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tbr_tyrant's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
lilirose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ultimo volume della trilogia di Gormenghast (non per scelta ma per il deteriorarsi delle condizioni di salute dell'autore), che riprende esattamente da dove ci eravamo fermati: col giovane Tito che scappa dal regno e dai suoi doveri in cerca di qualcosa che neanche lui sa definire.
Devo ammettere che ero scettica, Gormenghast è una presenza così preponderante negli altri libri che temevo se ne avvertisse troppo la mancanza; per fortuna Peake è stato abilissimo nel giocare con questa mancanza in modo da renderla viva e palpabile: "l'assenza" di Gormenghast diventa uno dei temi portanti del romanzo, con Tito che si strugge di nostalgia e al tempo stesso comincia a dubitare della veridicità dei suoi ricordi. Quello del protagonista in fondo è un viaggio più simbolico che reale, durante il quale tramite il classico meccanismo di caduta e risalita non troverà risposte ma se stesso. Niente paura però, il focus stavolta potrà essere più introspettivo ma non rimarremo mai a corto di luoghi immaginifici e personaggi grotteschi, che si muovono su quella linea sottile al confine tra il grandioso ed il patetico tanto cara all'autore.
Proprio per la sovrabbondanza di ambienti e persone l'inizio può risultare frammentario e ci vorrà un po' prima di entrare nel vivo, ma saremo ripagati da un'ultima parte molto intensa in cui tutti i nodi verranno al pettine.
Tirando le somme forse qui non troveremo il fascino descrittivo del primo volume (ma per fortuna neanche quella prosa iperbarocca) o la potenza narrativa del secondo che è inarrivabile, ma la considero una conclusione più che degna per una trilogia che è riuscita a fare dell'originalità il suo punto di forza.
Devo ammettere che ero scettica, Gormenghast è una presenza così preponderante negli altri libri che temevo se ne avvertisse troppo la mancanza; per fortuna Peake è stato abilissimo nel giocare con questa mancanza in modo da renderla viva e palpabile: "l'assenza" di Gormenghast diventa uno dei temi portanti del romanzo, con Tito che si strugge di nostalgia e al tempo stesso comincia a dubitare della veridicità dei suoi ricordi. Quello del protagonista in fondo è un viaggio più simbolico che reale, durante il quale tramite il classico meccanismo di caduta e risalita non troverà risposte ma se stesso. Niente paura però, il focus stavolta potrà essere più introspettivo ma non rimarremo mai a corto di luoghi immaginifici e personaggi grotteschi, che si muovono su quella linea sottile al confine tra il grandioso ed il patetico tanto cara all'autore.
Proprio per la sovrabbondanza di ambienti e persone l'inizio può risultare frammentario e ci vorrà un po' prima di entrare nel vivo, ma saremo ripagati da un'ultima parte molto intensa in cui tutti i nodi verranno al pettine.
Tirando le somme forse qui non troveremo il fascino descrittivo del primo volume (ma per fortuna neanche quella prosa iperbarocca) o la potenza narrativa del secondo che è inarrivabile, ma la considero una conclusione più che degna per una trilogia che è riuscita a fare dell'originalità il suo punto di forza.
lisagreen65's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
breeperscreepers's review against another edition
I'm happy to leave things where they ended in Gormenghast. Titus was never a favorite of mine and I find him to be a poor main character this time. The writing has turned into a fever dream with none of the ridiculous charm or cohesion the previous books had. The lovely dusty world of Gormenghast has turned into an oddly sleek city with elevators and machines and cars. This doesn't feel anything like the first two and sadly it's not to my taste.
And the names- to stray from gorgeous names like Prunesquallor and Flannelcat to uncreative ones like Mr. Thirst and Mrs. Grass was a disappointment.
