PiranesiPiranesi
Score Modern
What it's about
Piranesi lives in the House, an endless series of halls filled with thousands of marble statues, where tides surge through the lower floors and clouds drift through the upper ones. He believes only one other living person exists, the Other, a man he meets twice a week to help with research into a secret knowledge. Piranesi records everything in his journals. But as strange messages appear, and his own journal begins to contradict him, he starts to question what he knows.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Women's Prize for Fiction and was a Hugo and Nebula finalist. It's short, strange and beautiful, and has been called one of the most original novels of its decade.
You'll love it if you liked
Ficciones
The Name of the Rose
Stories of Your Life and OthersGood to know
It's confusing at first, on purpose. It's best read knowing as little as possible.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller48 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #9 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #19 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #73 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #138 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Susanna Clarke
If you like this, read next
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Leaving Time
Lights Out
The Trees
Gone Girl
2666Explore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Piranesi worth reading?
Yes. It won the Women's Prize for Fiction and was a Hugo and Nebula finalist. It ranks #138 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Piranesi about?
Piranesi lives in the House, an endless series of halls filled with thousands of marble statues, where tides surge through the lower floors and clouds drift through the upper ones. He believes only one other living person exists, the Other, a man he meets twice a week to help with research into a secret knowledge. Piranesi records everything in his journals. But as strange messages appear, and his own journal begins to contradict him, he starts to question what he knows.
How long does it take to read Piranesi?
About 6 hours (245 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Piranesi won?
Women's Prize for Fiction winner (2021).
What should I read after Piranesi?
If you liked it, try Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco or Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang.