Gormenghast: Difference between revisions
m
clean up, replaced: Big Lipped Alligator Moment → Non Sequitur Scene
m (update links) |
m (clean up, replaced: Big Lipped Alligator Moment → Non Sequitur Scene) |
||
Line 2:
A series by Mervyn Peake made of the novels ''Titus Groan'', ''Gormenghast'', and ''Titus Alone'' and the lesser-known novella "Boy In Darkness", which [[Interquel|take place sometime before the second book]]. They are fantasy and take place in an [[The Verse|imaginary world]] but do not have any elves, dragons, magic, or [[Patchwork Map]]. They focus on [[Dysfunction Junction|a group of weird and horrible people]] who live inside a [[City in a Bottle|huge castle with an apparently self-sustaining structure and no contact with the outside world other than a few villages, some lakes, and a mountain]].
Titus Groan, the 77th Earl of Groan, is the ruler of '''Gormenghast''', the eponymous castle. He dreads the long life before him, a life of ruling a single building, never leaving the moth-eaten, rusted-shut, claustrophobic, crumbling halls of pointless, decaying ritual. The castle/city's other inhabitants include the [[Magnificent Bastard]] [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] [[Anti-Hero]] (or [[Anti-Villain]]) terrorist Steerpike, Titus's sister [[Broken Bird|Fuchsia]], the good Dr Prunesquallor, [[Evil Chef|chef Abiatha Swelter]], Titus's gloomy father [[Meaningful Name|Sepulchrave]], and Titus's mother Gertrude, the original [[Crazy Cat Lady]].
The novels are ''very'' gloomy, disguising their actually fairly left-handed place on the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]. They have been described variously as [[This Is Your Premise on Drugs|Dickens on acid]], an Edward Gorey drawing that goes on for a thousand pages, Kafka mainlining Yorkshire pudding and opium, and a [[Darker and Edgier]] Shakespeare. They are also cluttered and sprawling in a way that few major authors have managed to get away with before or since. The physical clutter of Gormenghast's sprawling castle and spiritual clutter of pointless custom and ritual are all lovingly described, sometimes at great length. In addition, there are [[
The series should have been the first three in a series which should have followed the protagonist's entire life; sadly Peake's rapidly-evolving Parkinson disease prevented this goal from being realized; the fourth novel would have been entitled "Titus Awakes" and a fragment of it is said to have been penned by Peake before he became totally incapacitated, along with a list of events which would have taken place in the following volumes. It has since been found and edited by Peake's daughter, and published June 2011.
Line 14:
Brian Sibley adapted the books for BBC [[radio]] ''twice'' - the first time also adapting the first two books as separate plays, the second as a series, ''The History of Titus Groan'', adapting the entire trilogy.
* [[Affably Evil]]: Steerpike {{spoiler|at first...}}
Line 61:
* [[Incendiary Exponent]]: Steerpike seems to do a lot of important things while on fire {{spoiler|as does Muzzlehatch}}.
* [[Interesting Situation Duel]] Flay and Swelter have it out on the flooded, cobweb covered attic.
* [[Judge, Jury, and Executioner]]: The Masters of
* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: Fifty-five major characters and many more bit parts.
* [[Love Martyr]]: Fuchsia all the way.
| |||