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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I tried. I really did. I just couldn't get into the story.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
another super fun romp thru the castle. best audiobooks i’ve ever listened to basically
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Could have done without the side plot of Irma and the Professors. Romantic comedy felt so out of place to the tone of this book. But I loved everything else - especially the ending. I didn't realize how attached I had become to these odd characters until I realized that any of them could die. The flooding in the climax transformed an already very good setting, and the ending lines made the whole story feel complete.
Folks don't write like this any more. Such scope, such attention to detail. Everything he describes is ancient but looks new under his words.
I really don't know why it took me so long to read these books. They really are incredible, and the pace of Gormenghast (now that the world has been set up in Titus Groan) clips right along. It makes sense: Castle Gormenghast is a monstrous, decaying hulk, fully deserving of a book just to put all the pieces in place. Peake has set up this moody, oppressive environment in grand style. His isolated, fractured royalty weighted down by tradition and ritual are rife for abuse by a wily villain like Steerpike, the master manipulator. He plays them all in grand style. If you do decide to take on Peake's masterpiece, be advised that you will need to be patient. But it will be well worth it.
I kind of struggled through this. I was really looking forward to it, expecting it would build on the foundation set by Titus Groan, and at first it looked like this would be the case, as the first few chapters remind you of events, reintroduce old characters and even hint that some of the deceased characters will be in it in ghost form. I don't think I'll be spoiling it for you if I say, none of the deceased characters are in it in ghost form.
Anyway, there were elements of Gormenghast that were better and went further than its predecessor, but ultimately I found it amounted to slightly less. When actual things were happening - dialogue, the Prunesquallor party, the scenes with the twins, the scenes with Flay - it was absolutely riveting. But these were few and far between. The rest of the book was long descriptive passages of landscapes, or long scenes in which Titus is riding a horse. I just found those parts really dull, and I often had to read passages a couple of times, because the way things were described made me feel I would need to understand the landscape later, or at least try to enjoy the prose a bit more. But no. I should have just powered on a bit more.
So I ended the book disappointed - both knowing that the final book in the series is considered weak, and feeling that the second didn't live up to its promise. It's still a four star book because there's some real brilliance in there, it's just a little... fat.
Anyway, there were elements of Gormenghast that were better and went further than its predecessor, but ultimately I found it amounted to slightly less. When actual things were happening - dialogue, the Prunesquallor party, the scenes with the twins, the scenes with Flay - it was absolutely riveting. But these were few and far between. The rest of the book was long descriptive passages of landscapes, or long scenes in which Titus is riding a horse. I just found those parts really dull, and I often had to read passages a couple of times, because the way things were described made me feel I would need to understand the landscape later, or at least try to enjoy the prose a bit more. But no. I should have just powered on a bit more.
So I ended the book disappointed - both knowing that the final book in the series is considered weak, and feeling that the second didn't live up to its promise. It's still a four star book because there's some real brilliance in there, it's just a little... fat.
dark
reflective
sad
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot wise, it succeeded Titus Groan, I’d say, moved a lot faster about halfway through. Language and prose top tier. A lot darker and more sad than the first, but just as well done. The end hit hard, makes me want to jump into the third book immediately!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated