TITUS GROAN

Lord Sepulchrave finally has an heir in this first book in the Gormenghast trilogy. Life in this castle is bound by ritual and hereditary position. Steerpike, who is determined to rise above his station as a kitchen boy, becomes a central character in this complex novel. Edmund Dehn is a patient storyteller. This is a book of long expository passages throughout which Dehn remains engaged. His skill as a narrator is also reflected in his presentation of a collection of odd characters, particularly Clara and Clarice, identical twins who speak (generally to each another) in similar flat tones that are bound up in the pair's narrow existence and limited mental capabilities. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2009]