The Great Gormenghast Read discussion
Titus Groan
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Titus Groan 6 - Chapters after Gone + up to (& inc) Mr Rottcodd (end)
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Earlier in the book, Flay/Peake refers to the Earl as a "symbol of sorrow", which I thought was a little too blunt a statement of symbolism. In this section, they/he do something similar with Keda. I think the statement is far more true of the Earl. Both are pathetic figures, but the Earl is the embodiment of both futility and an earnest desire to accomplish something without any idea of how to do it. The Earl's one concrete attempt to step outside tradition, a gathering to discuss the Breakfast, ends in disaster, most especially for himself. The Earl progresses from a symbol of sorrow to one of despair, and is to my mind by far the saddest figure in the book.Keda, on the other hand, is a figure evoking empathy, but not fundamentally sad. It's arguable that because she brings her fate upon herself (assuming she could have controlled the sudden, unexplained freedom and passion she experienced with her rival lovers), she stands more for sorrow, and the Earl for tragedy. But her story and motivations are not as well developed, and I found her less interesting. It's her latter tale - the summarized departure from the Castle and return to it - that I found enticing. In particular, her death wish and interaction with the Brown Father drew me in. But because it's presented as inevitable, it didn't make me sorry. I was somewhat sad, yes, when she died, but also satisfied that she was doing exactly as she chose - reaching the freedom she had sought.
Flay is to me the most interesting character in this final section. Freed from servitude and the Castle proper, he does surprisingly well in the wilds. The practicalities are glossed over, but his emotional shift is surprisingly smooth, and I liked the way he found a new, and broader, purpose for himself, despite losing the core of his entire existence to date.
Much of the remainder is wrapping up. Interesting, but not fascinating. The Earling itself I found to be fairly dull - there are some fine points of procedure (the tree platforms) to enjoy, but even Titus' unwitting act of rebellion didn't shock or thrill me. I was a little tired (just as Steerpike is) of the twins, and the potential exposure of Steerpike's plotting is just a structural element. This is not, for me, a mystery or thriller. I generally prefer Peake when he is letting things happen (like Keda's death), not trying to build tension. Steerpike's machinations are not really the point - they're just the result of his character, which is the interesting part.
I'd forgotten that the ending takes place from the viewpoint of the Hall of Bright Carvings. By the time we reach it, it's an unsurprising symmetry, and it does provide a nice vantage point. I felt that Peake underscored some of his points a little too heavily, and that he could have given us more credit for realizing that Rottcodd has been left out. But overall, it's effective.
The book overall
I was glad to re-read this. It's a book that's left a strong impression on me, but one that I've only read a couple of times. In part that's because I remember it as being so dense and heavy (though powerful). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually flows quite smoothly, and that while the description and imagery are dense, they're eminently readable.
The book has its strong and weak points, but generally speaking, I liked it almost as much this time as the first time. The images of Gormenghast weren't quite as striking or entrancing as I recall, but in part that's because I was waiting and looking for them - the horse in the rooftop lake in particular. And the re-read did quite a lot to re-establish the Hall of Bright Carvings for me. On watching the BBC series, I knew they'd gotten it wrong, but couldn't quite remember how it should be. I've ended with a happy mix of my own 'corrected' images from the book, and some that the BBC got right, or that were better than mine.
I'm looking forward to the next book!
B. I'm not that far yet, but your comments are so rich in detail, I couldn't help but read them. It just makes me want to read the book more. Thanks for the insight!
In the final chapters I'm finding myself impressed with Dr. Prunesquallor, of all people. His little relationship with Fuchsia is most interesting.This is my second read, the first having come about 15 odd years ago. I'm looking forward to GORMENGHAST in a couple of weeks, but I think I'll need a breather beforehand.
I haven't reached this section yet (or rather, not on this reread), but I like Michael's analysis of the different types of sorrow seen in Sepulchrave and Keda. Of the two, my sympathy has always been stronger for the Earl.I am tempted to quibble about Flay "losing the core of his entire existence to date", though: I think it's an outlet that he loses; the core remains.
Re Flay:"I think it's an outlet that he loses; the core remains."
I don't see it that way. I think Flay, in leaving Gormenghast, though he stays near it, has to re-imagine himself from the ground up. I see his life as centering on the unwavering certainty of his service to the Earl. While he would have been able to transfer that service to Titus, leaving service leaves him also abandoned and without purpose. While Peake doesn't lay it on too thick, I see Flay's wild existence as a near-complete rebirth. We'd never have seen (and never did see) him look at Keda in this way while in the castle. I doubt that he could have. On the mountain, his mind is freed from its constraints, and his spirit has a chance to grow for the firs time.
I see all of that as changes to his actual self, not as a response to the difficulty of finding a new outlet for what was already within him.
I've mulled this over about Flay, and I've come to the conclusion that I agree with myself - and also with you, B. Yes, he revels in new-found skills and ingenuity, and freed from the usual constraints, his spirit does grow - but I still think his core allegiance to Gormenghast remains strong. If not, why would he stay in its vicinity?
No need to wait for me: anyone can start this off...