A review by basiairene
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

5.0

This book was so incredibly strange, but in an amazing way. The descriptions of the people and the people themselves were absurd to the max, but it worked. Even though the descriptions, taken out of the context of the book, would make you raise an eyebrow or two (or three, I'm not sure how many eyebrows you have), you are so immersed in the world of Gormenghast that it all just makes sense. My favorite, of course, is Steerpike, which will surprise no one. It's fascinating that in a book called Titus Groan, the titular character is mere background noise. It's Steerpike who usurps the role of protagonist, an amazing bit of characterization that says everything about him that you need to know. You admire him, and you root for him (at least, I was rooting for him) to succeed, even though you know you probably shouldn't. These characters are all so fascinating and strange and absurd, and I'm only angry that no one told me about these books sooner.