![]() ![]() Whether I was drifting under the tapestry of stars, gliding along moonlit halls with Piranesi, searching for the marks of another human being, or lost in forgotten memories: everything echoed with meaning. ![]() It was one of those stories, not unlike The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, that awakened in one a sense of wonder. When I finally shut this slender masterpiece, a sigh of satisfaction left my lips. Questions formulate in his mind and discoveries threaten the foundation of his World.Īnd when the House shows signs of another occupant, Piranesi is determined to bring the secrets to light. However, as the story progresses, he grows more and more dissatisfied with his position. To him, the House is his World: “The beauty of the House is immeasurable its Kindness infinite.” He cherishes it, like an artist would cherish a masterpiece. Furthermore, he attends a biweekly meeting with the Other - the only other known human in existence - where they make plans for the search of the Secret Knowledge. In this “labyrinthine” House, Piranesi carries out his meticulous tasks of measuring tides, naming and recording statues, and jotting down everything in his journal (the book we read!). A House where millions of ivory statues line its vestibules. Not an ordinary house, a House with sweeping halls and towering staircases. Piranesi, our story’s protagonist, is the inhabitant of a House. Struck by the vivid imagery Clarke paints with her words, I was quickly enwrapped in her World of wonders. But all hesitation drained away after reading several entries. I opened it tentatively, unsure what to expect with its peculiar summary. Unlike the bustling world and changing scenery of her debut, a quietness inhabits Piranesi. Its size is probably the most noticeable distinction: small and slender, it does not attempt to rival the grandeur of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. And I must agree with the critics, it’s different from its hefty predecessor. Dubbed a “study in solitude” by The Guardian, Piranesi arrived in September 2020, at the height of Covid-19. Nearly two decades later, her second novel entered the world. Instead, she returned to an older book idea and began to write - through illness, cloudy days, and a heavy mind. But, at the time, she felt too overwhelmed to resume work on the Jonathan Strange & Mr. With the spirit of a warrior, Clarke continues to persevere. Even Neil Gaiman, world-renown author and writer, remarked that “ it was the finest work of English fantasy written in the past 70 years.”Īt the crest of its success, illness crept into Clarke’s life, and she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Armed with magic and wit, the novel flows with footnotes (referencing books real and made-up) and a pastiche style of writing (a combination of Dickens & Austen). An 800+ word tome, the story follows two magicians in the Napoleonic era on a quest to bring magic back into England. Norrell in 2004, it enchanted readers worldwide, winning Time’s Best Novel of the Year and the Hugo Award for Best Novel. When Susanna Clarke released her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. ![]()
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