Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Titus Groan (Gormenghast, #1)

by Mervyn Peake

'Gormenghast is, to my mind and to my taste, a perfect creation' Neil Gaiman

Welcome to the world of Gormenghast, the classic fantasy series from the imagination of Mervyn Peake

As the first novel opens, Titus, heir to Lord Sepulchrave, has just been born: he stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that stand for Gormenghast Castle. Inside, all events are predetermined by a complex ritual, lost in history, understood only by Sourdust, Lord of the Library. There are tears and strange laughter; fierce births and deaths beneath umbrageous ceilings; dreams and violence and disenchantment contained within a labyrinth of stone.

'A gorgeous volcanic eruption... A work of extraordinary imagination' New Yorker

Reviewed by nightingalereads on

3 of 5 stars

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3.75 stars

Bleak, insightful, and masterfully written. Titus Groan is an utterly unique gothic story, and though it felt pedantic at times, I really enjoyed the world and characters.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 31 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 31 March, 2019: Reviewed