The Great Gormenghast Read discussion

I feel obliged to add a welcome section for this group here. Though I know most of you as friends, no doubt we may end up with other individuals joining if they wish to revel in the mastery of Mervyn Peake!

My default position is to assume that anyone who joins a group devoted to Peake is a delightful and discerning person. :D

I trust you with this stuff, Jonathan, so I just ordered the entire series. It should be here within a day or two. :)

Ooooh nice to hear Fatin!

I've never read this series, and am very excited about doing so. Hooray!

Great idea. I have only ever read the first volume. Sadly I am appalling at keeping to reading deadlines as my local bookclub will vouch, i too easily get distracted with another 'interesting read' but thanks for the invite and I shall definitely give it a go.

Mark wrote: "Great idea. I have only ever read the first volume. Sadly I am appalling at keeping to reading deadlines as my local bookclub will vouch, i too easily get distracted with another 'interesting read'..."

That's why I set it to two months per book, to kind of allow people a decent chance at getting into the books. I too have only read the first though I have the others.

Ah, wise man

Mark wrote: "Ah, wise man"

I wish I were wiser but I'm still working on that.

Hi, I tried to read the first book in this series about a year ago and only got about 3/4 of the way through before being a big old quitter so am joining this group in the hope that it will allow me to be a completer and not a quitter!

Ah, so you guys pipped Mievillians to the post with Peake. Oh well, better that Mervyn has his own group, I guess, -he deserves it! Plus, of course this will be quite long and time-consuming.

We can always do the shorter Peake works in Mievillians then, so this group sort of leaves us open for doing that.

PS, would you like me to/mind if I promote this group in Mievillians? Since Peake was a strong influence for Mieville, it will certainly be fitting.

But anyway, thanks very much for the invite! Looking forward, and glad of the opportunity for a re-read, since I'd completely forgotten a lot of this and may only have read the first two novels in the series anyway. Well, I can't quite remember... so a re-read is definitely in order... :)

The compendium has been on my bookshelf for years mocking me. I'll give it a red hot go if we do it together.

I am just glad somebody thought of me for this group.

I've purchased my "Kindle Copy." I know nothing of this book and, it looks inticingly unique and interesting. I'm looking foreward to reading it!

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "I am just glad somebody thought of me for this group.

I've purchased my "Kindle Copy." I know nothing of this book and, it looks inticingly unique and interesting. I'm looking foreward to readi..."

I always think of my friends no matter who they are!

Brendon wrote: "The compendium has been on my bookshelf for years mocking me. I'll give it a red hot go if we do it together."

That's part of the aim!

Traveller wrote: "Ah, so you guys pipped Mievillians to the post with Peake. Oh well, better that Mervyn has his own group, I guess, -he deserves it! Plus, of course this will be quite long and time-consuming.

We..."

No problem! Go pimping all you want!

LOL, will do..

So long as you get what I mean :P

Jonathan wrote: "So long as you get what I mean :P"

Ha ha ha. Yes, a media pimping gig.

Talking of pimping,you must really come and read Mieville/speculative fic with us sometime.

We've decided to move on to other authors as well, and of course Peake would be an obvious choice, except that this trilogy would have been too long for that group setting!

But I'm going to heartily participate with you guys here, since you and and Cecily are both stars, and I know from experience that Cecily's a very good person to have in a group discussion.

Hopefully Kyle comes along too but yeah things are good so far. I'll look into the Mieville group, I have things to do in the near future but they're clear after the weekend so I shall have to hunt your group down :P

Yes, Kyle would be good! If you don't consider it rude and a shameless plug (ok, even if it is a shameless plug) I could point you with a link, but as not too rudely pimp for the other group, I'd request your permission first. :P

Oh yeah, please feel free to put a link here for me!

the review man wrote: "I've had this on the list for a while now. Not a big fantasy person but it's probably worth reading nonetheless."

The problem is that a lot of people think it's a traditional fantasy and get turned away when really it's not a traditional fantasy in the slightest but a well written amazing novel.

the review man wrote: "Not a big fantasy person but it's probably worth reading nonetheless."

Nor am I, but Peake is my favourite author.

Thanks for the add Jonathan! This has been on my to-read list for a while, ever since I read your review. I'm gonna try and get a hold of a copy and join in. I'm glad you gave us an early heads up! That will really help!

Thanks for the invite! Looking forward to discussing Peake here.

Thanks for the invite. I'd been meaning to reread this series for a while.

