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Piranesi

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Piranesi

By: Susanna Clarke
Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021
WINNER OF THE KITSCHIES' 2021
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, FINANCIAL TIMES, i PAPER, NEW STATESMAN, SPECTATOR, TIME MAGAZINE, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, BBC CULTURE, NETGALLEY AND THE CHURCH TIMES

The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, ‘one of our greatest living authors’ New York Magazine

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.

Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

*****

'What a world Susanna Clarke conjures into being … Piranesi is an exquisite puzzle-box' DAVID MITCHELL
‘It subverts expectations throughout … Utterly otherworldly’ Guardian
'Piranesi astonished me. It is a miraculous and luminous feat of storytelling' MADELINE MILLER
‘Brilliantly singular’ Sunday Times
'A gorgeous, spellbinding mystery … This book is a treasure, washed up upon a forgotten shore, waiting to be discovered' ERIN MORGENSTERN
‘Head-spinning … Fully imagined and richly evoked’ Telegraph

©2020 Susanna Clarke (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Mind-Bending
All stars
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I think the author is a once in a generation talent. This is such a rich work, worthy of being called a modern myth. This reading for audible is sensitive and beautifully paced.

Beautiful and profound

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Spectacular performance by Chiwetel, he really did brought the characters into life. What a masterpiece, thriller in disguise.

Unusual

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I always intended to read Piranesi after reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but I let some time go by as I didn’t really believe it could live up to that wonderful experience. This book is quite different - it is short, its characters are few in number and its world is far less expansive. It is not a sequel to the earlier novel, except in so far as that book prepares you to accept the conceit of parallel worlds. You do not need to have read JS&MN first. Piranesi caught my imagination in the first few pages and held me throughout. This book is spare and clean like a highly polished faceted stone, and I found myself savouring the construction of its world just as much as the development of its narrative. It also made me care for its central character enough to weep for him. The reading is flawless, and I am glad that I experienced this as an audiobook.

A jewel

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Piranesi is a story I will never forget. It is a piece of true myth making, and I wish there were more stories like it in the world. Chiwetel Ejiofor reads it beautifully.

An enchanting tale, read beautifully.

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incredible book, truly top notch. this requires fifteen words, it's my sausage dogs first birthday today.

terrific

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This story was brilliant and the narrator brought it to life for me.
I found myself utterly lost in this other world. I highly recommend this to lovers of fantasy and surrealism.

Brilliant

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I can't remember the last time I read/listened to such an amazing book. I was absolutely hooked and devoured it over a few days.

The story is exquisitely written, creative, layered. The narration is flawless.

I think this is the best fiction book I've listened to on Audible. If I had read it I would've still enjoyed it but this narration... Chef's kiss.

Magnificent

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Best audiobook I’ve listened to for a very long time. Totally original story written beautifully.

Brilliant!

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Hypnotic and captivating, it really caught my imagination. The gradual revealing of the heroes true situation was masterfully handled.

Fascinating

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This story turned out to be an unexpected treasure. Simply wonderful storytelling — mysterious and engaging from start to finish.

Dreamlike and unexpectedly beautiful

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