Review: Titus Groan

I bounced off Titus Groan probably three or four times over the years, but after losing interest about 100 pages into the book a few months ago, then continuing from where I left off, I finally made it to the end!

The above probably makes it sound like quite the boring book, but I really liked it! I just had to recalibrate/change my expectations. Titus Groan (mostly) isn't an action-packed, fast-paced casual read. It is, much like Gormenghast itself, massive, ponderous, plodding, beautiful, and a little silly. I would say my enjoyment came from two sources; the likely-Discworld-inspiring ridiculousness of the cast, and the incredibly verbose, hyper-detailed, and uniquely vivid descriptions of the landscape, castle, and happenings. Much in the vein of Gravity's Rainbow, they can be difficult to follow at times, and I will admit to skipping a smaller segment or two, but I eventually slowed myself down enough to really appreciate the picture being painted.

I don't think I would recommend Titus Groan unconditionally. It's chock-full of stunningly-detailed and unique depictions and has some genuinely funny moments, but it's also just a lot.