Rating: 
Summary: A Glorious Epic Fantasy!I must read for Fantasy Lovers
Review: KCET did a televised and beautiful version of this fairy-tale epic. Gormenghast is a trilogy, telling the story of the very eccentric nobility and peasantry of the land of Gormenghast. The story begins with the birth of the future Earl, Titus Groan. From the beginning, we are introduced to such major characters as Steerpike, the bitter Kitchen Boy turned Secretary, whose dark intentions create havoc on the land, and directly affect the court, the Earl, whos madness after the burning of his beloved books is his wrongdoing, and the tragic Ophelia-like heroine Fuchsia, whose sense of adventure and love of romance is to be sympathized with. This is a wonderful novel, a beautiful work of fantasy fiction 'a la mode de Lord of the Rings of J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carrol's Alice In Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. You will love the story of a kingdom marked by tragedy and romance, almost like watching Shakespeare doing a fairy tale. Enjoy and please recommend to fantasy lovers. There has not been novel this good since Goldman's "The Princess Bride." Whisk away into the realm of the fantasy with all three of the novels in the trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic of Fantasy
Review: Hearing that the BBC had made a film of this strange and compelling trilogy (and I cannot imagine how this could be done) made me want to revisit the book.Images from the world of Gormenghast have remained with me for years, long after others have faded. The book, I would warn, is not an easy read but the rewards are great. Peake had been compared with Dickens, Tolkein, and Poe. I would add Kafka to the list as well.
Rating: 
Summary: why not try...
Review: I am a fan of Gormenghast and have just read a Japanese novel which reminded me of that book. The House Of Nire by Morio Kita is a epic yet subtle comedy set in a Tokyo mental institution between the wars. In places Iriving, in others Dickens, a bit of Mervyn Peake at times. In fact both Gormenghast and Nire both begin with a bizarre/grotesque cook in a steamy kitchen! I have posted a review of the novel here at Amazon. I am sure Peake fans would enjoy it so I urge you to give it a go.
Rating: 
Summary: It was good, but not that good.
Review: The books of the trilogy were altogether too wordy. The description was in depth, detailed, but far too much to hold the reader's attention for too long. The character's were wonderfully two dimensional, except for the malicious Steerpike, each were exactly predictable. The reason why no one has ever tried to emulate this 'style' of fantasy, is because it is not like the truly magnificent characyerisation, plot development and interaction of Tolkien's works, who I beleive is widely regarded as the father of modern fantasy. But, to be fair, the first two books, and their tedious wordiness aside, were quite adept at capturing the imagination. The brooding, dank and filthy fortress of Gormenghast, the genetic melancholia of the Groans, and of course, the Doctor made the first two books far more enjoyable (in a strangely sadistic way). Page after page, I would read to see what indignity, what horror, what injustice that the unfazeable Steerpike would perpetrate next. The third book, which lacks Steerpike, is rather a bore.
Rating:
Summary: A unique world and a unique experience
Review: I don't think I've ever been more upset that I finished a book. I was especially upset knowing that Mr. Peake had passed away before his time and he would not be writing another Ghormenghast novel. To tell you how much I enjoyed this book I bought a second copy to give to someone as a gift. I don't know who that someone is yet. It's just sitting on a shelf waiting for the right reader. I'm ready to pick my copy up and read it for a second time.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece of words
Review: One work that can probably be called a "cult book". Essentially this series details the events which pass within an enormous, unfathomable castle, rendered comprehensively in elaborate, poetic prose. Despite the length and the crawl of the narrative, it is never boring: goings-on in this castle range from the satirically humorous to the darkly fatal, and the characters (given odd and eccentric names) are endlessly entertaining. I would be hesitant to label this book as being simply "escapist" entertainment. It is very possible to be drawn into the unique and frightening world of Gormenghast, but that same world also challenges our notions of society and government, tradition, conformity and individuality. Hence it is a rich piece of literature. Besides, the quality of the writing is among the best of the 20th century.
Rating: 
Summary: Wyndam Revisited?
