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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I really wanna be respectful but reading this book made me want to never read a book ever again
Via fan osmosis, I’ve been left with the impression that the Gormenghast trilogy (not a trilogy) is a difficult read, with purple prose, unlikeable characters and a dull, snail’s pace plot. And, I’m sure if I’d read Titus Groan in my early twenties, I’d have probably come to the same conclusion.* But reading it on the cusp of fifty, I must say it’s a remarkable book. Yes, the language is on the baroque side, but gorgeously so. Yes, the pacing is sedate, but only because Peake immerses you in his world. And, yes, some of the characters are unlikeable, but they’re also tragic, flawed, and fabulous. And. Most importantly. It’s fucking hilarious. I cackled. Multiple times.
Do I need to provide a plot precis? I’ll keep it short. Titus Groan is set in a secondary world (I assume it’s a secondary world; that’s how it’s presented in this novel), with the action centred around the castle of Gormenghast. We join the action on an auspicious day: the birth of Titus Groan, the heir to Lord Sepulchrave, the seventy-sixth Earl of Groan and ruler of Gormenghast. But Titus’s birth is a bringer of change and a harbinger of doom, as the devious Steerpike, once a kitchen boy and now an arch manipulator, plans to overturn Gormenghast’s stagnant society.
I don’t have the literary chops to connect the dots between Peake and the broader fantasy community. Is Peake an influence on Grimdark? There are certainly moments of moderately “gory” violence, and Swelter is as grotesque a character as you’d like to encounter (in the mould of Baron Harkonnen). Did he influence Pratchett, Adams and those who approach the genre from a satirical perspective? There are the over-the-top rituals (a piss-take of Catholicism?), and the character’s multiple eccentricities suggest that Peake wasn’t aiming for po-faced authenticity. Or is it a novel (or a series) that stands alone, that is sui generis? It’s probably all of these things, which is what makes it such a fascinating read.
I love the names, each memorable and a near-perfect representation of the character. I loved the weirdness, not just the ossified rituals but the Gothic-inspired architecture of Gormenghast with its nooks and crannies and stone gardens in the sky. The library scene (you know the one) is as gripping as it is shocking, while the intense hostility between Flay and Swelter is jaw-droppingly memorable (I’m not going to forget their fight in a hurry).
Awesome. That’s what I think of Titus Groan, and I look forward to reading the second volume, Gormenghast (when time permits).
*I say it’s a consensus. I’ll bet everyone tells me that, no, Gormenghast is much loved, and I’m delusional. Which, you know, is fair enough.
Do I need to provide a plot precis? I’ll keep it short. Titus Groan is set in a secondary world (I assume it’s a secondary world; that’s how it’s presented in this novel), with the action centred around the castle of Gormenghast. We join the action on an auspicious day: the birth of Titus Groan, the heir to Lord Sepulchrave, the seventy-sixth Earl of Groan and ruler of Gormenghast. But Titus’s birth is a bringer of change and a harbinger of doom, as the devious Steerpike, once a kitchen boy and now an arch manipulator, plans to overturn Gormenghast’s stagnant society.
I don’t have the literary chops to connect the dots between Peake and the broader fantasy community. Is Peake an influence on Grimdark? There are certainly moments of moderately “gory” violence, and Swelter is as grotesque a character as you’d like to encounter (in the mould of Baron Harkonnen). Did he influence Pratchett, Adams and those who approach the genre from a satirical perspective? There are the over-the-top rituals (a piss-take of Catholicism?), and the character’s multiple eccentricities suggest that Peake wasn’t aiming for po-faced authenticity. Or is it a novel (or a series) that stands alone, that is sui generis? It’s probably all of these things, which is what makes it such a fascinating read.
I love the names, each memorable and a near-perfect representation of the character. I loved the weirdness, not just the ossified rituals but the Gothic-inspired architecture of Gormenghast with its nooks and crannies and stone gardens in the sky. The library scene (you know the one) is as gripping as it is shocking, while the intense hostility between Flay and Swelter is jaw-droppingly memorable (I’m not going to forget their fight in a hurry).
Awesome. That’s what I think of Titus Groan, and I look forward to reading the second volume, Gormenghast (when time permits).
*I say it’s a consensus. I’ll bet everyone tells me that, no, Gormenghast is much loved, and I’m delusional. Which, you know, is fair enough.
I struggled with first 100 or so pages because although the characters were drawn beautifully and were compelling, there was no clear narrative. Once the story started to emerge though, it became unputdownable. Yes the writing style is heavy and ornate, but it's gorgeous.
