Gormenghast, Books 1-3

Gormenghast - Books 1-3



Titus Groan



The story begins with the birth of the eponymous Titus, as the heir to the throne of the House of Groan, and finishes just over a year later with his 'Earling' or formal investiture as the seventy seventh Earl of Groan, after the untimely death of his father Sepulchrave. As Titus is only an infant in this novel, he plays a minor role. The main plot therefore follows the somewhat bizarre inhabitants of Gormenghast Castle, and in particular chronicles the rise to power of Steerpike, a scheming kitchen boy. Steerpike successfully destroys the existing order of the castle by inciting the twin sisters of Sepulchrave, Cora and Clarice, to burn Sepulchrave's beloved library. This event drives Sepulchrave into madness and eventually into taking his own life. Although Cora and Clarice are not exposed as the perpetrators of the fire, they are now under Steerpike's power. A sub-plot involves the feud between Sepulchrave's loyal servant Flay, and the chef Swelter, which ends with them fighting and Swelter being killed.



Gormenghast



The second book follows Titus from the age of seven to seventeen. As the 77th earl and lord of Gormenghast, he dreads the life of pre-ordained ritual that stretches before him. His desire for freedom is awakened by the sight of his foster sister, known only as 'The Thing' a feral child who lives in the woods of Gormenghast, (due to her mother being banished as an outcast) and who terrorizes the inhabitants of the mud dwellings outside the castle walls, known as the Bright Carvers. Her life of wild freedom make him realise that another existence is possible than the rigid formalities and ritual of the castle. Meanwhile Steerpike continues his rise to power by killing Barquentine, the Master of Ritual, and taking his place, but he is eventually unmasked as a traitor and murderer. In a watery duel with Titus, Steerpike is killed, leaving the way clear for Titus to reign. However, his desire to leave Gormenghast now overwhelming, Titus has other ideas and flees the castle for the wider world beyond Gormenghast Mountain.



Titus Alone



The story follows Titus as he travels far from Gormenghast and finds a futuristic world of industrialists and advanced technology (in some ways anticipating the steampunk genre). This novel is more randomly plotted than its two predecessors, without a strong lead character or a fixed setting. It remained unfinished at the time of Peake's death, and the skeletal published version is compiled by the editor Langdon Jones from Peake's early drafts.