gormenghast

[sepulchrave]

I'm dipping my hook into the pond to see whether there is anyone on this forum who might have read Mervyn Peakes masterpieces, the Titus series? Comments, comparisons?

[Talera]

:( I'm a bit confused! Do you mean has anyone read Gormenghast? I haven't actually read the book but I watched the BBC adaption (I don't know if you've seen it) which was really good. I'd quite like to read the book but I haven't got round to it yet! If you've seen the adaption do you think that it isnt' as good as the book?

[sepulchrave]

I enjoyed the adaptation, but I think the book is a literary masterpiece! In my humble opinion, although it is a totally different experience than The Lord of the Rings, it ranks along side it as an equal in my view. I read the Ring when I was quite young, and the Titus books when I was twenty eight or so, but it took that long to find a book as thoroughly enjoyable. (A polite nod to CS Lewis [Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, & That Hideous Strength], and George MacDonald [Phantastes & Lilith]) I strongly recommend Peakes books as the top of the pile, fantasy-wise!
btw, the titles of Peakes three books are:
Titus Groan
Gormenghast
Titus Alone

[Talera]

Thanx! I'll have to give them a try!

[Play Girl]

Gormenghast is fantastic! I read it and the world is so gothic and dark. Very good - preferably read in the dark under the covers.:D
Play Girl

[Sirithdal]

Sure! It's one of the best things I've ever read for sheer brilliance of it's prose, for it's character delineations, gothic ethos and incredible humor. It's a completely different type of fantasy, of course. I refer and reread it's scintillating pages even more often than I do The Lord of the Rings. This is one of the great trilogies ever written and it alone ranks with Tolkien's epic.

;)

[Mihara of Yeldar]

Saw part of it in orchestra, just a tad bit on the weird side. Maybe 'twould be better if I saw all of it.

[sepulchrave]

it is so good to see that some have enjoyed this incredible work as I have! I tried it when I was thirteen, but it was not until I was in my twenties that I was ready for it. When I finally got a copy, I was living in a little cabin in the country. I didn't leave the cabin for four and a half days!! I was rivetted by the splendid writing, the sumptuous description and the incredible visuals that the book brought forth. I have never read anything so profoundly visual. It was not until later that I discovered that Peake was an artist of some renown, and at that point a lot of things made sense. The book is soaked in light and darkness, shadows and colour. In addition, the character studies are remarkable, unlike anything else I have encountered before or since. I love this book!!!

[luinilwen]

i've only seen the mini-series, which had me awe-struck. the only flaw i found in it's length was my inability to tear myself away for a toilet break! :D incidentally, was anyone aware that a handful of the actors from gormenghast were in harry potter? i can't look at aunt petunia without thinking about prunesquallor's sister *shudder* i guess all the gormenghast characters had that affect on me - a sort of intruiged revulsion, if that makes sense.

*ceases gibberish*

i'll have to get the trilogy to read now, although it's going to be added to a fairly large (and ever-growing) "to read" pile. :) :) :)