Piranesi

by

Susanna Clarke

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Piranesi makes teaching easy.

Piranesi/Matthew Rose Sorensen

The protagonist of the novel, Piranesi is a deeply curious, almost child-like man in his mid-thirties. He spends his days tracking the tides and exploring the various rooms and statues of labyrinth in which he… read analysis of Piranesi/Matthew Rose Sorensen

The Other/Dr. Valentine Ketterley

The only other human in the House besides Piranesi, the Other is a tall, handsome, older man with a serious, and at times cankerous, disposition. A scientist, his mission in life is to discovery the… read analysis of The Other/Dr. Valentine Ketterley

16/Raphael

For much of the novel, 16 is a mysterious figure. All Piranesi knows of them is what the Other tells him: 16 is an enemy whose words will make Piranesi insane. As the story progresses… read analysis of 16/Raphael

Dr. Laurence Arne-Sayles/the Prophet

Laurence Arne-Sayles is a professor and occultist responsible for the discovery of the House. He visits Piranesi during his time there, introducing himself as the Prophet and explaining his various theories. Notably, he does… read analysis of Dr. Laurence Arne-Sayles/the Prophet

James Ritter

James Ritter is one of Laurence Arne-Sayles original followers. A handsome yet troubled man, he was discovered in 1997 behind a fake wall at Arne-Sayles’s house. To great public confusion, he claimed to have spent… read analysis of James Ritter
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Sylvia D’Agostino

Sylvia Agostino is a former student and follower of Arne-Sayles whom Piranesi learns of through entries in his journal. One of Arne-Sayles’s most devoted followers, Sylvia began living with him as an unpaid housekeeper and… read analysis of Sylvia D’Agostino

Angharad Scott

Angharad Scott is a journalist who wrote a biography on Laurence Arne-Sayles. She features prominently in Piranesi’s journal entries and assists in the rescue of Matthew Rose Sorensen at the end of the… read analysis of Angharad Scott

Jamie Askill

Jamie Askill is a police officer. Believing there to be a link between the sudden appearance of Matthew Rose Sorensen and the disappearance of Dr. Ketterley, he questions Piranesi about his reappearance. He does… read analysis of Jamie Askill

Tali Hughes

Tali Hughes is former follower of Laurence Arne-Sayles and an original member of his inner circle. She was there in Casa Del Pino the night of Maurizio Giussani’s disappearance in 1987. She is also… read analysis of Tali Hughes
Minor Characters
Stanley Ovenden
Stanley Ovenden was part of Laurence Arne-Sayles’s original inner circle of followers. He is notable for his attendance in 1987 at Arne-Sayles’s farmhouse in Casale del Pino, where Maurizio Giussani disappeared. Ovenden himself disappeared mysteriously later in life. Piranesi believes he is one of the skeletons inhabiting the House.
Maurizio Giussani
Maurizio Giussani was a philosophy student at the University of Perugia. He disappeared in 1987 after attending a dinner in Casale del Pino with Arne-Sayles and his inner circle.
Robin Bannerman
Robin Bannerman is a former member of Laurence Arne-Sayles’s inner circle. He is believed to have been involved in the break-in at the Manchester Museum. He is reported as having performed a ritual with Arne-Sayles and Valentine Ketterley using the mummified head of Marepool III.
Robert Allstead 
Robert Allstead is a doctor and co-worker whom Sylvia D’Agostino befriends in 1990. Her friendship with him—which she refuses to end—results in her disappearance.
The Biscuit-Box Man
The Biscuit-Box Man is the third-person in Piranesi’s list of the people who have existed. He is an organized pile of bones. The small bones are in a red biscuit box.
The Concealed Person
The Concealed Person is the fourth person in Piranesi’s list of the people who have existed. It is a skeleton in a narrow space.
The People of the Alcove
These are the fifth to 14th people in Piranesi’s list of the people who have existed. They are all skeletons. Three are female, three are male, and four Piranesi cannot identity.
The Fish-Leather Man
The Fish-Leather Man is one of The People of the Alcove. Some of his bones have holes bored in them with fragments of fish leather.
The Folded-Up Child
The Folded-Up Child is a skeleton of a young girl with her knees drawn up to her chin. She is the fifteenth person on Piranesi’s list of people who have existed. He believes she was meant to be his wife.
Elena Marietti
Elena Marietti was the fiancée of Maurizio Giussani.