Thanks for the invite. I bought this edition of the Gormenghast books way back in March of 2006 and I STILL haven't read it, so it's time to correct that. I was planning to reread Les Miserables starting in July, so your two-months-per-book schedule works for me.

oh well, why not i will be on holidays on those days. I will try to get them in spanish

I've heard great things about these books but I've never read any of them. I'm in; great idea and thanks for the invite Jonathan.

Thanks for the invite, Jonathan. I'm really looking forward to this. Now I need to get my hands on copies of the books.

I'm stoked this has been created, and that there's so many people who jumped in on it! Thanks for taking the initiative Jonathan!

Jacob wrote: "Thanks for the invite. I bought this edition of the Gormenghast books way back in March of 2006 and I STILL haven't read it, so it's time to correct that. I was planning to reread Les Miserables ..."

You horrible, neglectful person you! Well, now we have a chance to fix you. :)

Let me join all these thanks too, Jonathan. It was nice surprise because a) I indeed have Gormenghast trilogy on my shelf (physical one!) waiting to be read for what now seems an eternity, and b) the schedule starting on July works perfectly fine for me, as I hope to finish Les Miserables till then :)

It would be neat if we would after reading them check the mini-series too. But that speaks a film buff from me, ignore me if you have seen it (I didn't) and didn't like it.

the review man wrote: "I've had this on the list for a while now. Not a big fantasy person but it's probably worth reading nonetheless."

Jonathan wrote: "The problem is that a lot of people think it's a traditional fantasy and get turned away when really it's not a traditional fantasy in the slightest but a well written amazing novel."


THIS. The Gormenghast novels can really only be considered fantasy, because nobody really knows what else to call them. Fantastical, might be an accurate description, but don't expect anything approaching a "fantasy" novel.

Zeljka wrote: "It would be neat if we would after reading them check the mini-series too. But that speaks a film buff from me, ignore me if you have seen it (I didn't) and didn't like it."


That's a worthwhile pursuit, Zeljka. I created a folder thread for discussion of the TV series.

Kyle wrote: "That's a worthwhile pursuit, Zeljka. I created a folder thread for discussion of the TV series."

Thanks, that was quick :)

Kyle wrote: "...The Gormenghast novels can really only be considered fantasy, because nobody knows what else to call them. Fantastical, might be an accurate description, but don't expect anything approaching a "fantasy" novel."

I think that's exactly right.

What is interesting is that no one has succeeded (maybe not even tried?) to write anything similar.

Cecily wrote: "What is interesting is that no one has succeeded (maybe not even tried?) to write anything similar. "

I am, admittedly, prone to hyperbole at times, but is it even possible? ;)

I doubt it would be possible to succeed, but I think it surprising that no library, publisher or bookshop seems to have anything it can categorise in quite the same way. Perhaps that's an advantage of the fact that Peake is little known and not very fashionable nowadays?

I am an aforementioned stranger to the group.

I was invited by Evan and am looking forward to reading these.

Ryan wrote: "I am an aforementioned stranger to the group.

I was invited by Evan and am looking forward to reading these."

Welcome, Ryan. The more the merrier!

^ wonderful. :)

Ryan wrote: "I am an aforementioned stranger to the group.

I was invited by Evan and am looking forward to reading these."

We welcome all new faces to our humble Gormenghastian castle!

Don't really have time for a reread, what with all the novel business, but I do think I'll hang about and watch the discussions, if that's alright.

Novel business, Keely?

Keely wrote: "Don't really have time for a reread, what with all the novel business, but I do think I'll hang about and watch the discussions, if that's alright."

Sounds great! Good luck on the writing.

Cameron said: "Novel business, Keely?"

Yeah, trying to finish up this book I've been writing for the past year, and as such, I've only been reading stuff pertinent to that project.

Keely wrote: "Cameron said: "Novel business, Keely?"

Yeah, trying to finish up this book I've been writing for the past year, and as such, I've only been reading stuff pertinent to that project."

Good luck, I think I would very much like to see some of the fruit of that labour hopefully come to light!

Traveller wrote: "PS, would you like me to/mind if I promote this group in Mievillians? Since Peake was a strong influence for Mieville, it will certainly be fitting."

What a fantastic idea! As a quote Cecily posted on one of the other threads says: Mièville said that the greatest compliment given to him about PSS, was that it felt to the reader like Peake was his biggest influence. :)

That's kind of an awesomely modest thing to say, but still powerful.

Peake has been on my list to read for awhile, so I'm happy to take advantage of this group read. I found a new hardcover of the illustrated trilogy for 15 euros this morning, so I'm in...

Jim wrote: "Peake has been on my list to read for awhile, so I'm happy to take advantage of this group read. I found a new hardcover of the illustrated trilogy for 15 euros this morning, so I'm in..."

Good to hear!