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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I can see this being enjoyable for some people but having a sentence go on for 7 full lines (and having that happen over and over) isn't my idea of a good time.
Book 1 of the Gormenghast Trilogy. A very odd series of books about the biggest castle in the world and it's crazy inhabitants.
slow-paced
I don't really know what just happened, and I have a lot more to get through, but I loved this, so there we go.
This book is astonishing, and it's also completely bewildering. It's immersive like nearly nothing else I've ever read. This being the case, it seems the only fitting way to read the books is all at once -- I'm reading an edition in which all three are published together -- and yet I want to try and treat them separately, because this immensity is a big reason that I delayed reading them for a very, very, very long time after they were first recommended and eventually put in my hands.
Individually, the three books are of normal length, and should be relatively unintimidating. But before I read it, it was weirdly difficult to get a sense of what this book is about. People love to talk about the whole: "atmosphere," the language, how it makes you feel. But before I commit to reading a book, I want to know... something. What's it about? What's it like? So.
Although it's not set in a real period, you could call the flavor here Somewhat-Victorian Gothic. Big dark castle. People have spectacles and oil lamps and prim gowns and even more prim class divisions. It's eccentric and creepy, and while it's not un-funny -- it is hilarious -- the humor is not silly, which is actually a relief to me. The subtlety works. The eccentricity is taken seriously (which often makes it funny) and contributes to the general sense of unease.
It's bemusing that of the group, this is the book titled Titus Groan, because on the first page of the book Titus is born, and on the last page of the book, Titus is... about one and a half. So. Titus is not really the person we come to know, yet. He's just the very latest in his ancient dynasty, steeped in tradition that no one knows the use of any more, but most of their days are taken up with the ritual, the duties and devotions. Though it doesn't necessarily seem important any more, preserving the family is their job.
In the family, there is Titus's father, the Earl, perpetually drenched in melancholy and books; his mother the Countess*, who only talks to birds and cats (but seems to notice more than she lets on); his teenage sister, who grows up; his twin aunts, half-catatonic, half-evil, half-palsied, who want power. These characters are so unbelievably good.
* BUT ~*~*~*~*~THE COUNTESS~*~*~*~*~ SHE IS MY FAVORITE!!!! :D
Okay.
There are just as many characters in the staff as with the family. The chef and the Earl's head servant have a blood feud coming to a head. There's a new teenaged kid hanging around (no one seems to know from where) who starts scheming to insinuate himself higher up the food chain. The wet-nurse employed for Titus has some drama in town. The tremulous old nanny taking care of the baby just... wants to complain and sleep, I guess. And the doctor, who is always there, and who never seems to say what he means -- can we trust him or not?
The plot essentially happens around the unlikely alliances and enmities that slip into place amongst these people, with the social climb of the youth Steerpike as a catalyst. In another review, I read the term "Fantasy of Manners" to describe this, which is kind of brilliant -- there is very little genre fantasy about it, other than the fact that everything is made up. No magic, no wars. There is all of one single fantastical event that occurs -- though it is terrifyingly dismissed as only a bit of "madness" -- and its rarity makes its horror all the more huge. (And I just started screaming a lot in status updates.)
I really have to talk about Sepulchrave now. It is going to be in all-caps.
The writing really is the best. Peake is the kind of writer who describes everything in fastidious detail and will use five adjectives to do something justice, one of which you'll need to look up in a dictionary, but the way he picks his words is just a gift. To him, sunbeams come through a window, land on things with a physical force, make a sound. It can get dense and dawdley -- I took it really slowly, as well -- but it's gorgeous and a pleasure, and I really recommend it.
Jeez, guys, I just finished the thing today, and I already feel like I need to read it again.
I am not saying enough, not nearly, but that feeling is how I know when a book is really, really good.
