Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
''I can't feel anything. I've gone dead. Even you are dead in me. I know I love you. You're the only one I love, but I can't feel anything and I don't want to. I've felt too much, I'm sick of feelings...I'm frightened of them.''
This is the continuation of a tale of shadows and fleeting lights in dusty corners. Of a man moving in the deepest darkness beneath the Stones of Gormenghast, the eternal. Of an enemy who wishes to overthrow the status quo, ruthless and calculating. An enemy without heart or consciousness. Of a young Earl who wants to be himself and create an identity of his own. Of a daughter who feels too deeply, innocently and bitterly.
The conclusion to Steerpike's story, the rebel of Gormenghast.
''Try and understand; for I love you as the shadows love the castle.''
This is the continuation of a tale of shadows and fleeting lights in dusty corners. Of a man moving in the deepest darkness beneath the Stones of Gormenghast, the eternal. Of an enemy who wishes to overthrow the status quo, ruthless and calculating. An enemy without heart or consciousness. Of a young Earl who wants to be himself and create an identity of his own. Of a daughter who feels too deeply, innocently and bitterly.
The conclusion to Steerpike's story, the rebel of Gormenghast.
''Try and understand; for I love you as the shadows love the castle.''
The Gormenghast books are considered to be the beginning of the 'mannerpunk' genre, and along with Tolkien, Moorecock, and Howard, Peake is one of the fathers of the modern Fantasy genre. Mannerpunk is a genre typified by complex psychology, plots driven by character interaction, and a strong sense of mood.
It is also notable for the characters rather than the world being fantastical. In this sense, mannerpunk, and certainly the Gormenghast books, work in the vein of surrealism (meaning not 'unreal', but 'more than the real'); not unlike the Russian Gogol. The genre is based upon the works of authors like Jane Austen, the Brontes, Baroness Orczy, Swift, de Cervantes, and Dumas pere.
Peake himself was a polymath, excelling not only as an author, but a poet and artist. He is the only self-portrait in Britain's National Portrait Gallery. As a poet, he has a mastery of language and conceit that places him above popular 'jingle man' Poe.
This makes him quite unlike Tolkien, whose long stretches of verse tend to be stilted and unfeeling. Then again, Peake is more passionate than than Tory Tolkien.
Despite his mastery of language and evocative characterization, Peake is not an easy read. Indeed, his thick prose and slow pace can quickly tire the mind. Like a skillful chess opponent, Peake demands much of his reader. He is not content to let the reader be a passive escapist, so his work engages and challenges. It would take a great and knowledgeable mind to meet each of these challenges on equal footing, but even we lesser minds may find amusement, shock, and beauty.
Peake's original idea was to chronicle the life of a character from birth to death. The first book deals with infancy. The second takes him into adulthood in a sort of bildungsroman. The third involves the adventures of young adulthood. Unfortunately, Peake's slide into dementia prevented any furthering of this vast and witty trove.
In literature, Peake may have come the closest to completing a book which balances complex psychology, deep character, poetic style, exploration of reality, and a surreal mixture reality and fancy. Peake's books were very audacious, and though he sometimes fails to reach his own lofty ideals, the really remarkable thing is that sometimes, he doesn't.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
It is also notable for the characters rather than the world being fantastical. In this sense, mannerpunk, and certainly the Gormenghast books, work in the vein of surrealism (meaning not 'unreal', but 'more than the real'); not unlike the Russian Gogol. The genre is based upon the works of authors like Jane Austen, the Brontes, Baroness Orczy, Swift, de Cervantes, and Dumas pere.
Peake himself was a polymath, excelling not only as an author, but a poet and artist. He is the only self-portrait in Britain's National Portrait Gallery. As a poet, he has a mastery of language and conceit that places him above popular 'jingle man' Poe.
This makes him quite unlike Tolkien, whose long stretches of verse tend to be stilted and unfeeling. Then again, Peake is more passionate than than Tory Tolkien.
Despite his mastery of language and evocative characterization, Peake is not an easy read. Indeed, his thick prose and slow pace can quickly tire the mind. Like a skillful chess opponent, Peake demands much of his reader. He is not content to let the reader be a passive escapist, so his work engages and challenges. It would take a great and knowledgeable mind to meet each of these challenges on equal footing, but even we lesser minds may find amusement, shock, and beauty.
