‘Piranesi’ by  Susannah Clarke

This month we have been reading Susanna Clarke’s ’Piranesi’ (2020)
‘The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite’
I have to admit that I was reluctant to read this book – not my usual sort of thing at all – and to begin with I made slow progress.  However, the beauty of the descriptions and the mystery and suspense that develops drew me in and I found it a rewarding book to read.
It is set in the ‘House’, a fantasy world made up of Halls filled with classical statues.  Some Halls are very beautiful, others are sinister and potentially dangerous.  The Halls are washed by the tides of the sea and periodically high tides cause flooding while clouds drift across the high walls.  Within these Halls lives the narrator known as Piranesi.  He is alone apart from ‘the Other’ who he believes also lives in the House and who meets him twice a week for research.  Sometimes the Other brings Piranesi gifts, like shoes, vitamin pills, a ham and cheese sandwich. Continue reading “Hadlow Down Book Club Review”