I was caught up in the labyrinth. Piranesi is a difficult book to describe. I wanted answers. But, the journey was not easy. The book is thought provoking. It caused me to consider the lengths some academics would go to prove a hypothesis. It caused me to consider the effects of environment on mental health. I had to consider whether I was reading someone's fantasy, delusion, dream or incomprehensible reality with uncertain time, place, historical context, or alternate universe. I'm still unsure.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is a novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. Piranesi, the main character, lives in a infinite stone castle with room after room of statues and skeletons. Tides often flood part of the castle. Piranesi is an unreliable narrator who keeps meticulous journals. His main point of contact is the Other, who tries to control him. Piranesi has no contact with the outside world. But through his journals who find out about other characters. The story keeps your attention as you try to understand Piranesi. I was unsure until towards the end what was actually happening. I recommend this book, I enjoyed the way the plot was developed. It might be challenging as a book club read. Everyone must finish the book before the discussion.

Piranesi is the name that the Other calls the Narrator. They live in a structure composed of many halls, many of which are inundated by the sea. The halls are 'peopled' by statues that seem to stand for something: a woman carrying a beehive; a dog-fox teaching two squirrels and two satyrs; two children laughing, one of them carrying a flute. Piranesi is quite naive. I found it hard to relate to him.

This book was a slow starter for me. I thought that it was only going to be about statues, floods and an unreliable narrator.

Then the characters started to take shape in my mind and a story developed. I liked the book and would recommend it.

I thank BookBrowse for a free copy of this book. It is a GREAT book for the right audience.

Readers familiar with Susanna Clarke's book, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, will not be surprised to learn that this is a very unusual story. It takes place almost entirely in a house with a seemingly unending number of levels and hallways. The story's narrator spends his days cataloging the rooms in each hallway, which are filled with statuary. I will admit that I found the constant references to the hallways by geographical location a nuisance and I just skipped over them.

Water is a dominant force in this book so I would liken the reading experience to floating down a lazy river. The plot moves slowly and deliberately throughout most of the book but picks up momentum as it moves toward the conclusion. There were enough clues offered throughout the book to hint at the ending so the reveal felt satisfying—because by then you had a reasonable idea of what was happening—rather than an unfair trick.

I did enjoy this book. Reading it requires some patience but sometimes we just need to slow down and drift along.

From the first line the story grabs your attention. The writing style may take some getting used to in that the story seems to be a mystery and/or a fantasy blended with reality.
Piranesi and "the Other are the only two in a house with infinite halls and statues. Piranesi has a meager existence in "the House". He keeps detailed journals cataloguing every space in the House. He sometimes helps the Other search for 'the Great and Secret Knowledge'. The Other's comes and goes; to and from where is unknown. There are hints throughout that there is more to what would appear to be a world separate from our own.