Peake's original idea was to chronicle the life of a character from birth to death. The first book deals with infancy. The second takes him into adulthood in a sort of bildungsroman. The third involves the adventures of young adulthood. Unfortunately, Peake's slide into dementia prevented any furthering of this vast and witty trove.
In literature, Peake may have come the closest to completing a book which balances complex psychology, deep character, poetic style, exploration of reality, and a surreal mixture reality and fancy. Peake's books were very audacious, and though he sometimes fails to reach his own lofty ideals, the really remarkable thing is that sometimes, he doesn't.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
I loved the Gormenghast Series almost as soon as I started the first book, Titus Groan. Peake is marvelous! What vocabulary and descriptions! The colors this man uses! It is often said of Tolkien that he made up beautiful languages and names and then made up plots to fit around them. It's my opinion that Peake (who was first and foremost an illustrator) made up picturesque settings and then made up plots to fit around them. Some may find that tedious and sometimes it does become so, but have patience and a colorful picture will emerge in your mind’s eye. I had to stop my reading every once in a while to give a gloriously contented sigh before I picked back up again.
“... Titus first thought consciously about the idea of colour: of things having colours: of everything having its own particular colour, and of the way in which every particular colour kept changing according to where it was, what the light was like, and what it was next to.”
These books aren’t action-driven; they’re not even exactly character-driven. Sometimes it is hard even to like the protagonists. But they are landscape-driven, and even color-driven. First and foremost is the Castle itself, a massive, crumbling monstrosity that is the entire universe for all our characters. There are even shadowy areas that the head servant Flay himself is not familiar with and needs to chart a new map so as not to get lost. Tunnels, wings, hallways, dungeons, dormitories, attics, towers... who could ask for anything more?
Titus apparently, as he realizes that Gormenghast cannot be Gormenghast unless it is in relation to somewhere else. He inwardly kicks at the infinite number of rules and regulations that keep the castle alive. They are so old that their symbolism has been forgotten but no one can deviate from them nonetheless. I had to stop and think about the idea of legalism—adherence to the letter, but containing no heart. The Master of Rituals, Barquentine fits this bill:
“The fanaticism of his loyalty to the House of Groan had far outstripped his interest or concern for the living—the members of the line itself.... It was the chain that mattered, not the links. It was not the living metal, but the immeasurable iron with its patina of sacred dust. It was the Idea that obsessed him and not the embodiment.”
Contrast this with the servant Flay. Although he adheres in a religious way to the laws of Gormenghast, he decides to take an alternative action for the sake of the people he cares about. The law of love is better. I could not help seeing a parallel between the Pharisees and Jesus in the Gospels.
One of the most interesting characters is the antagonist Steerpike. Intent on knocking off the pillars of Gormenghast one by one until he has unlimited power, this fellow is a chilly one indeed. It is often believed that villains aren’t “real” if they have no layer the reader can identify or sympathize with; bad guys are merely "misunderstood" or not given an ear in the first place. But there is such a thing as a sociopath [and for the record, DON’T ask Holmes], and I believe this describes our Steerpike. Lacking any moral conscience, he picks off his victims in various ways evil. His soul is hideous and his means are graphic.
But he doesn’t overtake the castle all at once—no, that would be too easily identifiable. His corruption of the place happens over a long period of time. This is often the case with real-life institutions as well. I am writing this at a time when I am reading daily of corruption that has infiltrated the church and other religious organizations. The previously wise and strong members become old or pass away, and others become mentally flabby or sleepy. After a while, reports begin to trickle in of abuse, scandal and misconduct.
“The sense of unreality which had spread through the castle like some strange malaise... so that although there was no lack of incident, and no question as to its importance, a sharpness, an awareness was missing and nobody really believed in what was happening. It was as though the caste was recovering from an illness, or was about to have one. It was either lost in a blur of unfocused memory or in the unreality of a disquieting premonition. The immediacy of the castle’s life was missing. There were no sharp edges. No crisp sounds. A veil was over all things, a veil that no-one could tear away.
“How long it lasted was impossible to say, for although there was this general oppression that weighed on every action, all but annihilating its reality of significance, making... a ceremony of dream... yet the sense of unreality in each individual was different; different in intensity, in quality, and in duration, according to the temperaments of all who were submerged.
