The Great Gormenghast Read discussion

A section for links to and discussions of biographies and memoirs. He was such an extraordinary man and talent, having some understanding of him and his life is hugely helpful when reading his work.

In particular, it's worth knowing that Peake spent his formative years in China, was an artist as much as a writer, and that by the time he was writing Titus Alone (which is very different to the previous two), he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease, depression/bipolar, and the treatment thereof.

For example:

Mervyn Peake: The Man and His Art (I gave it 5*)

Under a Canvas Sky: Living Outside Gormenghast (by his daughter; I gave it 4*)

A World Away: A Memoir of Mervyn Peake (by his wife; I gave it 4*)

A Child Of Bliss: Growing Up With Mervyn Peake (by his son, Sebastian; I gave it 2*)

There is also Mervyn Peake: Two Lives, a single volume comprising A World Away and Child of Bliss.

Feel free to add others...

I just got my hands on this one:

Mervyn Peake: My Eyes Mint Gold - A Life

Looks interesting.

Ooh, looks good. Duly added to my wish list.

Cecily wrote: "A section for links to and discussions of biographies and memoirs. He was such an extraordinary man and talent, having some understanding of him and his life is hugely helpful when reading his work..."


I recently ordered Mervyn Peake: The Man and His Art, and it's gorgeous! I could see this being used as like a textbook in school, or something. I've only flipped through the pages so far, but I'm very impressed, especially for its price.

Cecily, you've read more about his life than I have. Do you think the ritualistic nature of Chinese culture (especially at that time) was the biggest influence on him for the ritualistic aspects of the Groan dynasty?

You know what I mean? Like, this family, on such and such day, of the such and such year of the something, is meant to perform this task, in this specific manner? etc, etc:

Movies I've seen of the Imperial Chinese court, like The Last Emperor or Curse of the Golden Flower, always portray a very rigid, and ritualistic daily routine, often bordering on the nonsensical. Yet, there is a certain allure, and romanticism attached to the "sacredness" of these daily activities.

I've heard Sebastian Peake mention something like that, and how his experiences/obersvations in China influenced the paradoxical view Peake takes in his books (particularly regarding ritual).

Short answer: yes.

He was eleven or twelve when he left China, and some of the bios explicitly mention how it made its mark on him. His father photographed and wrote about his own visit to the Forbidden City, and there were Chinese artifacts in the parental home, even when they came "back" to England.

The hierarchy, quasi-religious rituals, plotting and labyrinthine geography of the Forbidden City are all reflected in Gormenghast. I suppose it could be coincidence, but I doubt it. I'm fortunate to have been there a couple of times, and I read the books in between (not deliberately), but I could imagine Steerpike round every other corner.

Some of my favourite quotes concern the rituals of Gormenghast:

• “The second tome was full of blank pages and was entirely symbolic... If, for instance, his Lordship.. had been three inches shorter, the costumes, gestures and even the routes would have differed from those described in the first tome.” “It was not certain what significance the ceremony held... but the formality was no less sacred for it being unintelligible”.

• “suckled on shadows, weaned as it were on webs of ritual”

• “He was pure symbol... even the ingenious system of delegation whereon his greatness rested was itself worked out by another”

• “A symbol of something the significance of which had long been lost to the records”

I sure wish some of the biographies on him were a little cheaper.

Cameron wrote: "I sure wish some of the biographies on him were a little cheaper."

I usually buy biographies used, or I borrow them from the library. I feel like I would never re-read a biography, so I can't justify spending as much on them as I would something else.

Cameron wrote: "I sure wish some of the biographies on him were a little cheaper."

The art one was quite expensive (but worth it, imo), but I got all the others as cheap paperbacks in the UK. Still, if you don't have a deadline by which to get a copy of a particular one, a library waiting list may be the best option if you can't find reasonable second-hand copies online.

If you only read one, I would suggest Maeve's one, "A World Away" (unless you prefer his illustration to his books, in which case, maybe the art one). It's heartbreaking, but brilliant.

I'm thinking of going through the library. I really like to be familiar with the lives and personalities of writers, usually before I read their work.

I'm going on holiday tomorrow, and I'll be taking Vast Alchemies: The Life and Work of Mervyn Peake with me. It's an authorised biography, but by the same man who wrote "Mervyn Peake: The Man and His Art", to which I gave 5*, above, so my hopes are high.

(Special thanks to Dougal, who pointed me to bargain copies at http://www.psbooks.co.uk/.)

Cecily wrote: "I'm going on holiday tomorrow, and I'll be taking Vast Alchemies: The Life and Work of Mervyn Peake with me. It's an authorised biography, but by the same man who wrote "Mervyn Peake: The Man and H..."

It's five dollars here on the Canadian Amazon. Library doesn't have anything biographical on him, definitely ordering it.

It has a good index, bibliography and lots of notes - always a good sign. I have the revised edition (pub 2009) is nicely illustrated as well.

Cecily wrote: "It has a good index, bibliography and lots of notes - always a good sign. I have the revised edition (pub 2009) is nicely illustrated as well."

Have a great holiday, by the way!

I have just finished Winnington's "Vast Alchemies" biography (referenced above). Of the five I've read, it draws the most and closest parallels between his life and works. Highly recommended for insights into themes in his works, and how they are linked to aspects of his life: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...