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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: 2HourHiatus on 28 Dec 2007, 11:00

Title: Titus Groan
Post by: 2HourHiatus on 28 Dec 2007, 11:00
About a couple months ago I started reading this trilogy by Mervyn Peake. The first book is Titus Groan, and now I'm the second, Gormenghast. They are some of the best books ever written in my opinion. Anyone else ever read them? Honestly, I have never met another person who has.
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: SonofZ3 on 28 Dec 2007, 15:17
The Gornmenghast series is great! My father introduced them to me, and they remain a favorite. Some years ago, I can't remember exactly how many, PBS had a British made TV miniseries of Gormenghast. It wasn't the best, but it was ok. Check out the two volume work "The Night Land" and "The Night Land II" by William Hope Hodgson, it is a serious cult favorite of a number of people, like the Gormenghast Trilogy.
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: Tom on 29 Dec 2007, 12:05
The first book is Titus Groan, and now I'm the second, Gormenghast.

How did you become the second?
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: Inlander on 29 Dec 2007, 19:47
The Gormenghast trilogy is magnificent. Among many other fine qualities, it's a perfect example of writing style in and of itself capturing perfectly the world the books describe: even ignoring what the writing is saying, just taken on a purely stylistic level it's immediately evocative of the simultaneous haughtiness and baroque decay that forms the backdrop to the books. However, the third and final book is a significant step down in quality from the two other books.

In 2007 there was a T.V. miniseries made from the first two books. It was almost universally dreadful, and utterly failed to capture the mood of the books - with the possible exception of Jonathan Rhys Meyers' performance as Steerpike.
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: SonofZ3 on 29 Dec 2007, 20:29
I entirely agree with the the feeling of dissapointment in the third book, though I think that part of that feeling was due to my infatuation with the world inside the walls of Gormenghast Castle, and not the quality of the writing. Now I'll have to read them again =) When I'm done with my Tolstoy kick...
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: Phaedra on 13 Jan 2008, 19:24
YES! Other people who have read these! I have tried to force them upon everyone I know, with varying levels of success. Most people I tried found them unreadable, alas.
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: SonofZ3 on 13 Jan 2008, 19:34
I have a hard enough time forcing "Blsde Runner" on people, and its a movie =/ I've mostly given up trying to get people to read specific books. Except Siddhartha, I still try to get people to read that book.
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: Phaedra on 13 Jan 2008, 19:36
People don't like Blade Runner? What is wrong with people?
Title: Re: Titus Groan
Post by: SonofZ3 on 14 Jan 2008, 16:13
My old roomie and I used to sit around and drink Stoli while discussing Blade Runner. My new roomie hasn't seen it, or any of the Godfather movies.