Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (English) Paperback Book

Description: Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake As the first novel opens, Titus, heir to Lord Sepulchrave, has just been born: he stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that stand for Gormenghast Castle. Inside, all events are predetermined by a complex ritual, lost in history, understood only by Sourdust, Lord of the Library. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A brilliantly sustained flight of gothic imagination; the first of the bestselling Gormenghast trilogy.Gormenghast is, to my mind and to my taste, a perfect creation Neil GaimanWelcome to the world of Gormenghast, the classic fantasy series from the imagination of Mervyn PeakeAs the first novel opens, Titus, heir to Lord Sepulchrave, has just been born- he stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that stand for Gormenghast Castle. Inside, all events are predetermined by a complex ritual, lost in history, understood only by Sourdust, Lord of the Library. There are tears and strange laughter; fierce births and deaths beneath umbrageous ceilings; dreams and violence and disenchantment contained within a labyrinth of stone.A gorgeous volcanic eruption... A work of extraordinary imagination New Yorker Notes A brilliantly sustained flight of gothic imagination; the first of the bestselling Gormenghast trilogy. Author Biography Mervyn Peake was born in 1911 in Kuling, Central Southern China, where his father was a medical missionary. His education began in China and then continued at Eltham College in South East London, followed by the Croydon School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools. Subsequently he became an artist, married the painter Maeve Gilmore in 1937 and had three children. During the Second World War he established a reputation as a gifted book illustrator for Ride a Cock Horse (1940), The Hunting of the Snark (1941), and The Rime of The Ancient Mariner (1943). Titus Groan was published in 1946, followed in 1950 by Gormenghast. Among his other works are Shapes and Sounds (1941), Rhymes Without Reason (1944), Letters from a Lost Uncle (1948) and Mr Pye (1953). He also wrote a number of plays including The Wit to Woo (1957), which was met by critical failure. Titus Alone was published in 1959. Mervyn Peake died in 1968. Review "Mr Peakes first novel holds one with its glittering eye - It has a genuine plot in the strictest sense, and it persuades you to read on simply in order to know what will happen - its gallery of characters is wonderful" Nation "A gorgeous volcanic eruption... A work of extraordinary imagination" New Yorker "The Gormenghast Trilogy is one of the most important works of the imagination to come out of [this] age" -- Anthony Burgess Spectator Promotional A brilliantly sustained flight of gothic imagination; the first of the bestselling Gormenghast trilogy. Kirkus US Review A ponderous effort in Gothic fantasy, overlong, obscure, and only rarely lightened by any measure of the inventive talent that might redeem it. A sombre, night-marish book, with a strange and serie tale set in a vacuum of place and time. The scene is the ancient seat of the house of Groan, wherein a tragic Earl rules, or fails to rule, his household, his wife, surrounded by her snow-white cats, her magpie and raven and rook and owl, his chief servant, Mr. Flay; Swelter, the huge, sadistic head cook and his minion; the librarian Sourdust and his crippled son, both dour ancients, ; the curator, the nurse, first to his fey? daughter, then to the newborn heir who gives the name to the book. Outside the castle are the whinnying Dr. Prunesquallor, Steerpike, once kitchen apprentice, now on his own search for power, the old twin aunts, vengeful and bitter, and the strange people who submit their carvings once a year for the Earls approval. The story covers a year in the life of the newborn babe, punctuated by strange rituals, by Steerpikes climb to power, by the Earls disappearance, and by the saga of Keda, the wet nurse. Perhaps the most interesting character is Fuschia, the daughter, but even she is not much more than a gleam in the authors eye. A difficult book, impossible to place, and very limited in its appeal. (Kirkus Reviews) Prizes Runner-up for The BBC Big Read Top 100 2003 Review Text Mr Peakes first novel holds one with its glittering eye - It has a genuine plot in the strictest sense, and it persuades you to read on simply in order to know what will happen - its gallery of characters is wonderful Review Quote Mr Peakes first novel holds one with its glittering eye - It has a genuine plot in the strictest sense, and it persuades you to read on simply in order to know what will happen - its gallery of characters is wonderful Promotional "Headline" A brilliantly sustained flight of gothic imagination; the first of the bestselling Gormenghast trilogy. Details ISBN0749394927 Author Mervyn Peake Series Gormenghast trilogy Year 1998 ISBN-10 0749394927 ISBN-13 9780749394929 Format Paperback Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 823.912 Illustrations illustrations Media Book Language English Pages 496 Publisher Vintage Publishing Publication Date 1998-02-05 Imprint Vintage Classics DOI 10.1604/9780749394929 Series Number 1 UK Release Date 1998-02-05 AU Release Date 1998-02-05 NZ Release Date 1998-02-05 Edited by Eric Rasmussen Birth 1939 Affiliation both Research Scientists, Batelle Columbus Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio Position both Research Scientists Qualifications PhD Audience General Alternative 9781409007074 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:1124893;

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