Immerse yourself in Susanna Clarke's uncanny and lovely masterpiece
Introduction
In search of a comfortable entry point into the genre of speculative fiction, but aren't in the mood for anything that remotely resembles Lord of the Rings or Star Wars? Look no further than Susanna Clarke's eerie and tranquil Piranesi.
Susanna Clarke's choice of name for the book and its protagonist – and its in-fiction origin – was inspired by Italian artist, archaeologist and architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778). Specifically, the artist's haunting sketches of 'Imaginary Prisons' are a clear influence on the House in the novel.
As with my first 'Starting Points' post recommending Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, I'll be avoiding spoilers in hopes that you will enjoy this lovely tale for yourself – though I'll offer a little analysis of the book's fascinating setting at the end. Consider looking for a copy at your local thrift store or library, otherwise the audiobook is currently free on Spotify, as I mentioned in my recent post on that topic.
"Meeting of the Three Tides" by Beatrice Woodward
Why read Piranesi?
One of my favourite things about speculative fiction is the wonder and discovery of entering a new world and discerning the ways in which it differs from our own. (Does it have magic or advanced technology? Do its people have different inherent assumptions or knowledge? What aspects of society or the world does the author choose to focus on? Like Translation in R.F. Kuang's Babel, significant meaning often lies in these areas of change.)
Piranesi offers a beautifully straightforward version of this experience by presenting the reader with an incredibly simple and calm yet strange environment. We find our protagonist, Piranesi, in a vast House populated by statue-filled rooms, stretching beyond the limits of his exploration and only changed by the steady ebb and flow of the Tides.
"The Three Tides" by sethhahne
Wearing simple clothes and surviving mostly on fish, crustaceans and sea vegetation from the flooded Lower Halls and occasional bird eggs from the sunny Upper Halls, Piranesi leads a blissful life of curiosity and innocent wonder. Although he has lived in this world as long as he can remember and has learned the necessities of survival, Piranesi has no greater understanding of the House's meaning and secrets than the reader does.
And what easier way is there to be immersed in the world? In every other case, and in any kind of fiction, this process of questioning and discernment is accompanied by essential plot details, character introductions and the first hints at character motivations and morality.
While those complex elements eventually arise (it is a novel after all), I love the serene and contemplative atmosphere that Clarke introduces immediately and manages to maintain throughout – and I hope you will too!
"The Drowned Halls" by sethhahne
Cautionary Note
Without getting into specifics, I'll simply warn that Piranesi deals with themes of emotional and psychological abuse and manipulation – specifically toward vulnerable gay characters. I think it does so beautifully and respectfully, but tread cautiously if that subject is painful for you.
Books Similar to Piranesi
If – as I hope – you love Piranesi and are interested in other books exploring similar ideas, I have a few recommendations for you! (Unfortunately I can't say this includes Clarke's other major work; I found Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell to be rambling and unfulfilling everywhere that Piranesi is light and charming.)
House of Leaves features a similar endless liminal space and also raises questions about the mind, though it is certainly a marathon where Piranesi is a casual jog.
The Secret History bears remarkable likeness, though its narrative progresses in the opposite direction to Piranesi
The Books of Babel are absolutely lovely and also focus on a hapless protagonist learning about the setting alongside the reader
The Magicians and The Library at Mt. Char have similar worldbuilding ideas, though their narratives and tones are fairly different
Otherwise, if Piranesi is perhaps not what you're looking for, consider my other 'Starting Points' article on another absolute favourite of mine: The Thief.
"The Upper Halls" by sethhahne
What is the House? (Light Spoilers)
My intention is to return to each of these 'Starting Points' books in the future and offer in-depth analysis, but as with The Thief I feel compelled to gently explore the novel's ideas.
The mystery of the House is intertwined with the human plot of Piranesi, but remains mostly unknowable even after much else is explained. We hear from its discoverer:
The wisdom of the ancients could not have simply vanished (...) I pictured it as a sort of energy flowing out of the world and I thought that this energy must be going somewhere. That was when I realised that there must be other places, other worlds (...) I found this one. This is what I call a Distributary World – it was created by ideas flowing out of another world. This world could not have existed unless that other world had existed first. Whether this world is still dependent on the continued existence of the first one, I don’t know.
I love how this explanation imbues the statues with meaning and offers a metaphorical origin for the Tides; it's fascinating to think about Piranesi's existence of simple survival as he potentially stands amidst the collection of all human thought. It's not a complete theory, and I think the ending implies there may be more to decipher. But I'll leave that for another day.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy the novel if you choose to give it a shot!
If Piranesi is asking a fundamental question about our world, I believe it is about the relationship between ignorance, bliss and horror. Curious to hear if you have a different take, or what answer you take from it!
Thanks for reading! Consider following me for more explorations of speculative fiction <3
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