“There were some who hardly realized that there was a difference. Thick bullet-headed men with mouths like horses, were scarcely aware. They felt that nothing mattered quite as much as it used to do, but that was all.
“Others were drowned in it, and walked like ghosts. Their own voices, when they spoke, appeared to be coming to them from far away.”
Will we wake up and take a good look at our surroundings and evaluate with them discernment? If we don’t, who will?
SPOILER ALERT: So disappointed that my favorite character, Fuchsia, was killed off in such a nonchalant way. Even though she wasn’t always likeable, I could identify with her in some ways and admired her fierce and passionate soul. But it felt like Peake was getting to where he didn’t know what to do with her, and so she was easily disposed of. It didn’t make sense to me and I wish that he had buried her with more ceremony. I’m so sorry for the loss of this heroine. She will be greatly missed. END OF SPOILER.
This book suffers a little from tedious minutiae and repetition, but the stretch it gives one’s brain muscles is well worth the exercise. Such great quotes out of this one! I even learned of a new-to-me genre that this series is classified under: Mannerpunk (hmm! Now I will have to go exploring that one!). Mervyn Peake is among one of my top all-time favorite authors; I seriously hope you will not skip him.
“... Titus first thought consciously about the idea of colour: of things having colours: of everything having its own particular colour, and of the way in which every particular colour kept changing according to where it was, what the light was like, and what it was next to.”
These books aren’t action-driven; they’re not even exactly character-driven. Sometimes it is hard even to like the protagonists. But they are landscape-driven, and even color-driven. First and foremost is the Castle itself, a massive, crumbling monstrosity that is the entire universe for all our characters. There are even shadowy areas that the head servant Flay himself is not familiar with and needs to chart a new map so as not to get lost. Tunnels, wings, hallways, dungeons, dormitories, attics, towers... who could ask for anything more?
Titus apparently, as he realizes that Gormenghast cannot be Gormenghast unless it is in relation to somewhere else. He inwardly kicks at the infinite number of rules and regulations that keep the castle alive. They are so old that their symbolism has been forgotten but no one can deviate from them nonetheless. I had to stop and think about the idea of legalism—adherence to the letter, but containing no heart. The Master of Rituals, Barquentine fits this bill:
“The fanaticism of his loyalty to the House of Groan had far outstripped his interest or concern for the living—the members of the line itself.... It was the chain that mattered, not the links. It was not the living metal, but the immeasurable iron with its patina of sacred dust. It was the Idea that obsessed him and not the embodiment.”
Contrast this with the servant Flay. Although he adheres in a religious way to the laws of Gormenghast, he decides to take an alternative action for the sake of the people he cares about. The law of love is better. I could not help seeing a parallel between the Pharisees and Jesus in the Gospels.
One of the most interesting characters is the antagonist Steerpike. Intent on knocking off the pillars of Gormenghast one by one until he has unlimited power, this fellow is a chilly one indeed. It is often believed that villains aren’t “real” if they have no layer the reader can identify or sympathize with; bad guys are merely "misunderstood" or not given an ear in the first place. But there is such a thing as a sociopath [and for the record, DON’T ask Holmes], and I believe this describes our Steerpike. Lacking any moral conscience, he picks off his victims in various ways evil. His soul is hideous and his means are graphic.
But he doesn’t overtake the castle all at once—no, that would be too easily identifiable. His corruption of the place happens over a long period of time. This is often the case with real-life institutions as well. I am writing this at a time when I am reading daily of corruption that has infiltrated the church and other religious organizations. The previously wise and strong members become old or pass away, and others become mentally flabby or sleepy. After a while, reports begin to trickle in of abuse, scandal and misconduct.
“The sense of unreality which had spread through the castle like some strange malaise... so that although there was no lack of incident, and no question as to its importance, a sharpness, an awareness was missing and nobody really believed in what was happening. It was as though the caste was recovering from an illness, or was about to have one. It was either lost in a blur of unfocused memory or in the unreality of a disquieting premonition. The immediacy of the castle’s life was missing. There were no sharp edges. No crisp sounds. A veil was over all things, a veil that no-one could tear away.
“How long it lasted was impossible to say, for although there was this general oppression that weighed on every action, all but annihilating its reality of significance, making... a ceremony of dream... yet the sense of unreality in each individual was different; different in intensity, in quality, and in duration, according to the temperaments of all who were submerged.