I can’t really say that I am a fan of this book. I know that it is a classic of English literature, but I found it a bit of a slog. There is not really much happening for all of the detailed description that Peake gives us. Gormenghast seems like it would be a horrible place to live. There is no comfortable feeling to this place at all. All of the detailed ritual that seems to take place would certainly drive one crazy. It was exhausting just reading about it.
Absolutely amazing book. Probably my favorite novel of all time. The prose is just miles above anything else:
"Gormenghast, that is, the main massing of the original stone, taken by itself would have displayed a certain ponderous architectural quality were it possible to have ignored the circumfusion of those mean dwellings that swarmed like an epidemic around its outer walls. They sprawled over the sloping earth, each one half way over its neighbour until, held back by the castle ramparts, the innermost of these hovels laid hold on the great walls, clamping themselves thereto like limpets to a rock. These dwellings, by ancient law, were granted this chill intimacy with the stronghold that loomed above them. Over their irregular roofs would fall throughout the seasons, the shadows of time-eaten buttresses, of broken and lofty turrets, and, most enormous of all, the shadow of the Tower of Flints. This tower, patched unevenly with black ivy, arose like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry and pointed blasphemously at heaven. At night the owls made of it an echoing throat; by day it stood voiceless and cast its long shadow. "
Wow!
"Gormenghast, that is, the main massing of the original stone, taken by itself would have displayed a certain ponderous architectural quality were it possible to have ignored the circumfusion of those mean dwellings that swarmed like an epidemic around its outer walls. They sprawled over the sloping earth, each one half way over its neighbour until, held back by the castle ramparts, the innermost of these hovels laid hold on the great walls, clamping themselves thereto like limpets to a rock. These dwellings, by ancient law, were granted this chill intimacy with the stronghold that loomed above them. Over their irregular roofs would fall throughout the seasons, the shadows of time-eaten buttresses, of broken and lofty turrets, and, most enormous of all, the shadow of the Tower of Flints. This tower, patched unevenly with black ivy, arose like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry and pointed blasphemously at heaven. At night the owls made of it an echoing throat; by day it stood voiceless and cast its long shadow. "
Wow!
This is an incredible book for so many reasons. It defies categorization. Not a fantasy (but where does it take place?). Gothic? What's that? Well, never mind... Peake was an artist/illustrator, a poet, as well as a fiction and children's writer. This is not so much a novel as it is the written equivalent of a massive, wall-sized painting, exploring not just the actions but the motivations of its characters in language better read aloud than silently (but I fall asleep with audio books :-) ). Looming over everything is Gormenghast, a castle that has existed and expanded to gargantuan size through the reigns of seventy-six Earls, of which Sepulchrave of Groan is the latest. The castle is decrepit, decaying, as are the characters and their relationships. While the castle is filled with servants and officials, the story pares it down to a claustrophobic few: the Earl and his immediate family and servants, including the new-born seventy-seventh Earl, Titus. Considering that by the end of the novel (500+ pages!), Titus is only 18 months old, is the title a comic touch on Peake's part? Or is Titus the trigger for all that comes after? We shall see. The novel is daunting, but if you have a few of Dickens' novels under your belt, you should be okay.
Lots of other people have expressed their enjoyment of this novel in many more comprehensive and informed ways that I shall be able to. I'll just tell you a couple of things though that, perhaps others haven't.
Firstly, this was a lot of fun to read. It's the first time in quite a while that I've been reading something, and actively thinking, at the same time, I'm really enjoying reading this. It didn't leave me with much to think about in the periods that I wasn't reading it, but it was a very pleasant experience.
At times it was like a game of chess. Hear me out. Sometimes when I would start a chapter I'd wonder whether I'd be able to continue reading - like when you start a game of chess; can you be bothered? But, after four or five lines (four or five moves in chess), I was fully absorbed, fully invested.
In all honesty, very little happens. Very little at all. Sometimes it seems like you can read 5 pages, and all that's happened is that someone has lit a candle or something - so rich and detailed is the description.
The characters are vividly drawn. Ugly and grotesque. But so distinctive that I never had problems remembering who was who, or who was up to what, even when they'd been absent for more than a hundred pages. Even more impressive is that you don't even need to be told who is speaking most of the time, because every character has their own quirks that makes it instantly evident.
