for lovers of Tolkien

'Titus Groan', Mervyn Peake’s first book of 'The Gormenghast Trilogy', is set in a huge castle, a vast landscape of crumbling towers and ivy-filled quadrangles that has been the hereditary residence of the Groan family for centuries. Unlike Tolkien, where darkness is a force to be defeated, here darkness is its very setting. It’s the stuff of nightmares, riddled with black humour and was not written for children. The birth of Titus Groan, heir to Lord Sepulchrave, interrupts the daily rituals which are practiced at all levels of the castle society, from the kitchens to the Hall of Bright Carvings. On the other hand, Steerpike is a ruthlessly ambitious kitchen boy. His entry into society at the same time as Lord Titus is born introduces steadily growing subliminal conflict.

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