“There were some who hardly realized that there was a difference. Thick bullet-headed men with mouths like horses, were scarcely aware. They felt that nothing mattered quite as much as it used to do, but that was all.
“Others were drowned in it, and walked like ghosts. Their own voices, when they spoke, appeared to be coming to them from far away.”
Will we wake up and take a good look at our surroundings and evaluate with them discernment? If we don’t, who will?
SPOILER ALERT: So disappointed that my favorite character, Fuchsia, was killed off in such a nonchalant way. Even though she wasn’t always likeable, I could identify with her in some ways and admired her fierce and passionate soul. But it felt like Peake was getting to where he didn’t know what to do with her, and so she was easily disposed of. It didn’t make sense to me and I wish that he had buried her with more ceremony. I’m so sorry for the loss of this heroine. She will be greatly missed. END OF SPOILER.
This book suffers a little from tedious minutiae and repetition, but the stretch it gives one’s brain muscles is well worth the exercise. Such great quotes out of this one! I even learned of a new-to-me genre that this series is classified under: Mannerpunk (hmm! Now I will have to go exploring that one!). Mervyn Peake is among one of my top all-time favorite authors; I seriously hope you will not skip him.
The most unexpected love(?) story (between people or of the castle could all be argued). A fantastic (fatalistic?) coming of age story that defies convention. Continued crazy antics by absurd characters exquisitely detailed in their flaws trapped in the traditional rituals of 77 generations. And lingering in the background is a question of what will happen to Gormengast if the rituals are disrupted. I get lost in the dreamy description rather than being drawn along by any compelling plot.
Titus needs freedom (from symbolism). Fuchsia needs love. The castle needs ritual. None gets what they need.
The only things of beauty in the whole world are the creations of the bright carvers (aka slum dwellers at the outskirts of the castle)
Titus needs freedom (from symbolism). Fuchsia needs love. The castle needs ritual. None gets what they need.
The only things of beauty in the whole world are the creations of the bright carvers (aka slum dwellers at the outskirts of the castle)
I just can't pick this back up The first one was weird and fairly interesting but I just don't care any more.
I think the first novel had a better rhythm. Nevertheless, there's no words that can describe how brilliant the last 100 pages of this one are.
Originally published on my blog here in November 2000.
Gormenghast is where Peake's writing all comes together. In contrast to most mid-trilogy novels, it is the best by a long way. It combines an exciting story, one of the most famous and evocative backgrounds of any novel, deeper levels of symbolism, humour, tragedy and a hero who is easy to identify with.
The story tells of the adolescence of Titus, 77th Earl of Groan. He and some others - foppish, apparently foolish Dr Prunesquallor and the dowager countess - have begun to realise that the centuries of tradition making Gormenghast what it is are under threat. The former kitchen boy Steerpike has risen to the place of assistant to Barquentine, curator of traditional observance, as he has worked out just how much power controlling the lives of the castle's inhabitants to the minutest degree will give him.
The background, the castle of Gormenghast, is less self-consciously described than it was in [b:Titus Groan|39063|Titus Groan (Gormenghast, #1)|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871204s/39063.jpg|3250394]. It is more a background, without the lengthy florid descriptions which fill the earlier novel. Peake makes more of the way in which it affects every part of every inhabitant rather than exhibiting the castle directly.
On a deeper lever, there are clearly meanings to many of the events in Gormenghast and its surrounding countryside. It is easy to read something different into it from what Peake meant - the novel has been read as a Christian allegory, for example - but some things at least are clear. The tradition of the castle has something at least to do with the conventions of society; the freedom that Titus yearns for is represented by his foster sister, the wild forest-dwelling Thing; and her death is clearly important though its meaning is less so.
The humour of Gormenghastis mainly provided by the dusty boarding school at which Titus is educated, taught by fossilised pedagogues, and by the desire of vain, stupid Irma Prunesqallor to marry. (She achieves her aim by inviting the senior teachers to a bizarre party.)
The other side of the coin, tragedy, is acheived through Flay, banished manservant to Titus' father. He has a truer love for Gormenghast as an institution than any other character, and yet for a relatively minor infraction he has to live in a hut on the mountain overlooking the castle, all the time gazing at the beloved home to which he cannot return and which he knows is in grave danger from Steerpike.
