Piranesi lives in the House. The House protected him till now and it still looks after him. It provides him shelter from tides and nurtured him with the bounties brought by the tides. The House is boundless and merciful to Piranesi; at least, up till now.
Susanna Clarke’s marvellous novel begins in the House with Piranesi and takes the readers on a journey into the labyrinth. That is not only applicable to the House in question but also speaks volumes about Piranesi himself. The question is whether he is Piranesi? Then who is Matthew Rose Sorensen?
Well, talking any further about the plot will be giving away some of the hidden aspects of the storyline such as Piranesi’s offerings to the Dead. Therefore, it is safe to say that this book is a revelation in itself, more you read then more you know about the House.
On my part, I have enjoyed the beginnings and then the endings of these novel more than the parts concerning to the Prophet and his weird bunch of disciples. What begins as a mystical tale of finding yourself inside a labyrinth ends with finding yourself at a labyrinth.
Talking about the language and prose of this book is as lucid and captivating as it gets. The author manages to hold our attention on the protagonist of the story despite the magical, mystical fantasy backdrop. This is certainly worth your time and hopefully you will be also be captivated by the beauty of the House like so many others.