Susanna Clarke Books in Order: Jonathan Strange, Piranesi and Short Fiction

By Ahaqir Ishaq

Susanna Clarke’s bibliography is small enough to explore without committing to a long series, but her books offer very different reading experiences. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is an expansive historical fantasy. Piranesi is a much shorter, mysterious novel. Her short fiction provides another entrance into the strange possibilities of English magic.

The simplest publication order is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006), Piranesi (2020), and The Wood at Midwinter (2024). A fifth standalone volume, The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City, is scheduled for October 20, 2026, in the United States.

You do not need to read everything in that order. For most newcomers, my suggested starting point is Piranesi. Readers who want a substantial historical fantasy can begin with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell instead.

This guide covers Clarke’s standalone fiction books and the stories collected in The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Publication years refer to the original books, rather than later paperback or special editions.

Susanna Clarke’s Books in Publication Order

Bloomsbury’s Susanna Clarke author page distinguishes her novels from her story collection and lists her shorter standalone works. That distinction matters: a list of five volumes does not mean Clarke has written five novels.

1. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004)

Clarke’s debut follows two magicians whose approaches to restoring English magic bring them into conflict. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic era, it mixes historical fiction, fairy lore, social observation and an elaborate invented magical history.

The Booker Prize’s author profile identifies the rival magicians as central to the novel and confirms that Clarke’s two novels are this book and Piranesi.

This is the starting point to choose if you enjoy a world that develops gradually. Its footnotes help create the impression that English magic has a documented past, complete with stories, scholarship and disagreements.

My reading-order recommendation is to give this book room. Treating it as something to rush through before reaching Piranesi would miss the reason to choose it: the pleasure of spending time inside its intricate world.

Best for: Readers who enjoy historical fantasy, literary detail and a substantial reading commitment.

2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006)

Illustrated by Charles Vess, this collection brings together eight stories. It shares characters and imaginative territory with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, while shifting attention toward other encounters with magic and Faerie.

The publisher’s description reproduced in Google Books identifies figures including Jonathan Strange, the Raven King, Mary Queen of Scots and the Duke of Wellington.

Read it after Jonathan Strange if you want to recognize those connections. You can also approach the stories independently, especially if shorter fiction suits your reading habits better than a long novel.

The important expectation to set is that this is a companion collection. It does not continue the novel as a conventional second installment.

Best for: Readers who want more of Clarke’s fairy tales, historical settings and unsettling magic.

The Eight Stories in Collection Order

The Free Library of Philadelphia’s catalogue records the following contents:

1. “The Ladies of Grace Adieu”
2. “On Lickerish Hill”
3. “Mrs Mabb”
4. “The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse”
5. “Mr Simonelli, or the Fairy Widower”
6. “Tom Brightwind, or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby”
7. “Antickes and Frets”
8. “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner”

For a first reading, following the collection’s own order is a straightforward choice. There is no need to reconstruct an earlier anthology-publication sequence to enjoy these stories.

3. Piranesi (2020)

Piranesi follows a narrator living in a vast House filled with statues and shaped by the movement of tides. Another person, whom he calls the Other, visits him and involves him in a search for knowledge. Gradually, the narrator encounters reasons to question his understanding of his surroundings.

Bloomsbury’s original US edition listing dates the novel to September 15, 2020, and introduces its extraordinary setting.

This is my suggested first Clarke book for readers who want a shorter entry point. Its central mystery also makes it a natural option for someone who enjoys discovering a fictional world through clues.

Try to avoid detailed plot summaries before reading. Learning how the House works and what the narrator does and does not understand—is part of the experience.

You do not need Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as preparation. Piranesi is a standalone novel, and its reading experience does not depend on completing Clarke’s earlier fiction.

Best for: Readers who enjoy literary fantasy, unusual settings and mysteries of memory and identity.

4. The Wood at Midwinter (2024)

The Wood at Midwinter is an illustrated short story about Merowdis Scot, a nineteen-year-old who can communicate with animals and trees. A snowy walk into the woods becomes a turning point in her life.

The Bloomsbury edition page confirms its October 22, 2024, US publication, its 64-page length and its setting in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. The book also includes Clarke’s afterword about writing the story.

Its short length makes it an appealing option when you want a complete tale without beginning another novel. It can be read independently, although readers familiar with Clarke’s English magic may welcome it as a return to that imaginative territory.

Keep its format in mind when buying it: this is a single illustrated story, rather than another collection or a full-length sequel.

Best for: Readers looking for a brief, wintry fairy tale.

5. The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City (2026)

As of October 1, 2026, the US standalone edition is forthcoming, with a scheduled publication date of October 20.

Bloomsbury describes this story as taking place approximately 700 years before Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Durham is surrounded by trees during a fairy conquest, and its bishop, Ranulf, seeks an accommodation with the new power.

The publisher’s listing for the forthcoming release confirms the US date and the story’s relationship to Clarke’s debut.

There is an earlier publication to distinguish from the new volume. In April 2025, The Bookseller reported its appearance in Fictionable. The 2026 entry in this guide therefore refers to the standalone book edition.

Although its events precede Jonathan Strange, you do not need to begin your Clarke reading with it. Publication order provides a simpler route than trying to place every fairy tale on one historical timeline.

Best for: Readers interested in the earlier history of Clarke’s English magic.

What Is the Best Susanna Clarke Reading Order?

For most new readers, I recommend:

1. Piranesi
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
3. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
4. The Wood at Midwinter
5. The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City, when its standalone edition is available

This route begins with a shorter novel, moves into Clarke’s larger historical world, then explores the connected short fiction.

If historical fantasy is already your favorite genre, begin with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and follow it with The Ladies of Grace Adieu. You can read Piranesi whenever you want a different setting and narrative approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read Jonathan Strange before Piranesi?

No. Piranesi can be read independently and works well as a first Susanna Clarke book.

Is The Ladies of Grace Adieu a sequel?

It is a companion story collection with connections to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, rather than a direct sequel continuing the same central plot.

How many novels has Susanna Clarke written?

As of this guide’s October 1, 2026, check, Clarke has published two novels: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Piranesi. Her collection and illustrated stories belong to different formats.

What should I read after Piranesi?

Choose Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for another novel, or The Wood at Midwinter for a much shorter tale. Expect a change in setting and style.

Are new editions additional books?

No. Paperback releases, illustrated editions, audiobooks and anniversary editions of an existing title should not be counted as new works in a reading-order list.

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