Titus Groan - Mervyn Peake

Titus Groan is the first book in Mervyn Peakes classic Gormenghast trilogy. Although written in the mid twentieth century, it does have more in common with older writers and has a particularly Dickensian feel about it. It is a book of the old school, a slow burning, brooding storyline with rich characterisation and a well thought out background to the whole affair. When you enter the world of Peake, like Tolkien who was writing at the same time, you enter a fully formed world that has its own logic and mechanics, a place that feels like it has existed for ever, the world doesnt just exist for the purpose of the story, the story is just one small part of a much bigger ...  Read the complete review

Mervyn Peake takes the reader into another dimension in ‘Titus Groan’. It is the first part in a magnificent trilogy, an incredible Gothic fantasy that let’s your imagination run away completely. The book is set in a completely different world, similar to our own in many ways and yet very different. As you read further into the novel, you find yourself deeply involved with the plot and the characters. I couldn’t put it down! I enjoyed this book a great deal. It seems a bit weird at first but it really is a work of sheer genius. Read it or you won’t know what you’re missing! ...  Read the complete review