Piranesi
Susanna Clarke, 2020
A man lives contentedly in an endless house of marble halls, statues and tides, until signs of another presence begin to unsettle his world.
Consider: Is solitude a comfort or a danger in Piranesi?
A note from the concierge
Welcome
Six novels with a world so complete you will forget the hour.
Turn off notifications, pour something warm. These are books that reward being read in large, uninterrupted stretches.
The Concierge
6 books
The List
Circe
Madeline Miller, 2018
Exiled to a remote island, the witch of Greek myth hones her craft and her will, and crosses paths with gods, monsters and heroes.
Consider: Who holds power in Circe, and how do they use it?
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern, 2011
A black-and-white circus appears without warning, the stage for a duel between two young magicians who do not know the rules.
Consider: What does The Night Circus say about why people make beautiful things?
The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937
A comfort-loving hobbit is swept into a quest with thirteen dwarves to reclaim a treasure guarded by a dragon.
Consider: What does friendship demand of the people in The Hobbit?
A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles, 2016
Sentenced to house arrest in a grand Moscow hotel in 1922, Count Rostov finds an entire world within its walls.
Consider: What does friendship demand of the people in A Gentleman in Moscow?
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco, 1980
In 1327, a Franciscan friar and his young novice investigate a string of deaths in a secretive Italian abbey with a labyrinthine library.
Consider: What does The Name of the Rose suggest faith is for?
Practical
How to Read This List
Read together, these 6 books come to about 62 hours. That is a comfortable month at roughly 16 hours a week.
- Begin with the book that appeals most. There is no required order.
- Keep a pencil nearby for the questions in each entry.
- Finish one book before opening the next.
- When a book is not working, put it down without guilt and move on.
If you want more
Beyond the List
Readers who love this list tend to enjoy the following. Each is chosen for how closely it shares the mood and themes of the books above.
The Alice Network
Kate Quinn, 2017
In 1947 a young American searching for her missing cousin is drawn into the story of a woman who spied behind enemy lines in occupied France during the First World War. Shares uplifting and friendship with The Hobbit.
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho, 1988
A young Andalusian shepherd sets out for the Egyptian pyramids in search of treasure, and learns along the way what it means to follow a personal calling. Shares literary fiction and thought-provoking with Piranesi.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin, 1969
An envoy to a frozen planet whose people have no fixed gender must win the trust of a reluctant ally. A landmark of speculative fiction. Shares atmospheric and thought-provoking with Piranesi.