Titus is the hero. Aside from conventional attributes of heroism - youth, good looks (which can be assumed since the assembled grotesques of Gormenghast think him hideous), an enemy - he has an ambiguous attitude to the castle which makes him easy to identify with. He is far more a true rebel than Steerpike; Steerpike wants to rule the castle and uses its traditions and puts himself outside the traditions as a means to this end, while Titus wants to escape the traditions entirely. The reasons that Titus opposes Steerpike are simply that he dislikes him and because Steerpike has attacked those Titus holds dear.
Peake has assembled all these elements to make up one of the greatest cult classics of the twentieth century. What is more, Gormenghast really deserves this status.
Gormenghast is where Peake's writing all comes together. In contrast to most mid-trilogy novels, it is the best by a long way. It combines an exciting story, one of the most famous and evocative backgrounds of any novel, deeper levels of symbolism, humour, tragedy and a hero who is easy to identify with.
The story tells of the adolescence of Titus, 77th Earl of Groan. He and some others - foppish, apparently foolish Dr Prunesquallor and the dowager countess - have begun to realise that the centuries of tradition making Gormenghast what it is are under threat. The former kitchen boy Steerpike has risen to the place of assistant to Barquentine, curator of traditional observance, as he has worked out just how much power controlling the lives of the castle's inhabitants to the minutest degree will give him.
The background, the castle of Gormenghast, is less self-consciously described than it was in [b:Titus Groan|39063|Titus Groan (Gormenghast, #1)|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871204s/39063.jpg|3250394]. It is more a background, without the lengthy florid descriptions which fill the earlier novel. Peake makes more of the way in which it affects every part of every inhabitant rather than exhibiting the castle directly.
On a deeper lever, there are clearly meanings to many of the events in Gormenghast and its surrounding countryside. It is easy to read something different into it from what Peake meant - the novel has been read as a Christian allegory, for example - but some things at least are clear. The tradition of the castle has something at least to do with the conventions of society; the freedom that Titus yearns for is represented by his foster sister, the wild forest-dwelling Thing; and her death is clearly important though its meaning is less so.
The humour of Gormenghastis mainly provided by the dusty boarding school at which Titus is educated, taught by fossilised pedagogues, and by the desire of vain, stupid Irma Prunesqallor to marry. (She achieves her aim by inviting the senior teachers to a bizarre party.)
The other side of the coin, tragedy, is acheived through Flay, banished manservant to Titus' father. He has a truer love for Gormenghast as an institution than any other character, and yet for a relatively minor infraction he has to live in a hut on the mountain overlooking the castle, all the time gazing at the beloved home to which he cannot return and which he knows is in grave danger from Steerpike.
Titus is the hero. Aside from conventional attributes of heroism - youth, good looks (which can be assumed since the assembled grotesques of Gormenghast think him hideous), an enemy - he has an ambiguous attitude to the castle which makes him easy to identify with. He is far more a true rebel than Steerpike; Steerpike wants to rule the castle and uses its traditions and puts himself outside the traditions as a means to this end, while Titus wants to escape the traditions entirely. The reasons that Titus opposes Steerpike are simply that he dislikes him and because Steerpike has attacked those Titus holds dear.
Peake has assembled all these elements to make up one of the greatest cult classics of the twentieth century. What is more, Gormenghast really deserves this status.
The second book in the Gormenghast trilogy, ‘Gormenghast’ itself, follows young Titus Groan from the ages of seven to seventeen, covering the rest of his boyhood and the end of this boyhood. Struggling against the tide of tradition so strong within Gormenghast, Titus continuously strives to become his own man throughout the novel. It follows many of the characters seen in the previous novel, with the introduction of some new ones too. I don’t want to say too much about the story, as I really do feel depending on your personal preference, revealing almost any of the story could be seen as a spoiler for those who haven’t yet tackled Gormenghast.
I definitely enjoyed this second book in the Gormenghast trilogy a lot more than the first. Not to say the first one is bad, or that the second one doesn’t also suffer from a similar set of issues as the first but as a whole, the second is much more of a pleasing package. I think because there is considerably more substance to this second book than the first, that is to say, more stuff happens. Because of this, Peake is unable to spend quite so much time simply pontificating (though he certainly still tries, and plenty of times does manage to fit it in) as he does in the first book. The sections and even sentences feel less drawn out in most places, and so the story moves on at a much more interesting rate. All it means is that this entry doesn’t feel nearly as slow as the former. He still falls victim to it on plenty of occasions, and certainly the final confrontation at the end of the book could have done with much less, and could have been paced much better, but these situations were fewer and further between than in ‘Titus Groan’. I definitely didn’t feel the same frustration in the same way that I did with the previous novel.
