Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Gormenghast /ˈɡɔːrmənˌɡɑːst/ is a fantasy series by British author Mervyn Peake, about the inhabitants of Castle Gormenghast, a sprawling, decaying, Gothic structure. Originally conceived as a single on-going novel, the series was ended by Peake's death and comprises three novels: Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950) and Titus Alone (1959), and a novella, Boy in Darkness (1956), whose canonical status is debated.

Gormenghast is a remote and reclusive earldom dominated by the huge Castle Gormenghast at its centre, and ruled by the noble family of Groan since time immemorial. The earldom derives its name from Gormenghast Mountain, and is isolated from the outside world by inhospitable regions on each side of it.

Around 950 pages this Fantasy read is about the earldom and its vast, largely deserted castle, whose remaining inhabitants centre their lives on the ritual surrounding the ruling family of Groan. The castle is described as being like an immense island of stone, so huge that most of the inhabitants do not venture outside.

Anyone considering reading this one this month?

No, because the third book ruined it for me when I read this at 19. I want my good memories of enjoying the first two left undisturbed. Plus I am worried I might not like it now because I used to enjoy disturbing novels a lot more back then than I do today.

I hope those who read it like it!

I read all three a couple of years ago. I didn't mind the third book but it doesn't hold a candle to the first two.

I'll try to read it but probably not for a while. It's listed for June and July.
Okay so I've been warned about the third book.

I will join for this after I’ve done some catching up on my other reads.

I've started it. Love the tone!

It's a wonderfully weird place!

It took a while for me to get into Titus Groan but I’m glad I kept reading. I’m about 75% through and I’m enjoying Steerpike’s scheming very much even though I’m partially rooting against him.

I felt the same way about Steerpike, Greg.

Did you know?

Peake's surreal fiction was influenced by his early love for Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson rather than Tolkien's studies of mythology and philology.

Peake also wrote poetry and literary nonsense in verse form, short stories for adults and children (Letters from a Lost Uncle, 1948), stage and radio plays, and Mr Pye (1953), a relatively tightly-structured novel in which God implicitly mocks the evangelical pretensions and cosy world-view of the eponymous hero.

Peake first made his reputation as a painter and illustrator during the 1930s and 1940s, when he lived in London, and he was commissioned to produce portraits of well-known people. For a short time at the end of World War II he was commissioned by various newspapers to depict war scenes. A collection of his drawings is still in the possession of his family. Although he gained little popular success in his lifetime, his work was highly respected by his peers, and his friends included Dylan Thomas and Graham Greene. His works are now included in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum and The National Archives.

I definitely catch the Dickens vibe, especially with the grotesques. I watched a few minutes of the BBC adaptation but turned it off because it's just impossible to capture the mounded flesh of Swelter, the cracking praying mantis quality of Flay, etc. It really must be read to be experienced. Strangely, the tone of the BBC production was also all wrong, very whimsical and pastelly rather than broody and ominous.

I think I gave up on the BBC series after two episodes. I watched it when it was originally aired in North America.

I'm ninety pages into Titus Groan. It was really slow getting started but now stuff's starting to happen.
I'm picturing it as a Tim Burton animated movie.

That would work, Book Nerd.

When you sat "grotesques" does that just mean weird looking and acting people?

Book Nerd wrote: "When you sat "grotesques" does that just mean weird looking and acting people?"

Yes, like Dickens or Smollett characters, with exaggerated features or mannerisms.

I've finished the novels. As I wrote in my review, I really enjoyed the first two but was disappointed by the third. Unfortunately Peake was developing severe Parkinson's at that point.

I'm almost halfway through Titus Groan. It's slow going. So much is devote to atmosphere.

It's interesting how something happens and then it jumps back and gives you some background on it..

If I remember correctly, Titus is a baby in that book, even though he's the title character.

Rosemarie wrote: "If I remember correctly, Titus is a baby in that book, even though he's the title character."
Yeah, he's a baby here.

So Earl Sepulchrave's library (view spoiler)[burned and he lost it. I understand. :) (hide spoiler)]

Book Nerd wrote: "It's interesting how something happens and then it jumps back and gives you some background on it.."

I like reading your thoughts on this Book Nerd!

I love the names of the characters in these books.

Just finished Titus Groan and LOVED it! I only learned about Peake and the Gormenghast trilogy recently and I’m glad this group motivated me to start it sooner than later. I’ll wait to finish it though; I’ll be traveling all summer and don’t have space for the full trilogy in my luggage. I should nevertheless try to review Titus Groan by itself.

Jerry I am glad you got to read one of them before you go.
Safe travels!

So Titus (view spoiler)[threw the symbols of the Earl in the lake. From the beginning you can see that he's going to wreck the eternal traditions of Gormenghast.
One crazy thing is wondering about the details of how he, and Fuschia, were conceived. :/

It's weird that Gertrude commands both cats and birds.

Sepuchgrave started acting like an owl and then apparently was killed by owls. I wonder if that relates in any way to Gertrude's relationship with birds.
(hide spoiler)]

This also reminded me of Kafka quite a bit with their obsession with the meaningless ritual that's piled up over the centuries.

I am about half way through the first book and love the atmosphere, character names and dark humour of it, but somehow I'm struggling with the incentive to get through it. I think this may be down to my current frame of mind rather than the book though

Georgina wrote: "I am about half way through the first book and love the atmosphere, character names and dark humour of it, but somehow I'm struggling with the incentive to get through it. I think this may be down ..."
It was not that easy for me either. I tend to struggle with a lot of description and not much happening.

Book Nerd – the Kafka connection is pretty clear to me too. A much younger version of myself was obsessed with Kafka for many of the same reasons that my current self is now in love with Peake. I think part of my attraction to Kafka though was the Muir translations. I’m now able to read him in the original now and it feels different. Peake’s incredibly lucid prose has me floored.

Book Nerd wrote: "Georgina wrote: "I am about half way through the first book and love the atmosphere, character names and dark humour of it, but somehow I'm struggling with the incentive to get through it. I think ..."

I think that's it, although there are small things happening I'm not finding any suspense or impetus to find out what comes next. I have really enjoyed what I have read so far though so will keep going.

I finished Gormenghast. I thought the story was better but I liked the characters better in Titus Groan.

Rosemarie wrote: "I read all three a couple of years ago. I didn't mind the third book but it doesn't hold a candle to the first two."

I was 19 which might have been why what happened in the third book made such an impact.

Book Nerd wrote: "I finished Gormenghast. I thought the story was better but I liked the characters better in Titus Groan."

Characters definitely make the read!

Book Nerd wrote: "I finished Gormenghast. I thought the story was better but I liked the characters better in Titus Groan."

Titus Groan was my favourite of the three as I recall. I have forgotten most of the characters, but there was a girl or woman I remember really liking who was in important character in it (that's how I remember it--but she wasn't the only important character, obviously.)

I remember the girl too but not her name.

Fuschia is the girl.

Titus Alone is very weird, going from a medieval world to an almost sci-fi technological world.

I finished Titus Alone. It was a change but I liked it.
Now I'll read these critical analysis to figure out what it was about.

Way to go, Book Nerd!
It is a different kind of book, that's for sure.
The author also wrote a short entertaining book called Mr Pye, set on one of the Channel Islands, if you're interested in reading more works by that author.

There's also a novella about Titus called Boy in Darkness. It sounds really interesting and I can't believe it wasn't included in the book with the trilogy.
I can't seem to find it for a decent price. Anybody know where I could get a copy or read it online.

I'm really glad I read these. I understand why people don't like the sudden change of Titus Alone but it's really the ending of that one that I keep thinking about.