So I don't really want to say anything about the fantasy genre or comparisons with The Lord of The Rings (which would be a bit rich, since I haven't read it), or anything about Mervyn Peake as an illustrator. I just really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part. I'm not going to give it 5 stars though, because I feel that more far-reaching things could have happened. Overall it was fairly low-key and big things are no doubt coming. But not yet. So a good 4 stars.
If you're interested in observations on new words I found in this book, or unusual words that were used frequently, or some really nice use of language, you can search #TitusGroan on my twitter feed - @readothusiast. There were quite a lot on all counts.
Firstly, this was a lot of fun to read. It's the first time in quite a while that I've been reading something, and actively thinking, at the same time, I'm really enjoying reading this. It didn't leave me with much to think about in the periods that I wasn't reading it, but it was a very pleasant experience.
At times it was like a game of chess. Hear me out. Sometimes when I would start a chapter I'd wonder whether I'd be able to continue reading - like when you start a game of chess; can you be bothered? But, after four or five lines (four or five moves in chess), I was fully absorbed, fully invested.
In all honesty, very little happens. Very little at all. Sometimes it seems like you can read 5 pages, and all that's happened is that someone has lit a candle or something - so rich and detailed is the description.
The characters are vividly drawn. Ugly and grotesque. But so distinctive that I never had problems remembering who was who, or who was up to what, even when they'd been absent for more than a hundred pages. Even more impressive is that you don't even need to be told who is speaking most of the time, because every character has their own quirks that makes it instantly evident.
So I don't really want to say anything about the fantasy genre or comparisons with The Lord of The Rings (which would be a bit rich, since I haven't read it), or anything about Mervyn Peake as an illustrator. I just really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the next part. I'm not going to give it 5 stars though, because I feel that more far-reaching things could have happened. Overall it was fairly low-key and big things are no doubt coming. But not yet. So a good 4 stars.
If you're interested in observations on new words I found in this book, or unusual words that were used frequently, or some really nice use of language, you can search #TitusGroan on my twitter feed - @readothusiast. There were quite a lot on all counts.
I have found that book which feels like it was written for me specifically.
Wowee.
Me costó más de un año terminar este libro, parce. No me considero particularmente un lector rápido ni nada pero uffff, usualmente cuando un libro me costaba tanto lo abandonaba, y con Titus Groan no pasó.
La cosa es que... la historia es buena, el libro (una vez uno le coge el tiro a esa puta hiperdescriptividad cincuentera) es bastante gracioso e interesante. Los personajes son super pintorescos, y uno los va conociendo y los ve cambiado constantemente. El género literario también me soprendió mucho y me hace dar mucha más curiosidad por la fantasía más allá de la high fantasy, realmente no me esperaba la historia que me contaron.
Y luego está Steerpike.
Sin spoilers ni nada, pero qué buen personaje es Steerpike. Que gran villano Maupassantesco (el Georges Duroy de nosotros los emo) se sacó este man, es una delicia verlo en acción, así la acción se demore taaaaaaanto y se disfrute tan rápido. Si me termino la trilogía, es sólo para saber qué pasa con él.
Fuschia también es un personaje maravilloso, aunque Peake tenga problemas histórico-contextuales para construirla. Su cambio es súper interesante y me motiva para seguir la trilogía.
En conclusión: Libia es una tierra de contrastes. Gracias.
Me costó más de un año terminar este libro, parce. No me considero particularmente un lector rápido ni nada pero uffff, usualmente cuando un libro me costaba tanto lo abandonaba, y con Titus Groan no pasó.
La cosa es que... la historia es buena, el libro (una vez uno le coge el tiro a esa puta hiperdescriptividad cincuentera) es bastante gracioso e interesante. Los personajes son super pintorescos, y uno los va conociendo y los ve cambiado constantemente. El género literario también me soprendió mucho y me hace dar mucha más curiosidad por la fantasía más allá de la high fantasy, realmente no me esperaba la historia que me contaron.
Y luego está Steerpike.
Sin spoilers ni nada, pero qué buen personaje es Steerpike. Que gran villano Maupassantesco (el Georges Duroy de nosotros los emo) se sacó este man, es una delicia verlo en acción, así la acción se demore taaaaaaanto y se disfrute tan rápido. Si me termino la trilogía, es sólo para saber qué pasa con él.
Fuschia también es un personaje maravilloso, aunque Peake tenga problemas histórico-contextuales para construirla. Su cambio es súper interesante y me motiva para seguir la trilogía.
En conclusión: Libia es una tierra de contrastes. Gracias.
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated