A world of endless halls, statues, and vestibules. No other human inhabitant but himself and a distant other. This is the space in which Piranesi finds himself, without any memory of why or how he got there. Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2021, Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi  follows the title character as he wanders the House, logging and analyzing the discoveries he makes about it. Eventually, these end up shattering his – as well as the readers’ – perceptions of the vastness of reality and fiction combined.

Piranesi is content but confused. For the life of him, he cannot remember what his real name was, although he is pretty sure that it is not Piranesi. He cannot grasp the purpose or full features of the House but embraces its sacredness and is grateful for all that it provides him with. As he records in his journal, “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.” But perhaps the House does not have as innocent intentions as he thinks it does. Or perhaps it has no intentions at all; it just is what it is.

The House appears similar to the real world in that it consists of three floors: the top floor which is filled with clouds, the bottom floor which has ocean water and sea life, and the middle floor where Piranesi lives amongst animals and the grand Statues. There, Piranesi lives a simple life, eating fish and seaweed, becoming one with the House. The only other person there is a cold, distant, old man he has dubbed “the Other,” and the two meet twice a week to discuss Piranesi’s latest findings about the House. This is because the Other believes that the House is the means to uncover a greater knowledge and needs Piranesi’s discoveries so he can understand it better.

The book in its entirety is in the format of Piranesi’s journal entries as he goes through surreal experiences and enlightenment in the House. Although the book starts off as somewhat of a fever dream, readers will quickly be able to catch on to what is going on, thanks to Piranesi’s factual, organized way of journaling his thoughts and observations. His analytical and inquisitive nature makes his notes all the more interesting, as he seeks to find out more about the mysterious House and gradually pieces the puzzle together about the House’s existence and his connection to it.

At the end of the book, the latter question is answered, while the former remains vague. Despite the House and its purpose being a mystery from start to finish, it is intuitively clear that everyone has been in a House of their own. The House implies a mental state of being, getting trapped in one’s thoughts and imagination, or any extension of this interpretation. What the House really signifies is truly up to the reader, and only the reader can add the “cherry on top” to this strange book and intertwine their personal experiences and thoughts to comprehend it.

In Piranesi, Clarke devises a complex world open to interpretation that can, quite frankly, be whatever the reader wants it to be. If the reader wants a spine-chilling mystery novel with a surprise twist at the end, it can be exactly that. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a deeply philosophical novel dealing with unusual topics that are food for thought. That is the beauty of Piranesi, or perhaps, as the main protagonist would point out, the beauty of the House.

Book Information
Title: Piranesi
Author: Susanne Clarke
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Year: 2020
Pages: 245