the gormenghast trilogy
Stupid overblown irrelevant descriptions of the minutiae of the process for cleaning dirt off kitchen walls by a team of servants who have been doing it for generations or sunlight shinning in dusty rooms. Along with numerous asides that go on for pages that are nothing to do with the plot. It makes Lord of the Rings look like it was written in bullet points it's THAT waffly.
(sittingduck Attention seeking, bullshitting fuck-knuckle, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:41, 9 replies)

Agreed
Mervyn Peake apparently felt that the best way to convey a slow and turgid existence was via the medium of slow and turgid prose.
( .Yeti. El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:44, closed)

yup
and that fucking useless shitcunt Jonathan Rhys Meyers made the TV adaptation un-watchable
( bigmeuprudeboy is using powerpoint or paint...have MERCY, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:53, closed)

you shut up.
the tv adaptation is fantastic.
( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:59, closed)

But that's exactly the point
The style does reinforce the feeling of the place. If you read the 3rd book you see it's completely different. These books are the only ones that I just keep coming back to and reading and re-reading over and over again. Genius. Find out about Peake's early life - it explains a lot about how he ended up defining this bizarre place.
(Smale is stuffed, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 15:55, closed)

my mum named me after a character in those books
I was lucky I was not a girl or I would of been called Fuchsia
( sutit only the crumbliest, flakiest posts, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 17:50, closed)

Instead you're called Steerpike

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Sat 7 Jan 2012, 10:39, closed)

No
Abiatha Swelter surely.

Oh and the third volume is mainly Alzheimer induced bilge if you ask me. The first two are superb though.
(unclestinky, Sun 8 Jan 2012, 11:19, closed)

Strike that last
I prefer to believe there's an adult walking the earth called Prunesquallor
(unclestinky, Sun 8 Jan 2012, 12:58, closed)

You should probably avoid reading Proust then.
Imho, Gormenghast is a masterpiece. Books one & two, at least. Which I've reread many times.
Respectfully meant: You're completely missing the point of the book.
( Tab Hunter Make this useless process end and so, begin again, Sun 8 Jan 2012, 13:16, closed)