Review: In a quest for crufty fantasy I trekked from McCaffrey to Moorcock; in reading Gormenghast I was delighted with the range of stylistic subtlety but let down by my expectations of grandeur in this touted revisit of the Apes of God. Insofar as similarity is concerned, the style and progression of Gormenghast began in lengthy, gothic diatribe reminiscent of Mann and coming to a stunning conclusion with sixties vernacular smacking of the Illuminatus Trilogy. Recommendation: read the book as a whole, not as a trilogy. One may appreciate the different writing styles spanning the verbose forties and trippy sixties. Read apart, they may appear disconnected and rambling, with little material keeping the novels synchronised.
Rating:
Summary: Will the BBC Production Bring New Attention to Peake?
Review: Much has been written about the 'Gormenghast Trilogy' by Mervyn Peake--enough to place it with other post-war classics and enough to now say that it is no longer limited to 'cult' status. Now that the BBC has mounted a very lavish production as a miniseries (adapted from the first two books), perhaps the books will finally get the attention they deserve in the US (in the UK, Peake's status as a post-war fantasist was always high, right up there with Tolkien and C.S. Lewis). Should fantasy fans who have as yet not got around to reading Peake bother to? I'll be as straightforward as possible. If you like epic fantasy in the sword and sorcery tradition, Peake's classics may not appeal to you. A better comparison to get an idea who these books might appeal to is probably this one: if you like 19th century writers like Dickens and W. Collins, then you might well connect with these. I also think those who like the Brontes might get the point. Much has been written about the details of the plot in the previous reviews at Amazon, so I will not repeat the unnecessary. I do wish, though, to dispell a few criticisms. First, the books are not boring in the sense of nothing happening. An elaborate world peopled by fascinating characters is created, and then many, many things happen. But they happen in a a painstakingly detailed, realistic alternate world. Peake's Gormenghast, for the postmodern reader, is probably no more fantastic than Dickens' London. The second thing I'd like to revise is the idea that the third book is a lesser work. It is far different from the first two volumes (but there is actually quite a lot different holding across the first two volumes). The third volume is my favorite of the Titus books. Perhaps I'll explain in detail in a review of a particular edition of the third volume some day. I'm also hoping that because the BBC production was so successful, they'll consider making a version of the third work.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Writing, A Slow Read
Review: It was hard to know how many stars to give this trilogy, so I'll just tell you about it. The writing is incredible. There are moment where I literally put the book down and said "MY GOD!" There is a poem in the first book that is the best frivolous poetry I've ever read (better than Lewis Carroll). I was initially nervous at the large number of characters, because I'm not good at remembering characters, but each is so aptly and humorously named (Fuschia, Flay, Steerpike, and my favorite-named, Flannelcat) that they are easy to tell apart. Gormenghast is a world of its own - a very strange mix of seemingly ancient and modern (seemingly anachronistic) things. There is a lot of humor here. But, I have to caution, this is not a beach novel. It's not Piers Anthony. The plot moves very, very slowly and you have to really enjoy reading for the sake of reading. It reminded me of reading "Les Miserables", which I enjoyed but would have quickly abandoned if not for the fact that I really do enjoy reading...and reading and reading. These books are very rewarding, and parts will stay in my mind and make up my worldview for the rest of my life - something you can't say about most "fantasy" books. But if you are looking for a light, easy read, with lots of exciting plot, you are barking up the wrong tree.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing happens, but nothing happens so horribly beautifully
Review: In response to the previous review 'Nothing Happens': Well, you only read 300 pages. The plot hasn't really set in yet. Peake has just laid the scene. At 300 pages, Titus is still only a baby, and Steerpike isn't even beginning his rise to power. You stopped reading towards the end of book 1 - that's like leaving a great movie just at the moment the characters have been introduced. Sure, the first part is slow, but to put the book down at this point is criminal. Peake intended to create a trilogy - this isn't one of those books that has the plot all within one book, and the author decides to add 2 sequels and CALL it a trilogy. A true trilogy sets the scene in book one, puts the climax in book 2, and resolves it in book 3. You have to show some commitment to this great work in order to reap the rewards.
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