This book is astonishing, and it's also completely bewildering. It's immersive like nearly nothing else I've ever read. This being the case, it seems the only fitting way to read the books is all at once -- I'm reading an edition in which all three are published together -- and yet I want to try and treat them separately, because this immensity is a big reason that I delayed reading them for a very, very, very long time after they were first recommended and eventually put in my hands.
Individually, the three books are of normal length, and should be relatively unintimidating. But before I read it, it was weirdly difficult to get a sense of what this book is about. People love to talk about the whole: "atmosphere," the language, how it makes you feel. But before I commit to reading a book, I want to know... something. What's it about? What's it like? So.
Although it's not set in a real period, you could call the flavor here Somewhat-Victorian Gothic. Big dark castle. People have spectacles and oil lamps and prim gowns and even more prim class divisions. It's eccentric and creepy, and while it's not un-funny -- it is hilarious -- the humor is not silly, which is actually a relief to me. The subtlety works. The eccentricity is taken seriously (which often makes it funny) and contributes to the general sense of unease.
It's bemusing that of the group, this is the book titled Titus Groan, because on the first page of the book Titus is born, and on the last page of the book, Titus is... about one and a half. So. Titus is not really the person we come to know, yet. He's just the very latest in his ancient dynasty, steeped in tradition that no one knows the use of any more, but most of their days are taken up with the ritual, the duties and devotions. Though it doesn't necessarily seem important any more, preserving the family is their job.
In the family, there is Titus's father, the Earl, perpetually drenched in melancholy and books; his mother the Countess*, who only talks to birds and cats (but seems to notice more than she lets on); his teenage sister, who grows up; his twin aunts, half-catatonic, half-evil, half-palsied, who want power. These characters are so unbelievably good.
* BUT ~*~*~*~*~THE COUNTESS~*~*~*~*~ SHE IS MY FAVORITE!!!! :D
Okay.
There are just as many characters in the staff as with the family. The chef and the Earl's head servant have a blood feud coming to a head. There's a new teenaged kid hanging around (no one seems to know from where) who starts scheming to insinuate himself higher up the food chain. The wet-nurse employed for Titus has some drama in town. The tremulous old nanny taking care of the baby just... wants to complain and sleep, I guess. And the doctor, who is always there, and who never seems to say what he means -- can we trust him or not?
The plot essentially happens around the unlikely alliances and enmities that slip into place amongst these people, with the social climb of the youth Steerpike as a catalyst. In another review, I read the term "Fantasy of Manners" to describe this, which is kind of brilliant -- there is very little genre fantasy about it, other than the fact that everything is made up. No magic, no wars. There is all of one single fantastical event that occurs -- though it is terrifyingly dismissed as only a bit of "madness" -- and its rarity makes its horror all the more huge. (And I just started screaming a lot in status updates.)
I really have to talk about Sepulchrave now. It is going to be in all-caps.
Spoiler
OH MY GOD. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? HOW DOES "STARTING TO GO MAD" = "NOW I'M TURNING INTO A DEATH OWL"? CAN THAT HAPPEN TO ANYONE? WHAT ARE THEY? IS EVERYONE AFRAID OF THEM? IS THAT WHY THEY WON'T GO TO THE TOWER TO LOOK FOR HIS BODY? DO THEY KILL OTHERS? HOW LONG WOULD IT HAVE GONE ON IF HE HADN'T BEEN KILLED? I CANNOT DEAL WITH HOW SCARY AMAZING IT IS, SOMEONE PLEASE.The writing really is the best. Peake is the kind of writer who describes everything in fastidious detail and will use five adjectives to do something justice, one of which you'll need to look up in a dictionary, but the way he picks his words is just a gift. To him, sunbeams come through a window, land on things with a physical force, make a sound. It can get dense and dawdley -- I took it really slowly, as well -- but it's gorgeous and a pleasure, and I really recommend it.
Jeez, guys, I just finished the thing today, and I already feel like I need to read it again.