And the names- to stray from gorgeous names like Prunesquallor and Flannelcat to uncreative ones like Mr. Thirst and Mrs. Grass was a disappointment.
ipb1's review against another edition
3.0
I hesitated before embarking upon this. Whether it was the failed effort of a sick man or an intentional plan for a radical shift as part of some overarching trajectory is largely moot, as the outcome is a crashing disappointment. 3* is probably more generous than I actually feel, and there were flashes of the unique vision of the previous two novels, but ultimately I wish I had left this unread.
thomasgoddard's review against another edition
4.0
I think one day I’ll love this title as much as the other two. I think I will, if nothing else Stockholm will set in at some point, I’m sure.
The uncomfortable reality of this one is that I think quite a lot of the magic is lost when the character who wants to flee... leaves... The tension and drama dries up the moment he gets away. After that he becomes Titus Alone... in every sense. Just adrift and with that comes an imprecision that isn't familiar to the reader from the exactness of the previous two books. And I’m still in so many minds as to whether that works or doesn’t.
I think I feel that reading this is like reading fanfiction, in a sense. The character that purports to be authentic but feels artificial in some way. Boy in Darkness both is and isn’t Titus. It is him, but there is an added veil outside the setting. But here Titus is very clearly presented and I find it hard to recognise him. And I feel horrible saying all this because it still has so much skill to the writing, pared back from the flamboyance used in the first two novels. More streamlined. It has pace and motion. A certain lack of clarity in places like motion blur. There is an undeniable presence of Peake within it, but he also feels so much more distant here.
And there’s a sexual element that is entirely natural for a 20-year-old Titus. But it seems like an awkward gear shift.
Throughout the book there is this question of ‘certainty’ at work. The fear of madness is, in a sense, a fear of being wrong about the world in some simple and obvious way. He holds on to what he is, where he is from. Totemic in the shard of flint. But then action removes the question and he just cruises on.
This is powerful to me. I have my own issues with mental health and I struggle, keenly aware that I too will follow that path towards an eventual miserable disorientation. It keeps me stocked with nightmares.
I guess the message is very much one of ‘we are only a thing which acts upon the world be it the action of ritual or the spontaneous reaction to events’. Trying to theorise yourself wastes time.
Here concludes a journey, the path of which was never finished. Gormenghast is better for Titus leaving, because it cements it as a place of madness. Peake really gave a priceless gift to us and I will reread it until my own end.
The uncomfortable reality of this one is that I think quite a lot of the magic is lost when the character who wants to flee... leaves... The tension and drama dries up the moment he gets away. After that he becomes Titus Alone... in every sense. Just adrift and with that comes an imprecision that isn't familiar to the reader from the exactness of the previous two books. And I’m still in so many minds as to whether that works or doesn’t.
I think I feel that reading this is like reading fanfiction, in a sense. The character that purports to be authentic but feels artificial in some way. Boy in Darkness both is and isn’t Titus. It is him, but there is an added veil outside the setting. But here Titus is very clearly presented and I find it hard to recognise him. And I feel horrible saying all this because it still has so much skill to the writing, pared back from the flamboyance used in the first two novels. More streamlined. It has pace and motion. A certain lack of clarity in places like motion blur. There is an undeniable presence of Peake within it, but he also feels so much more distant here.
And there’s a sexual element that is entirely natural for a 20-year-old Titus. But it seems like an awkward gear shift.
Throughout the book there is this question of ‘certainty’ at work. The fear of madness is, in a sense, a fear of being wrong about the world in some simple and obvious way. He holds on to what he is, where he is from. Totemic in the shard of flint. But then action removes the question and he just cruises on.
This is powerful to me. I have my own issues with mental health and I struggle, keenly aware that I too will follow that path towards an eventual miserable disorientation. It keeps me stocked with nightmares.
I guess the message is very much one of ‘we are only a thing which acts upon the world be it the action of ritual or the spontaneous reaction to events’. Trying to theorise yourself wastes time.
Here concludes a journey, the path of which was never finished. Gormenghast is better for Titus leaving, because it cements it as a place of madness. Peake really gave a priceless gift to us and I will reread it until my own end.
devinb333's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25