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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I'd only read Gormenghast (the book) once before, maybe twice, whereas I've read the first book, [b:Titus Groan|39063|Titus Groan (Gormenghast, #1)|Mervyn Peake|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327871204s/39063.jpg|3250394], multiple times. Unsurprisingly, I didn't remember this second book nearly as well as I did the first.
The second book is also simply not as strong a book as the first. Titus Groan is chock full of dark images and heavy symbolism seen through an obscuring cloud of gloom. In Gormenghast, in contrast, Peake literally comes straight out and tells the reader what the symbols are. This is most evident in the first 50-100 pages, but also occurs toward the end, when Titus is making his plans for the future. One character, is clearly created purely for symbolic purposes, and it's disconcerting that Peake removes all possibility of mystery by telling us exactly what the character's meaning is.
That character is itself an awkward construct. While most of the new characters introduced in this book are decently put together - the Professors as a corps, and to some extent as individuals, some, such as this special one, seem more like afterthoughts. It's incongruous, then, for this one to play (we're told) such a central role on Titus' life.
Peake does a nice job of reconnecting with other characters, and tieing them back into the castle's (and Titus') story. The Countess, the Bright Carvers, and the Doctor all play important roles. Flay, while central, seems less fully developed, which is odd, since it seems clear that Peake fully intended this return to prominence. Peake also resolves Fuchsia's plotline in a seemingly offhanded manner.
The plot itself itself is interesting. Steerpike develops in a credible way. There's a key flood whose mechanics are questionable, but then Gormenghast is not tied too closely to reality. There's quite a lot of humor in the book.
There are a number of consistency errors - several related to Fuchsia's age, and one to Titus' location - signs of rushed or limited editing, perhaps. And there are scattered instances of words misused ('flaunt' for 'flout'), which would be less surprising in a writer less careful than Peake.
I've focused on the negative, because I found the book disappointing in comparison with its predecessor, but that's not to say it isn't a good read. All in all, it's a sturdy successor to Titus Groan, but lacking the magic of the first volume. Worth reading for people who were caught up in the characters that inhabit the castle, but less so for those who mainly liked the imagery.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
The second book is also simply not as strong a book as the first. Titus Groan is chock full of dark images and heavy symbolism seen through an obscuring cloud of gloom. In Gormenghast, in contrast, Peake literally comes straight out and tells the reader what the symbols are. This is most evident in the first 50-100 pages, but also occurs toward the end, when Titus is making his plans for the future. One character,
Spoiler
the 'Thing',That character is itself an awkward construct. While most of the new characters introduced in this book are decently put together - the Professors as a corps, and to some extent as individuals, some, such as this special one, seem more like afterthoughts. It's incongruous, then, for this one to play (we're told) such a central role on Titus' life.
Peake does a nice job of reconnecting with other characters, and tieing them back into the castle's (and Titus') story. The Countess, the Bright Carvers, and the Doctor all play important roles. Flay, while central, seems less fully developed, which is odd, since it seems clear that Peake fully intended this return to prominence. Peake also resolves Fuchsia's plotline in a seemingly offhanded manner.
The plot itself itself is interesting. Steerpike develops in a credible way. There's a key flood whose mechanics are questionable, but then Gormenghast is not tied too closely to reality. There's quite a lot of humor in the book.
There are a number of consistency errors - several related to Fuchsia's age, and one to Titus' location - signs of rushed or limited editing, perhaps. And there are scattered instances of words misused ('flaunt' for 'flout'), which would be less surprising in a writer less careful than Peake.
I've focused on the negative, because I found the book disappointing in comparison with its predecessor, but that's not to say it isn't a good read. All in all, it's a sturdy successor to Titus Groan, but lacking the magic of the first volume. Worth reading for people who were caught up in the characters that inhabit the castle, but less so for those who mainly liked the imagery.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written (I've marked so many passages to re-read), but it didn't feel like much of a story at first, but rather just long, detailed descriptions of static scenes (Peake can take ~20 pages to describe a group of teachers walking through a door). However, the story certainly picked up in the second half.
It’s surprising that Gormenghast has not yet become a world-wide, multi-billion dollar, Peter Jackson movie empire. It has all the elements: a dark, brooding, endlessly maze-like castle, enough fully drawn characters to support a lengthy romantic plot, and it is fantastically visual in its prose. It’s also got quality comedy, silliness, a perfectly malevolent adversary and this, the second episode, ends with a Hamlet-like hand to hand fight. Half of it seems to be a British boarding school parody and the rest is a fantasy action movie combined with a coming of age story. This is over-the-top writing, so be prepared, but it’s brilliant. A complete feast.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was wildly impressed with the second book of Gormenghast. I found that the first book did a lot of the heavy lifting establishing characters and setting, allowing book two to come in and present an amazing story with compelling character growth etc. There are a few minor problems with the book that I don't think were present in the first one, but I think they relatively minor and do not reduce the impact of this incredible story. This book has one of the best villians I've ever read in my life, and the characters make it so memorable.
I am sad that the series supposedly drops off from here due to Peake's declining mental health, but I intend to finish it for completion's sake even if it doesn't live up to the first two books.
4.5/5
I am sad that the series supposedly drops off from here due to Peake's declining mental health, but I intend to finish it for completion's sake even if it doesn't live up to the first two books.
4.5/5
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated