Letters from a Lost Uncle

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Beautiful
Review: I read "Letters from a Lost Uncle" after reading the Gormenghast books, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic! The story revolves around a one-legged man who is searching for a White Lion in a distant and icy land, accompanied only by a creature he acquires along the way, as well as his journal. The man writes several letters in his journal, partly as something to send to a nephew he has never seen, and partly to entertain himself on his long and arduous trip. Every page consists of text as well as beautiful artwork, and the story is bizarre, fascinating and hilarious all at the same time. This book, being more for children but probably read more by his adult fans, is a much easier read than the Gormenghast books, but contains all the same beauty and intrigue that made the Gormenghast novels so wonderful. It is easily read in a night but you'll remember it for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Peake's masterpiece
Review: The author of the Gormenghast trilogy produced his greatest work with this unassuming work. It is an outrage that it is currently out of print. The artwork is astonishingly funny and surprisingly (or maybe not so surprising given the author) evocative of the distant lands where the hero's adventures take place. A book to treasure along side the great works of fantasy of the 20th century by such authors as C.S.Lewis and Tolkien.