Gormenghast

Among the many great worlds that have sprung forth from an author's imagination, one of the most memorable for me has to be Gormenghast, the vast, labyrinthine castle which for untold generations has served as the seat of the House of Groan. The architect of this castle was the British author Mervyn Peake, who used it as the primary setting for his Gormenghast series, consisting of three books and a novella (which I must admit, I haven't read), originally published between 1946 and 1959. Out of the novels, the first two; Titus Groan and Gormenghast are by far the best ones and so, they're the ones I've chosen to focus on in this post. The third book, Titus Alone, which takes place in the world outside the castle, is not bad, but is not quite on the same level as its magnificent predecessors.

Titus Groan begins with the birth of its eponymous character, Titus, who is one day to succeed his father's place as the earl of Gormenghast. Despite the fact that the book carries his name, Titus himself is really more of a plot-device than a character, owing to the fact that he remains an infant throughout it all. Instead, Peake turns the reader's attention to the other inhabitants of the castle, introducing us to one of the greatest ensemble casts in all literature. There are the other members of the House of Groan: Sepulchrave, the seventy-sixth earl, a melancholy man who finds happiness only among his books. His wife, countess Gertrude, who seem to care only for the birds and cats she keeps as pets. Their first-born child, Fuchsia, the romantic and dreamer (incidentally, I can't help but wonder if George R.R. Martin had Fuchsia in mind when he came up with Sansa Stark?). Other characters include the twins Clarice and Cora, who resents their brother Sepulchrave and dreams of seizing power themselves, but lack the capability to do so. Flay, the loyal servant and Swelter, the monstrous chef, who both harbor an intense hatred for one another. Dr. Prunesquallor, who serves as a sort of father figure to Fuchsia (the relationship between these two characters is my favorite in the books) and whose eccentric mannerisms, hide a sharp mind. Oh, and then there's Steerpike, the young man who worms himself into the twins' confidence, promising to raise them to glory, while in reality, he sees them only as stepping stones on his own path to supreme power.

With its strange, sometimes dreamlike atmosphere and vividly drawn characters, Titus Groan makes for an utterly compelling journey into a fascinating setting.

The second book, titled simply Gormenghast, begins seven years after the end of Titus Groan, with Titus himself now a character in his own right. During the course of ten years, we follow Titus as he grows from a schoolboy to a young man, his education courtesy of some of the least competent teachers in all of fiction. Meanwhile, a creature haunts the castle, terrifying its inhabitants and Steerpike continues his climb to the top, no matter what the cost to himself or others.
In Gormenghast, Peake takes everything that was good about the first book and improves upon it, creating a true masterpiece that stands as one of the greatest novels I've ever read. All the characters from Titus Groan (excluding those who died during the course of that novel) are back and are as memorable as ever. Peake serves the reader both moments of comedy, worthy of Wodehouse (or maybe Pratchett would be a more apt comparison, given the genre), as well as scenes of the most intense drama, making Gormenghast one of those books in which one is never quite sure what to expect next.

Gormenghast ends with Titus breaking with his birthright and the despised castle traditions (seeing as how the title of the next novel is Titus Alone, this reveal can hardly be considered a spoiler) and venturing out into the World. Here, the story could very well have ended and personally, I would've been fine with that. However, Peake had more stories featuring his hero in mind. Unfortunately, he was only able to write one more of them, before passing away at the age of 57. That said, the Gormenghast books ensure that his name will always have a place among the great authors.

The Gormenghast books may not be for everyone (than again, what is?), a certain patience being required from the reader. However, I strongly urge anyone who hasn't done so yet, to enter the enormous castle of Peake's imagination and walk through its cobweb-infested hallways. And, if you've already done that? Well, some places are worth re-visiting.