Piranesi Review in The New Yorker

In Piranesi, Susanna Clarke crafts a mesmerizing world within the mind of a simple man, weaving a narrative that is both hypnotic and haunting. This little book packs a punch far greater than its modest page count would suggest. The novel's ingenious structure lends it an otherworldly quality that is impossible to shake.

The character roles in Piranesi are intentionally ambiguous, leaving questions about memory and testimony hanging in the air. Clarke's ingenuous narrator remains several steps behind the reader for most of the story, adding to the sense of mystery and uncertainty.

Piranesi is a bold experiment, as Clarke knowingly takes risks with her narrative. The result is a remarkable feat of craft and reinvention. She seduces us with imaginative grandeur, only to sweep it away, revealing the darker aspects of human nature that we can't help but surrender to.

While Jonathan Strange was a populous and richly polyphonic novel, Piranesi is a tenebrous study in solitude. As the clues fall into place and the puzzles are resolved, the story gives way to larger, more tantalizing questions. Clarke's world-building is exceptional, crafting a fantastical plot that is both captivating and replete with monsters.

Haunting, tantalizing, enigmatic, and profound – Piranesi is all these things and more. This review can't help but sing its praises for the author's skill in creating a very well-executed piece of world-building and unraveling.

Piranesi review new yorker