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  <id>100745</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Titus Groan]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[1585679070]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9781585679072]]></isbn13>
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  <description><![CDATA[An undisputed classic of epic fantasy, Mervyn Peake's  Gormenghast novels represent one of the most brilliantly sustained flights  of Gothic imagination.  For the first time in years, <em>Titus Groan</em>,  the first book in this timeless series, is available in an individual  paperback volume, complete with striking new packaging. <p><p>As the novel opens, Titus, heir to Lord Sepulchrave, has just been  born.  He stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that  form Gormenghast Castle.  Inside, all events are predetermined by a complex  ritual whose origins are lost in history and the castle is peopled by dark  characters in half-lit corridors.  Dreamlike and macabre, Peake's  extraordinary novel is one of the most astonishing and fantastic works in  modern English fiction.</p></p>]]></description>
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  <original_publication_year type="integer">1946</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)</original_title>
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  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.99]]></average_rating>
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  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>22018</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Mervyn Peake]]></name>
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    <average_rating>4.00</average_rating>
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      <review>
  <id>57630896</id>
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    <id>84023</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Keely]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Belleville, NJ]]></location>
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  <isbn>3452351851</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.25</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>40</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Verbose, poetic Gothic fantasy with splashes of dark humor. Amazing use of language. Unforgettable characters.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu May 28 11:30:28 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 12 20:34:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[ 	  The Gormenghast books are considered to be the beginning of the 'mannerpunk' genre, and along with Tolkien, Moorecock, and Howard, Peake is one of the fathers of the modern Fantasy genre. Mannerpunk is a genre typified by complex psychology, plots driven by character interaction, and a strong se...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57630896">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57630896]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57630896]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>32239868</id>
    <user>
    <id>1479980</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Isil]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[France]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">4577189</id>
  <isbn>2752901429</isbn>
  <isbn13>9782752901422</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus d'Enfer]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.50</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>2</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="xxe" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Sep 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 07 06:52:20 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 01 07:01:53 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[     Titus d’Enfer ne pouvait être écrit que par un anglais. Cette folie, ce côté « over-the-top » (la bataille épique entre Lenflure, le gros cuisinier, et Craclosse, le serviteur squelettique est un grand moment) se situent dans la tradition britannique et parfois, les personnages m’ont...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32239868">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32239868]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32239868]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>23584834</id>
    <user>
    <id>90686</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Laura]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Oxford, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/90686-laura]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1179691570p3/90686.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.97</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>586</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jun 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 03 01:58:00 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 13 22:20:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Well, that took forever. When someone (don't ask me who) said that this was a giant of the fantasy genre, I thought &quot;Well, I should give this a try.&quot; Freaking A. Talk about boring. And dull. And excessively long.<br/>Plot? Sure there was one. I just didn't seem to care all that much about...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23584834">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23584834]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23584834]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>23324003</id>
    <user>
    <id>1199525</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Cecily]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Buckinghamshire, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1199525-cecily]]></link>
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  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 30 13:04:49 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 13 15:21:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Whimsical, detailed, leisurely, poignant, vivid, gothic, caricatures (but believable, not surreal). Amazingly detailed descriptions, and extraordinarily extended metaphors, especially of characters' faces, skin and other physical features and of candles and their drips! Not afraid to go off on a len...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23324003">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23324003]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23324003]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>16230209</id>
    <user>
    <id>937473</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Phil]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/937473-phil-smith]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Nov 05 00:00:00 -0800 1997</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Feb 24 04:20:01 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Feb 24 04:44:06 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<p>Certain books have got me through various phases of my life. My first year at high school, fraught with all its just-pre-pubescent worries? <em>1984</em>. The fourth and fifth years, replete with exams and adolescent frustration? Terry Pratchett's <em>Discworld</em> books. Michael Moorcock saw me through the wilderne...</p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16230209">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16230209]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16230209]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1816589</id>
    <user>
    <id>119192</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Aaron]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/119192-aaron]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Lovers of description]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 10 05:27:49 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 06 09:24:29 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[  This is at heart, a ridiculous book.  Most of the reviews you read about it refer to it as some kind of quintessential Gothic novel.  It's hard for me to classify it as such when the action takes place in a world that is so obviously not our own.  It seems to me that although he was following many...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1816589">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1816589]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1816589]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20303709</id>
