Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

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Submitted by Brys 
(Aug 30, 2005)

This is a spectacular fantasy novel about the castle, Gormenghast, and it's eccentric inhabits. Not only does Peake show descriptive powers beyond any other author, without exception, but he also manages to provide an intriguing, fast moving novel. His skill at creating atmosphere is unmatched, and he endears you to his original, almost Dickensian characters. The protagonist, Steerpike, is a complex, well thought out character, one who is repulsive, yet who you feel sympathy for. Each character has both good and evil to them, as real people do. Yet Peake perfectly understands that people are produced by their environment - hence his ability to realistically portray his characters. The plot is genuinely surprising in the way few fantasy novels today are. It is the true classic of the fantasy genre, clearly ahead of the overrated Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Titus Alone is the weakest of the three, but still miles ahead of most fantasy written. The move from Gormenghast is at first difficult to grasp, but easier to accept as it goes on. Here Peake is able to show his true mastery of characterisation, proving that there is no simple answer for Titus, that the real world is not the world he seeks and it is not much better than his ancestral home, and often he is ungrateful, even irritating, almost an anti-hero in this novel.

PS I originally placed this under Titus Alone, which was a mistake, sorry.