This is a story about Titus Groan in Gormenghast, some time before the events in Titus Alone.It is, apparently, a children's book (novella, really: it's only 115 pages of relatively large-font type, with illustrations) but I'm not sure that most children would get it. I found it really atmospheric and creepy - not something to read as a bedtime story! It's a very worthy addition to the Gormenghast canon.Given Peake's iconic status as a book illustrator, P.J. Lynch was brave to provide illustrations to the master's work. While it would have been marvellous had Peake left his own artwork for the story, Lynch's illustrations are excellent and well complement the narrative tone. His drawing of the Lamb on page 54 of my edition is a chilling inversion of the Agnus Dei: it gives me goosepimples!