    <user>
    <id>285596</id>
    <name><![CDATA[John]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="2009" />
        <shelf name="sf-fantasy" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 16 11:10:55 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Mar 21 09:25:12 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Like Moby Dick - or even Lolita - Titus Groan uses a poetic, highly personalized, almost extravagant and over the top prose style to depict grotesque, extreme people going about dark, absurd things.  Peake’s characters and the world they live in seem like Gorey or Kubin drawings brought to life, a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20303709">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20303709]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20303709]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>47591602</id>
    <user>
    <id>123686</id>
    <name><![CDATA[lowercase]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Diego, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/123686-lowercase]]></link>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="books-i-almost-love" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 26 08:54:46 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 26 09:10:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[i have a kind of love/hate relationship with this series; it's sort of like reading an extended gahan wilson cartoon, and i adore gahan wilson but part of his brilliance is in his brevity.  the gormenghast novels go on and on and on (and on, and on):  an excercise in outrageousness, where nothing mu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47591602">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47591602]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47591602]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>53710587</id>
    <user>
    <id>750368</id>
    <name><![CDATA[maricar]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/750368-maricar]]></link>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">258415</id>
  <isbn>0749394927</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780749394929</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173212249m/258415.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173212249s/258415.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/258415.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.83</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>29</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="classics" />
        <shelf name="favorites" />
        <shelf name="series" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Apr 23 08:40:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 23 09:20:16 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Lose yourself in this teaser of a story…<br/><br/>*<em>damn, it feels so good to discover another favorite...</em>* <br/><br/>It’s been a while since an author was able to paint a wholly different world across his pages that, before I knew it, I was hooked. And certainly even before the last page, I ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53710587">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53710587]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53710587]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>53085083</id>
    <user>
    <id>282908</id>
    <name><![CDATA[David]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/282908-david]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Apr 17 20:23:56 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Apr 17 20:25:43 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A good hand overplayed.  The first of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast books, “Titus Groan” chronicles the beginning of what seems to be the decline of the ancient House of Groan, lords of Gormenghast castle.  Peake daringly adopts a heavy, antiquated style; the language is consistently extravagant,...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53085083">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53085083]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53085083]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>60070605</id>
    <user>
    <id>1036930</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tempe, AZ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1036930-michael]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1252591627p3/1036930.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="classics" />
        <shelf name="fantasy-scifi" />
        <shelf name="five-stars" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 17 13:36:10 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jun 27 14:28:20 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I couldn't decide whether this should be a four-star book or a five-star book.  Then, I realized that I got everything out of this book that I want out of a fantasy novel.  I suppose that means it should get five stars, right?<br/><br/>This book has the utterly compelling and original setting of G...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60070605">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60070605]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60070605]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>30397799</id>
    <user>
    <id>387920</id>
    <name><![CDATA[hawkeye]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/387920-hawkeye]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1215714118p3/387920.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1995</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 17 15:09:13 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 17 15:13:05 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[One of the few books I've read twice.  Exceptionally literate and engaging fantasy.  Reading this helped Tolkien recede into the background of my fantasy reading life.  If you're interested in improving your vocabulary, this is one way.  Wonderful characters, dark, obsessive, bizzare.  I didn't make...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30397799">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30397799]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30397799]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>79739753</id>
    <user>
    <id>1930917</id>
    <name><![CDATA[James]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Spanish Fork, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1930917-james]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1251822309p3/1930917.jpg]]></image_url>
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  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1161302</id>
  <isbn>3452351851</isbn>
  <isbn13 nil="true"></isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">9</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207502265m/1161302.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207502265s/1161302.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1161302.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Verbose, poetic Gothic fantasy with splashes of dark humor. Amazing use of language. Unforgettable characters.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 03 02:54:59 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 03 03:06:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I began reading this series because it was referenced in a song by The Cure. Really glad I did. This first book is very good, though sometimes overly descriptive. Very colorful and quirky characers make it worth wading through a few minorly boring bits. These books are grouped with the fantasy genre...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79739753">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79739753]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79739753]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>47453165</id>
