#7: Susanna Clarke, Piranesi

[kareila]

After the magnum opus that was Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, I was surprised that Piranesi was such a quick read. But like that previous work, it was interesting and strange. A guileless man in his thirties lives alone in a vast timeless house that is partially submerged in the ocean, an endless series of cathedral-like rooms full of odd statues which he spends his days exploring. He is visited twice a week by a man known only as The Other who thinks the house holds the key to some magical power. Gradually, Piranesi realizes that his older journals contain references to people and events he no longer remembers, and he must solve the mystery of his own past.

(Update: I just saw that the audiobook is narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor and that also sounds lovely.)