Written during the Second World War when Peake was in the Army (but given little to do),
Titus Groanis the first of three books about the life of the eponymous hero, the following volumes being
Gormenghast(1950) and
Titus Alone(1959). An out-of-sequence novella, “Boy in Darkness”, was published in
Sometime, Never(1953) alongside stories by John Wyndham and William Golding.
Although clearly set on Earth the sequence is situated in no identifiable time or place. Titus is the 77th Earl of Gormenghast, a castle community that ignores the existence of anything beyond its confines. The reader just has to take on faith the presence of fine wines and exotic food without agriculture or commerce, and of swords and clocks, even gunpowder, without workshops or craftsmen. Apart from observance
760 words
Citation: Winnington, G. Peter. "Titus Groan". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 May 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8371, accessed 27 November 2024.]
