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A review by andjhostet
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
3.0
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.