Titus Alone

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And so we come to the final chapter –or book rather- in the story of Titus Groan, the Seventy-Seventh Earl of Gormenghast. A departure from the gothic fantasy tone of its predecessors, Titus Alone combines science fiction with a circular story –not unlike that of A Clockwork Orange- to create a strange yet stimulating travel log of a character journey.

The book chronicles Titus’ wanderings as a free man, away from the monotony and suffocating ritual of his homeland. Heading into unknown country and taking no notice of his directions he promptly gets lost and in dire trouble when he wanders into a modern civilization that has never heard of him or Gormenghast. With no papers, no identity, and no idea where he’s come from or where he’s going, his desired freedom takes on a new tinge of loneliness and soon he begins to question his own sanity.

Far from being my favourite book in the trilogy, Titus Alone is still a very interesting read. Completely disjointed from the rest of the series –in both setting and aesthetic- it’s a book that warrants numerous readings I think, as it seems to sample -or at least reminds me of- a number of other literary classics. There is definitely some interesting aspects of science fiction happening, reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984 –though not as extreme. 

Titus’ exploration away from home and into the modern world –for such is what happens- gives the story this strange edge and one interesting way to interpret it is that the whole thing is a representation of the genres of literature and how separate they are from one another. Gormenghast –and its fantasy tone- is something completely unheard of and –ironically- quite outdated compared to the rest of the world, which lives in this technological, science-fictiony age. This is by no means an academic interpretation, but it’s something I couldn’t help thinking about as I read.

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Despite the different tone and setting, there are some things that are still in keeping with the previous books. Peake’s ability to write fascinating allegorical caricatures of society is still here, filling Titus Alone with a group of fascinating people to read about. From the vain beauty Cheeta to the rugged king of the wilds Muzzelhatch, this book is alive with interesting characters and exciting stories. It’s a fascinating ending to a wonderful trilogy.

Titus Alone is the final book in Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy and was published by Eyre and Spottiswoode in 1946.