Reviews

I have never read anything quite like this, and I lingered with great pleasure over every extravagant sentence. This novel has been lumped under epic fantasy, where I do not think it belongs. If fantasy is “romance of the magical” (in the older sense of romance: a pageant of marvelous deeds in fantastical circumstances) then I find Titus Groan instead to be “romance of the uncanny”. This, more than its humour or any purported affinities with mainstream fantasy fiction, defines it for me. While each character is a Dickensian burlesque and the gonzo bombast of the prose is often wickedly droll, a rich gothic mood and macabre maturity tincture it all, spreading over it a texturous murk absent from much Tolkienesque fantasy. Tolkien’s work has had so much more direct influence on the fantasy genre because he attracted so many avid imitators, who found much that was readily imitable; Mervyn Peake’s astonishing style and approach defy imitation, which is why, to me, this novel seems to dwell naturally at the periphery of the genre. I am glad it found its way to me. If you haven’t yet, read it.

thayawar's review against another edition

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4.0

Some of the most visual and stunning writing I have read - it is obvious Peake is an artist and painter :)

ammonoids's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A character study of a place, rather than a person. It took me a while to get into it, but Gormenghast is a place with a delightfully dusty personality, cats around every corner- with kitchen boys trying for power, abd countesses trying to avoid it. I find myself wondering at the edges of this world. The descriptions are so exact that sometimes it feels like Gormenghast is all there is... which is, I suppose, how the characters feel too.

eantczak's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective

4.75

icarus22's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

maiiau's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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