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Ryan's Reviews > Titus Groan
Titus Groan (Gormenghast, #1)
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The Good:
Absolutely wonderful prose, and I’m generally not a fan of the literary stuff. This story is incredibly atmospheric � from the suffocating oppression of the setting to the enormous tragicomic characters. I felt like I was watching rather than reading. Also, there is a multitude of cats.
The Bad:
It was a mile high stack of metaphors, like a book overfull of similes. My periods of horrified fascination were separated by too frequent episodes of boredom, as the characters just walked around doing things. The story itself lacked meaning, at least to my lizard brain.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
There are two protagonists in this work, diametrically opposed. Like Rachel, Steerpike is charming, ambitious and manipulative. Mr Flay is surly like Chandler, and also gets very physical with a chef.
Absolutely wonderful prose, and I’m generally not a fan of the literary stuff. This story is incredibly atmospheric � from the suffocating oppression of the setting to the enormous tragicomic characters. I felt like I was watching rather than reading. Also, there is a multitude of cats.
The Bad:
It was a mile high stack of metaphors, like a book overfull of similes. My periods of horrified fascination were separated by too frequent episodes of boredom, as the characters just walked around doing things. The story itself lacked meaning, at least to my lizard brain.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
There are two protagonists in this work, diametrically opposed. Like Rachel, Steerpike is charming, ambitious and manipulative. Mr Flay is surly like Chandler, and also gets very physical with a chef.
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Titus Groan.
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Reading Progress
August 26, 2016
–
Started Reading
August 26, 2016
– Shelved
September 22, 2016
–
Finished Reading
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Paul
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 22, 2016 03:26AM
You would know the writer of this was also an artist. As you said its almost feels like you're watching it.
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I am in awe of his talent Paul.
It can get a bit much from time to time reading, and the next book in the series is a monster but still some read
I'm glad I read this one but I suspect I would enjoy the next one much less.
I liked book 2 but book 3 is a bit too odd.
Apparently Titus is the protagonist in book two. Is he a good guy? How old is he in it?
Its pretty much childhood to adulthood so covers from school age 6 I think to 16 or 17.
Ryan wrote: "I'm glad I read this one but I suspect I would enjoy the next one much less."The second one is similar, but with rather more humour and the dark aspects are darker. It's the third that is utterly different (and mostly set outside Gormenghast, written when Peake was impaired by various mental and medical problems and horrific treatment for them). When you've read the second one, you will certainly not see Steerpike as Rachel!
Does he become more Joey Tribbiani? "How *you* doin'?"I don't see it.
I think you'll struggle to find a Friends character like Steerpike, but I watch and wait with interest...
Steerpike wouldn't fit , think we'll need a new TV series to categorize him. The BBC did a series that covers the first two books of this
You mean the Office, Paul? I don't really see him as Gareth.
Not quite :-) They actually adapted the Gormenghast books with Steerpike played quite well in them
Oh yeah I see it was the guy from Bend it Like Beckham. Very appropriate.
Didn't like him in the Tudors but he does a good job here
Ryan wrote: "Oh yeah I see it was the guy from Bend it Like Beckham. Very appropriate."I'm not familiar with the film, other than its title, but I doubt the character is much like Steerpike. See what you think after the second book.
Rhys-Myers other well-known role is probably Woody Allen's Match Point, alongside Scarlett Johansonn.
I'd actually forgotten he was in that. And I should be rooting for my fellow Irishman. ;-)
I am impressed you finished it Ryan. I had to give up on it. Partly I think because I was listening to it on audio and the boring passages are even more tedious when you can't speed read them. One day I will try reading it again only in print next time.
Life's too short Phrynne. I just spent three months ploughing through Ulysses. I didn't even get a certificate.
Ryan wrote: "...I just spent three months ploughing through Ulysses. I didn't even get a certificate."You did. But you just haven't collected it yet. It's waiting: .
Cheers Cecily. It'll go on the wall next to my employee of the month awards.
Never got the Ulysses thing. Painful stuff. They make a huge deal of it in dublin but I just hate the damned thing
The worst thing was I could see the brilliance involved. I just really didn't enjoy it.
Ryan wrote: "The worst thing was I could see the brilliance involved. I just really didn't enjoy it."That's frustrating - but I'm sure you have a huge pile of books you're sure you want to read, so try not to feel bad about it, and focus on them.
I've been curious about Gormenghast for quite a while, but I fear I might find it slow going. After reading your review I think I'll move it down my to-read queue a bit.
I feel similar to how I felt when I've done some hard physical training - glad I did it, but extremely disinclined to do it again.
Scott wrote: "I've been curious about Gormenghast for quite a while, but I fear I might find it slow going..."Much as I love it, I would never describe it as fast-going. Its merit is in language, character, and imagery, not action, and not really even plot.