I am not saying enough, not nearly, but that feeling is how I know when a book is really, really good.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's really good fantasy, but it's a sloooow burn. Maybe a bit too slow? The plot is just so all over the place. I'm not normally one to require a strong plot, but this one was a bit tough to get through because of that, and took me almost two months to finish (the longest it's taken me to read a book in a few years).
The prose was incredible, really superbly written. The tone, atmosphere, world/setting was also incredible. Gormenghast is an amazing place with so much history, and Peake gives the perfect amount of detail and backstory for certain things, as well as leaving the perfect amount of mystery. There are many little quirks with the world that leave the reader mystified and interested.
The characters were interesting in their own ways, and unique, but very one dimensional. Very few characters had any kind of growth through the book. Very few of the characters have more depth to them than the descriptions given to them in the first few pages of their introduction. I was blown away with the inventiveness of the characters in the beginning of the book, but found myself quite disappointed with the shallowness by the end.
Overall, I'd still recommend this to anyone who loves classic fantasy (LOTR), or anyone that reads prose-centric books. However be ready for a slow read.
The prose was incredible, really superbly written. The tone, atmosphere, world/setting was also incredible. Gormenghast is an amazing place with so much history, and Peake gives the perfect amount of detail and backstory for certain things, as well as leaving the perfect amount of mystery. There are many little quirks with the world that leave the reader mystified and interested.
The characters were interesting in their own ways, and unique, but very one dimensional. Very few characters had any kind of growth through the book. Very few of the characters have more depth to them than the descriptions given to them in the first few pages of their introduction. I was blown away with the inventiveness of the characters in the beginning of the book, but found myself quite disappointed with the shallowness by the end.
Overall, I'd still recommend this to anyone who loves classic fantasy (LOTR), or anyone that reads prose-centric books. However be ready for a slow read.
As far as the entertainment factor is considered, I wouldn't say this book is very entertaining, it's a story told, but for what purpose, I have not yet decided.
The writing is beautiful, the castle comes alive, and you can its pulse. The characters are real, they're weird as hell, but they're real, and everything is described to the point where it stirs alive in your mind, but the amount of description does not bog down the story, as is the case with most fantasy novels. The "evil" character, the "big-bad" isn't a cliche, in fact at first you wonder if he's even all that bad, then he commits a sin, I could never ever forgive. His character reveals itself slowly, allowing him to flesh out as more than a carbon-cut bad guy. Part of me loves his cunning, part of me hates him so very much.
The story is woven with magic, like a dark fairy-tale, but surprisingly the magic element itself has not come out quite yet. You can feel something is amiss in the castle though.
I'm not quite obsessed with the story. I sort of expected to be, but I've come to accept that this is not that sort of fiction.
There is one particular scene in the novel, a sort of sword fight, that came to me like a videogame. Like maybe, streetfighter. That's how the whole scene played out. It was so much fun to read.
As for Titus himself, I keep calling him Titius, and maybe I should stop doing that. He is to be Earl after all.
The writing is beautiful, the castle comes alive, and you can its pulse. The characters are real, they're weird as hell, but they're real, and everything is described to the point where it stirs alive in your mind, but the amount of description does not bog down the story, as is the case with most fantasy novels. The "evil" character, the "big-bad" isn't a cliche, in fact at first you wonder if he's even all that bad, then he commits a sin, I could never ever forgive.
Spoiler
what the fuck? You burnt down a library?The story is woven with magic, like a dark fairy-tale, but surprisingly the magic element itself has not come out quite yet. You can feel something is amiss in the castle though.
I'm not quite obsessed with the story. I sort of expected to be, but I've come to accept that this is not that sort of fiction.
There is one particular scene in the novel, a sort of sword fight, that came to me like a videogame. Like maybe, streetfighter. That's how the whole scene played out. It was so much fun to read.
As for Titus himself, I keep calling him Titius, and maybe I should stop doing that. He is to be Earl after all.