    <user>
    <id>2070224</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Robert]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Saint Louis, MO]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Mar 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 24 21:26:08 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Mar 05 08:19:57 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The author paints an amazing picture for the read with interesting characters and intricate landscapes. There is just enough ambiguity to allow a reader to use their imagination but enough information to let you know what's going on. An interesting aspect of the books that there is not really any on...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47453165">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47453165]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47453165]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1828889</id>
    <user>
    <id>113956</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mark]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/113956-mark-kreider]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">1161302</id>
  <isbn>3452351851</isbn>
  <isbn13 nil="true"></isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">9</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207502265m/1161302.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207502265s/1161302.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1161302.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Verbose, poetic Gothic fantasy with splashes of dark humor. Amazing use of language. Unforgettable characters.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1987</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 10 16:17:27 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 10 16:19:48 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Verbose, poetic Gothic fantasy with splashes of dark humor. Amazing use of language. Unforgettable characters.<br/><br/>This is the first volume of a trilogy. Follow up with <em>Gormenghast</em> but skip the third book, <em>Titus Alone.</em>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1828889]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1828889]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45457669</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
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  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 05 09:06:30 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 05 09:11:50 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Where to start?  I had a hard time liking this book at the start but the story and characters really grab you.  You have to be able to get through the fact that the story moves very slowly, with all the attention on character development and mood.  The story is very wordy, and has some killer vocabu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45457669">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45457669]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45457669]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55434775</id>
    <user>
    <id>1076598</id>
    <name><![CDATA[bea]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri May 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 08 19:44:53 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 08 19:52:42 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[At first I thought I wasn't the intended audience for this book--like, say, one of the graphic novels my 17-year-old daughter tries to get me to read (&quot;Hellboy&quot;? Hell, no!). Then I started to appreciate that the queer characters in this book can be understood as human archetypes, as if Dic...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55434775">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55434775]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55434775]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>67747666</id>
    <user>
    <id>1567747</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Henry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1567747-henry]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Aug 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Aug 17 10:09:23 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 17 10:22:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The first 30 or so pages I found hilarious (Anthony Burgess found them terrifying) in their atmosphere of degradation, misery, and grime. After that the going got slow: funny or awful, the reader can only take so much lengthy description of every little thing as depressing and every person as depres...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67747666">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67747666]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67747666]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40582184</id>
    <user>
    <id>712285</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Galloway, OH]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/712285-brian-steed]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1198515048p3/712285.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">39063</id>
  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311s/39063.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 21 06:07:23 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 21 06:09:57 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I’d never heard of Peake when I found this in a bookshop in North Carolina, while visiting a friend.  I seriously couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Peake wrote the most vivid and rich prose I’ve ever read—some of his descriptions are like intricate word paintings—and he applied this sk...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40582184">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40582184]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40582184]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>56390389</id>
    <user>
    <id>786611</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Marius]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[South Africa]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/786611-marius-van-blerck]]></link>
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    <book>
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  <isbn>0879514256</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780879514259</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">94</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1)]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169251311m/39063.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39063.Titus_Groan</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>745</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative <em>Titus Groan</em>, 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:  <blockquote> The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling.   </blockquote>  Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but <em>Titus Groan</em> is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded. <em>--Therese Littleton</em> ]]>
  </description>
  <published>1946</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun May 17 12:47:54 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun May 17 23:19:16 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I first read this work by Mervyn Peake many years ago, and it (together with the other two volumes of the Gormenghast trilogy) made a lasting impression. The trilogy is strongly influenced by the darker elements of Dickens, Kafka, Lewis Carroll and the Brothers Grimm. It is tempting to mention Tolki...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56390389">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56390389]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56390389]]></link>
</review>
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  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
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</book_link>
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