Is Gormenghast a classic? Does it matter?

[Jonathan, Master of Ritual]

This is an interesting question and one with many other questions tied to it. As we get to the group discussion of this book I was hoping we could gradually work through and answer some of these:
1. Of itself one can make an argument for Titus Groan as a classic or not. But does Gormenghast help us confirm this?
2.Does it really matter?
3.Is Gormenghast a superior book?

[Cecily, Gormenghast Librarian]

1. I think Gormenghast confirms the case for Titus Groan as a classic. They are really two halves of the same book, and the second part is a natural progression, but showing Peake can sustain the unique brilliance of the first.

Nevertheless, I think the answer to 2 is that it doesn't really matter - it's somewhat subjective anyway.

3. In the past, I've rated them equally. I'll withhold a final judgement until I've reared it.

[Randolph]

You have to see Titus Groan and Gormenghast as two halves of one book. Neither makes any sense (does any of it make sense?) without the other. I would liken it to the Fellowship of the Ring trilogy but only in the sense that all three need to be taken as a whole, not individually.

Are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass and The Pickwick Papers classics? If you say yes then you have already answered the question of whether we have a classic here in Peake. People will still be reading Peake 200 years from now.

[midnightfaerie]

As of now I'm saying yes, because I believe it qualifies for most of the traits that adhere to what I think a classic is:

Charactaristics of a Classic

And even though I was going to say I wasn't sure until I've finished it, I don't think it matters. Even if the rest was crap, what I've read so far more than qualifies...

And Randolph, I would say yes to Alice's Adventures and The Pickwick Papers being classics...so I guess that answers my own questions...

[Metaphorosis]

No. I don't think Gormenghast is a classic in itself. It does form the second half of the Titus Groan story, but in my view it's a far lesser book that in fact weakens the trilogy's claim on classic status. I think Titus Groan by itself is absolutely a classic.

But no, it doesn't matter. :-)

[midnightfaerie]

:)