Bookish Matters

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.

—Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Further Genius of Peake

Where is he now? Titus the Abdicator? Come out of the shadows, traitor, and stand upon the wild brink of my brain!

I've started the third of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels, Titus Alone. I've only read the first three or four chapters (very short chapters), but I've read them twice and may read them again. I want to wallow in Peake's words, climb in and inhabit them. The more I read him the more I love him.

1 comment:

  1. I remember writing that quote down many years ago in my little book of quotes (it has since been neglected). Oooh, I should REALLY give Gormenghast another go, though, as you know, I am not much a fan of Titus and thus not much a fan of Titus Alone. But the book definitely has a whole different vibe than the prior two--I remember that I felt like I was thrust through a time-tunnel, ripped from the dust and the dark of some long-ago time to the hot, gleaming starkness of the modern age. But that was many years ago. I will be interested to hear how you progress, what you think.

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