I liked this book but I will admit it is not going to be for everyone. It moves at a languid pace. The words are as important as any story that is going on. For me it was a lot like reading an over the top fantasy novel that Dickens might have written. Only Dickens made his writing more accessible.

I can see the roots of a lot of writers I really like in this book though (China Mieville for instance). I am glad I finally read it and will work my way through the other books but this is going to be a series I will not read straight through. ( )

I can't even describe how much I loved this book. Peake's use of language was amazing and enthralling and I felt like I was being physically pulled into Gormenghast. Brilliant book. ( )

It's really good fantasy, but it's a sloooow burn. Maybe a bit too slow? The plot is just so all over the place. I'm not normally one to require a strong plot, but this one was a bit tough to get through because of that, and took me almost two months to finish (the longest it's taken me to read a book in a few years).

The prose was incredible, really superbly written. The tone, atmosphere, world/setting was also incredible. Gormenghast is an amazing place with so much history, and Peake gives the perfect amount of detail and backstory for certain things, as well as leaving the perfect amount of mystery. There are many little quirks with the world that leave the reader mystified and interested.

The characters were interesting in their own ways, and unique, but very one dimensional. Very few characters had any kind of growth through the book. Very few of the characters have more depth to them than the descriptions given to them in the first few pages of their introduction. I was blown away with the inventiveness of the characters in the beginning of the book, but found myself quite disappointed with the shallowness by the end.

Overall, I'd still recommend this to anyone who loves classic fantasy (LOTR), or anyone that reads prose-centric books. However be ready for a slow read. ( )

I could never get past the first few chapters until I listened to the audio book. So having passed through the initial curtain of words, this turns out to be quite impressive. Very unique. Bizarre characters, that can be initially off putting, but become more interesting as they are developed. There are any number of truly memorable scenes. The central protagonist Steerpike’s climb up the castle wall and on to the massive roof structure of Gormenghast is the kind of tableau I read fantasy fiction for. The author has an amazing sense of place.
About 50 pages before the end, the major storylines are completed, and the curtain of words drops again. So as much as I was fascinated by this , I’m not in a hurry to start the second novel right away. But I will read it.
Probably very influential on Edward Gorey, and Tim Burton and any number of people. Jack Vance might be influenced by him as well. The mud people that are master artisans of wood carving seems like a Vancian notion.
There is a biographical documentary about Mervyn Peake produced by the BBC that is worth hunting down and watching. A sad, but compelling story. ( )

Amazing form (prose), lackluster content (lacking story) ( )