The story and it’s structure also end up becoming a bit more traditional in ‘Gormenghast’, which juxtaposed with the dark, strange, confused overarching vibe Gormenghast is famous for, actually makes for a very successful combination. Enough strangeness to keep you guessing, but in a pleasing, neat package that climaxes and resolves. It allows for the characters and unique ideas to shine through without getting bogged down in an equally confusing structure. I definitely felt this a lot easier to read than ‘Titus Groan’. It didn’t take me nearly as long (despite being a little longer of a book) and didn’t feel like a slog in the same way the last one did by the end.
Overall I really, genuinely liked ‘Gormenghast’, which is not something I’m sure I could definitely say about ‘Titus Groan’. I thought there was so much that was unique about it, that even though I still had issues with certain aspects of the way it was written, it’s hard to not to rate this entry in the series highly. I think it’s easy to look back on books that end up being classics of science fiction and fantasy, ones that become such a part of the culture, as very ‘done’ - so much so that it’s easy to take for granted just how unique it was when it was brand new. I think it’s important to acknowledge this in any review of something as notorious as ‘Gormenghast’. I also felt that though it still had the echo of a lot of the issues the first book had, this book vastly improved upon the last in a multitude of ways. More importantly, I got a lot more enjoyment from ‘Gormenghast’ and finished the book feeling good about it, rather than just happy it was over. I do think it’s possible ‘Gormenghast’ could be read as a stand alone, however I do feel this would definitely take something away from it and unfortunately I feel that ‘Titus Groan’ is almost a necessary evil to get to ‘Gormenghast’.
I definitely enjoyed this second book in the Gormenghast trilogy a lot more than the first. Not to say the first one is bad, or that the second one doesn’t also suffer from a similar set of issues as the first but as a whole, the second is much more of a pleasing package. I think because there is considerably more substance to this second book than the first, that is to say, more stuff happens. Because of this, Peake is unable to spend quite so much time simply pontificating (though he certainly still tries, and plenty of times does manage to fit it in) as he does in the first book. The sections and even sentences feel less drawn out in most places, and so the story moves on at a much more interesting rate. All it means is that this entry doesn’t feel nearly as slow as the former. He still falls victim to it on plenty of occasions, and certainly the final confrontation at the end of the book could have done with much less, and could have been paced much better, but these situations were fewer and further between than in ‘Titus Groan’. I definitely didn’t feel the same frustration in the same way that I did with the previous novel.
The story and it’s structure also end up becoming a bit more traditional in ‘Gormenghast’, which juxtaposed with the dark, strange, confused overarching vibe Gormenghast is famous for, actually makes for a very successful combination. Enough strangeness to keep you guessing, but in a pleasing, neat package that climaxes and resolves. It allows for the characters and unique ideas to shine through without getting bogged down in an equally confusing structure. I definitely felt this a lot easier to read than ‘Titus Groan’. It didn’t take me nearly as long (despite being a little longer of a book) and didn’t feel like a slog in the same way the last one did by the end.
Overall I really, genuinely liked ‘Gormenghast’, which is not something I’m sure I could definitely say about ‘Titus Groan’. I thought there was so much that was unique about it, that even though I still had issues with certain aspects of the way it was written, it’s hard to not to rate this entry in the series highly. I think it’s easy to look back on books that end up being classics of science fiction and fantasy, ones that become such a part of the culture, as very ‘done’ - so much so that it’s easy to take for granted just how unique it was when it was brand new. I think it’s important to acknowledge this in any review of something as notorious as ‘Gormenghast’. I also felt that though it still had the echo of a lot of the issues the first book had, this book vastly improved upon the last in a multitude of ways. More importantly, I got a lot more enjoyment from ‘Gormenghast’ and finished the book feeling good about it, rather than just happy it was over. I do think it’s possible ‘Gormenghast’ could be read as a stand alone, however I do feel this would definitely take something away from it and unfortunately I feel that ‘Titus Groan’ is almost a necessary evil to get to ‘Gormenghast’.