One of my most favorite books of all time. The story begins with the birth of the 77th Earl of Groan, Titus. On the same day, a very determined kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins his ruthless climb up the social ladder of the castle. The first two books are incredibly good but the third is heavily edited and seems unfinished--from what I gather, it's because Peake died before he could finish the novel. However, the first two are well worth it. ( )

The Gormenghast books are considered to be the beginning of the 'mannerpunk' genre, and along with Tolkien, Moorecock, and Howard, Peake is one of the fathers of the modern Fantasy genre. Mannerpunk is a genre typified by complex psychology, plots driven by character interaction, and a strong sense of mood. It is also notable for the characters rather than the world being fantastical. In this sense, mannerpunk, and certainly the Gormenghast books, work in the vein of surrealism (meaning not 'unreal', but 'more than the real'); not unlike the Russian Gogol.

The genre is based upon the works of authors like Jane Austen, the Brontes, Baroness Orczy, Swift, de Cervantes, and Dumas pere.

Peake himself was a polymath, excelling not only as an author, but a poet and artist. In fact, he has works hanging in Britain's National Portrait Gallery. As a poet, he has a mastery of language and conceit that places him above popular 'jingle man' Poe.

This makes him quite unlike Tolkien, whose long stretches of verse tend to be stilted and unfeeling. Then again, Peake is more passionate than than Tory Tolkien.

Despite his mastery of language and evocative characterization, Peake is not an easy read. Indeed, his thick prose and slow pace can quickly tire the mind. Like a skillful chess opponent, Peake demands much of his reader. He is not content to let the reader be a passive escapist, so his work engages and challenges. It would take a great and knowledgeable mind to meet each of these challenges on equal footing, but even we lesser minds may find amusement, shock, and beauty.

Peake's original idea was to chronicle the life of a character from birth to death. The first book deals with infancy. The second takes him into adulthood in a sort of bildungsroman. The third involves the adventures of young adulthood. Unfortunately, Peake's slide into dementia prevented any furthering of this vast and witty trove.

In literature, Peake may have come the closest to completing a book which balances complex psychology, deep character, poetic style, exploration of reality, and a surreal mixture reality and fancy. Peake's books were very audacious, and though he sometimes fails to reach his own lofty ideals, the really remarkable thing is that sometimes, he doesn't. ( )

An amazing gothic feast, a trilogy to savour. The first sees the birth of Titus, the 77th Earl of Gormenghast of the House of Groan, and the rise of the twisted and sly Steerpike, who threatens the rituals and heart of Gormenghast. The second is my favourite, the scene with Irma and the hot water bottle was so funny. The third was disappointing as Titus was removed from the great gothic, magical setting that made the first two brilliant. Overall however, an amazing trilogy. ( )

One little known fact about Alaska is that you can actually see Gormenghast from here.

The first Lord Groan, Lividus the Redd Headd, was a Russian fur trader. His line died out, due to an accidental poisoning involving a crowberry allergy and lascivious pie eating contest in 1763. But the aristocracy was restored by a Brit usurper, Captain Tits, who comandeered a frigate from Cook's fleet, replete with a cargo of breadfruit, and escaped to the remote fjord island of Gormen, north of Ketchikan - arriving, fortuitously, on the eve of Lividus's funeral.

Therein lies a tale, a virgin, and a lying sailor. To be told, when the time comes for telling, as, truthfully, only limeys can...

In any event, the castle, and its many outbuildings, still stand, though in disrepair. An offer was made for the property in the 1980's by the Disney Corporation, along with a generous tender to relocate its citizens to L.A., but the 91st Earl Supperblade rejected it for "obvious reasons - we are not cartoon characters, sirrah!".

The Alaska ferry system for a time provided service to the community, although it was observed few visitors came and none left. But then the A.V. Fuchsia ran aground in 1989, not not long after the Exxon Valdez disaster. A cousin of Lord Sepulchrave was piloting the vessel. Several harbor seals, and a herd of white cats were lost in the incident. The affair was hushed up by the crew, service discontinued, and Gormenghast's ambassador to the Alaska legislature was recalled within the fortnight..

I visited the Main Feasting Hall in 1993, more or less by chance, as I set out on a day hike to Mt. Edgecrumble, and developed hypothermia, and then hyperthermia (hot springs, you see),and then lost my way. Things were NOT much as Titus left them. There was a new Lord named "Tis' Stu". It seems the office of Master of Ritual had devolved to the practice of leaving yellow sticky notes on a communal fridge when there was a "List of things to do! Stu". No one seemed to be mowing the lawn. No cats anywhere.

When the sun sets in the Arctic, there is an hour or two of serenity - a blue period - when the sky and sea exchange identities. Birds swim, fish fly, the rain falls from underground, and clouds mill about like crowds, dreaming of the peaceful world below. At such a time, it is a good thing to be a walrus. And so, I think Titus was correct in his decision to -.Spoiler Alert - ...what was I saying?

The Gormenghast trilogy is a profound metaphor, poetically put, which will be appreciated by only a few, and should be shared by that elite only on an as needed basis with blood relatives, and only with the best of them. That said, I feel I must reveal to you all that I dearly, dearly loved the novels, if in fact they were novels FOR - as I've said earlier - you can actually see Gormenghast from Alaska! ( )

The first two books were brilliant, but the third seemed rather flat. ( )