Art of Gormenghast

by Estelle Daniel, Mervyn Peake (Illustrator)

Defying imitation, dreamlike and visionary, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy occupies a unique place in modern English fiction. Now, for the first time, Peake’s fantastic work of imagination has been brought to life in a dazzling production for the BBC. Written by Estelle Daniel, whose creative force as producer has contributed to the realization of Gormenghast as an unprecedented event in television, this illustrated companion sheds light on every facet of the Gormenghast story. From the strange genius of Peake, whose deeply affecting experiences in feudal China and World War II gave birth to the Gormenghast legend, to the reality of the production, The Art of Gormenghast is a stunning guide to this landmark series.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Film

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2001

Reviews

[Muzzlehatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the "Gormenghast" books by Mervyn Peake back in the 1990s and their spell has never left me. Comparable in some ways to the Gothics like Mary Shelley and William Beckford, to macabre artists like Poe and Baudelaire, and to the density of the fully realized and very English Victorian world of Dickens - but as distinct as any of them and very much a personal reaction to the changing modern world and the stuffiness of English class and monarchy, they remain to my mind one of the great achievements of 20th century British fiction. So I was both pleased and a little uneasy at the prospect of a filmed adaptation for the BBC a decade ago; alas the uneasiness turned out to be justified as the brightly-hued and altogether too Masterpiece Theater production didn't, on the whole, work in my opinion - certain spectacular exceptions such as Christopher Lee's perfect Flay aside.

So it's rather surprising I suppose that the art book that accompanies the film should be so much more entertaining. I guess that "art" is the objective word here; what the film failed to do was to bring out the literary art of Peake the writer, and it's bright and flat HD illuminations of Gormenghast castle just don't do justice to the original and idiosyncratic visions of Peake the sketcher of grotesques. Here in this compilation of original Peake art, production designs and sketches for the film, photographs of Tibetan locations, etc, we see what the production team were aiming at, and perhaps failed to get across due as much to budget constraints and filming in video as to any misconceptions. Most of the reproductions, production still and screen shots look much better here than I remember the film looking. The screenplay isn't reproduced, so no more complaints need be made about that.

I'm not crazy about the layout of THE ART OF GORMENGHAST; the first section, a nice-sized bio of Peake, is well-done, and appropriately illustrated with period photos of the artist, his wife, children, etc, along with book jacket reproductions and drawings and sketches of various characters and scenes from the books. After this section a brief critical essay/description of the books and a section on the production design and costumes follow, and then a discussion with the director (Andy Wilson) and a "producer's diary"; the latter seemed quite unnecessary. Interspersed throughout are mostly full-page bios of the principal cast members written by themselves; it would have been nice to have had a bit more from Lee, who knew Peake (and Tolkien for that matter) but overall these bios are done well; filmographies aren't given. I think had the bios been grouped together though, along with portraits of the principal behind-the-camera artists, it would have made it a more attractive and useful package.

Still, on the whole, a worthwhile book for any fan of the writer and the books, even if like me some may not be so partial to the film.

[Faith-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book detailing the Gormenghast mini-series. I got it as a birthday gift a few years back. It's one of my favorite books to thumb through.