Art of Gormanghast

by Estelle Daniels and Estelle Daniel

This companion to the TV series of the Gormenghast trilogy provides an insight into the story, from the strange genius of Peake, the visionary author and illustrator, to the storyboard drawings of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0002571560
• ISBN13: 9780002571562
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: HarperCollins (UK)
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

beautifully done book is, strangely, much more worthwhile than it's companion film

I read the "Gormenghast" books by Mervyn Peake about 15 years ago, and their spell has never left me. Comparable in some ways to the Gothics like Mary Shelley and William Beckford, to macabre artists like Poe and Baudelaire, and to the density of the fully realized and very English Victorian world of Dickens - but as distinct as any of them and very much a personal reaction to the changing modern world and the stuffiness of English class and monarchy, they remain to my mind one of the great achievements of 20th century British fiction. So I was both pleased and a little uneasy at the prospect of a filmed adaptation for the BBC a decade ago; alas the uneasiness turned out to be justified as the brightly-hued and altogether too Masterpiece Theater production didn't, on the whole, work in my opinion - certain spectacular exceptions such as Christopher Lee's perfect Flay aside. So it's rather surprising I suppose that the art book that accompanies the film should be so much more entertaining. I guess that "art" is the objective word here; what the film failed to do was to bring out the literary art of Peake the writer, and it's bright and flat HD illuminations of Gormenghast castle just don't do justice to the original and idiosyncratic visions of Peake the sketcher of grotesques. Here in this compilation of original Peake art, production designs and sketches for the film, photographs of Tibetan locations, etc, we see what the production team were aiming at, and perhaps failed to get across due as much to budget constraints and filming in video as to any misconceptions. Most of the reproductions, production still and screen shots look much better here than I remember the film looking. The screenplay isn't reproduced, so no more complaints need be made about that. I'm not crazy about the layout of THE ART OF GORMENGHAST; the first section, a nice-sized bio of Peake, is well-done, and appropriately illustrated with period photos of the artist, his wife, children, etc, along with book jacket reproductions and drawings and sketches of various characters and scenes from the books. After this section a brief critical essay/description of the books and a section on the production design and costumes follow, and then a discussion with the director (Andy Wilson) and a "producer's diary"; the latter seemed quite unnecessary. Interspersed throughout are mostly full-page bios of the principal cast members written by themselves; it would have been nice to have had a bit more from Lee, who knew Peake (and Tolkien for that matter) but overall these bios are done well; filmographies aren't given. I think had the bios been grouped together though, along with portraits of the principal behind-the-camera artists, it would have made it a more attractive and useful package. Still, on the whole, a worthwhile book for any fan of the writer and the books, even if like me some may not be so partial to the film.

A Lavish Re-visitation of the BBC Adaptation

I have the U.K Edition of this title, and bought it on the spot after a cursury perusal of it's pages. Anyone who enjoys costume, set decoration and knowing more about what goes into a film's production would enjoy this book. Plus, there is a very thorough section with backround and biographical information on the author; Mervyn Peake, containing a great deal of information I had no idea about concerning him, his life and his work. This section alone is worth the cost of the book, as it gives unique insight into the man who created the world of Gormenghast. The pictures are clear, with many costume details. There are also pictures of Mervyn Peake and his family, as well as some of his artwork. Absolutley fascinating. If you enjoyed the BBC Adaptation, or merely enjoyed it's aesthetics, you will enjoy this.

Perfect Companion to the Series

A great many of those who have just finished viewing the Gormenghast miniseries will undergo serious withdrawal symptoms. This book, compiled by the producer of the miniseries, will provide another fix of this highly addictive delight. The large-format paperback presents a balanced mix of cast interviews, excerpts from Peake's novels, costume details, production and direction methods, and design philosophies. It is heavily illustrated in color. If you join me in believing Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("Steerpike") to be the most gorgeous and talented creature yet to appear on this planet, buy two copies of this book. You're going to need one to cut up and hang on your walls!