Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Title: Titus Groan 
Author: Mervyn Peake 
Type: Novel 
Genre: Fantasy of Manners 
Series: Yes. Volume 1 of "The Gormenghast Trilogy" 
Pages: 543 
Copyright: 1967 
Publisher: Ballantine Books, Inc. 
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary: From GoodReads.
Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative Titus Groan, a darkly humorous, stunningly complex tale of the first two years in the life of the heir to an ancient, rambling castle. The Gormenghast royal family, the castle's decidedly eccentric staff, and the peasant artisans living around the dreary, crumbling structure make up the cast of characters in this engrossing story. Peake's command of language and unique style set the tone and shape of an intricate, slow-moving world of ritual and stasis.

Feelings:
If there was ever an author worthy of being jealous of their vocabulary Mervyn Peake would be that author. There really isn't that much that happens during this novel but the writing style is such that pages may be dedicated to a drop of water. One of the characters is described as garrulous and it fits the book as well.

The writing takes some getting used to. Having a dictionary handy doesn't hurt. Peake does at times create words but those are ones that are easy to define thankfully.

The entire book takes place over the first 18 months of Titus' life. The plot of the book is almost flat at times but it does move forward over the course of the novel. The characters are quirky, spiteful, devious, and gullible. Rather than plot moving the story forward I would say it is the characters thoughts and lack of action that give the story some forward motion.

It was not often that Flay approved of happiness in others. He saw in happiness the seeds of independence, and in independence the seeds of revolt. But on an occasion such as this it was different, for the spirit of convention was being rigorously adhered to, and in between his ribs Mr. Flay experienced twinges of pleasure. (p. 17)

Convention and following it creates character interaction and brings together characters that otherwise would not meet. It is something that is begrudgingly followed by some and joyously by others. 

This is a book that I am not sure I would recommend to just anyone. It is odd and verbose, both qualities that make it hard to say who will like it and who will not. I would recommend it to those that really like language and words, not because of the story but because of the use of words. I would recommend it to those who search out the odd books and enjoy them. This is not to say that either group will really enjoy this novel. I am still largely undecided as to whether I will read the next in the trilogy or not. I did enjoy the novel but it wasn't exactly an exciting read.