I confess I'm in the minority here. This was my first book by Susanna Clarke. I still haven't read her famous Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, though I have been planning to for a long time. I suppose this one was easier to get into, being so short. However, after reading the first scene, my reaction was: What the damn hell?! I hadn't understood a single thing. The imagery and language were beautiful. But still, I was lost. I put it down for a few seconds and seriously questioned whether I should stop reading since it didn't seem to be my kind of book. But I remembered the great reviews I had read and decided to push forward. Thankfully, pretty soon, everything started to come into focus, and I fell in love with the House and Piranesi's pure and precious voice.
As soon as one starts to realize what is really going on, it's impossible not to feel great sympathy for Piranesi's situation and want to know what happens next. I especially loved Piranesi's struggle with his identity, expertly depicted, and the examination of representation and reality. In this respect, I was reminded, at times, of Plato's allegory of the cave.
It's a very unique book with a very ingenious premise and an excellent execution. Simply put, there is nothing not to love about it.