
Titus Groan
Volume 1 of the Gormenghast Trilogy
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Mervyn Peake
About this listen
In this first volume, the Gormenghast Castle, and the noble family who inhabits it, are introduced, along with the infant firstborn son of the Lord and Countess. Titus Groan is sent away to be raised by a wet nurse, with only a gold ring from his mother, and ordered to not be brought back until the age of six. By his christening, he learns from his much older sisters that epileptic fits are "common at his age." He also learns that they don't like his mother. And then, he is crowned, and called, "Child-inheritor of the rivers, of the Tower of Flints and the dark recesses beneath cold stairways and the sunny summer lawns. Child-inheritor of the spring breeze that blow in from the jarl forests and of the autumn misery in petal, scale, and wing. Winter's white brilliance on a thousand turrets and summer's torpor among walls that crumble..."
In these extraordinary novels, Peake has created a world where all is like a dream - lush, fantastical, vivid; a symbol of dark struggle.
©1967 Mervyn Peake (P)2000 Blackstone AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
"You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay..." The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years. Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.
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The beauty of the reveal
- By Anonymous User on 03-17-15
By: Kazuo Ishiguro
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Ambergris
- City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek, Finch
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Cassandra Campbell, Oliver Wyman
- Length: 43 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Before Area X, there was Ambergris. Jeff VanderMeer conceived what would become his first cult classic series of speculative works: the Ambergris trilogy. Now, for the first time ever, the story of the sprawling metropolis of Ambergris is collected into a single volume, including City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek: An Afterword, and Finch.
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Entrancing “weird” novel
- By Joe on 12-04-20
By: Jeff VanderMeer
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Ilium
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 29 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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From the towering heights of Olympos Mons on Mars, the mighty Zeus and his immortal family of gods, goddesses, and demigods look down upon a momentous battle, observing - and often influencing - the legendary exploits of Paris, Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, and the clashing armies of Greece and Troy. Thomas Hockenberry, former 21st-century professor and Iliad scholar, watches as well. It is Hockenberry's duty to observe and report on the Trojan War's progress to the so-called deities who saw fit to return him from the dead.
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Achaeans and robots and post-humans, oh my
- By Ryan on 04-11-14
By: Dan Simmons
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The New York Trilogy
- By: Paul Auster
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Paul Auster's signature work, The New York Trilogy, consists of three interlocking novels: City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room - haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.
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Perhaps more interesting than important
- By Darwin8u on 10-04-13
By: Paul Auster
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Tigana
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Eight of the nine Palm provinces of the Peninsula have been overcome by warrior sorcerers Brandin and Alberico. But the sorcerers don't know that a small band of survivors is plotting their removal. With tensions mounting, the sorcerers become increasingly at odds as each decides where his own path - and that of the land - should truly lie.
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A little self-indulgent
- By Diana M. on 05-31-20
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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The Shadow of the Torturer
- The Book of the New Sun, Book 1
- By: Gene Wolfe
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The Shadow of the Torturer is the first volume in the four-volume epic, the tale of a young Severian, an apprentice to the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession - showing mercy towards his victim.
Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun" is one of speculative fiction's most-honored series. In a 1998 poll, Locus Magazine rated the series behind only "The Lord of the Rings" and The Hobbit as the greatest fantasy work of all time.
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great writing, won't appeal to everyone
- By Ryan on 03-20-10
By: Gene Wolfe
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The Martian Chronicles
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Bradbury's Mars is a place of hope, dreams, and metaphor - of crystal pillars and fossil seas - where a fine dust settles on the great, empty cities of a silently destroyed civilization. It is here the invaders have come to despoil and commercialize, to grow and to learn - first a trickle, then a torrent, rushing from a world with no future toward a promise of tomorrow. The Earthman conquers Mars...and then is conquered by it, lulled by dangerous lies of comfort and familiarity, and enchanted by the lingering glamour of an ancient, mysterious native race.
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The Original. Great Stories, Great Narrator.
- By Troy on 04-05-16
By: Ray Bradbury
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The Vorrh
- By: Brian Catling
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Next to the colonial town of Essenwald sits the Vorrh, a vast - perhaps endless - forest. It is a place of demons and angels, of warriors and priests. Sentient and magical, the Vorrh bends time and wipes memory. Legend has it that the Garden of Eden still exists at its heart. Now a renegade English soldier aims to be the first human to traverse its expanse. Armed with only a strange bow, he begins his journey, but some fear the consequences of his mission, and a native marksman has been chosen to stop him.
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Mixed feelings
- By Christopher Torgersen on 09-05-15
By: Brian Catling
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The Lathe of Heaven
- By: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In a future world racked by violence and environmental catastrophes, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams have the ability to alter reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields. Soon George must preserve reality itself as Dr. Haber becomes adept at manipulating George's dreams for his own purposes.
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Amazing!
- By Adrienne R. on 11-23-18
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Night’s Master
- Tales from the Flat Earth, Book One
- By: Tanith Lee
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Long ago when the Earth was flat, beautiful, indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above; curious, passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below; and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle. Azhrarn, Lord of the Demons and the Darkness, was the one who ruled the night, and many mortal lives were changed because of his cruel whimsy. And yet, Azhrarn held inside his demon heart a profound mystery which would change the very fabric of the Flat Earth forever.
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A gothic fairytale
- By KH on 04-10-12
By: Tanith Lee
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
- The Dark Star Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Marlon James
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 24 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In the stunning first novel in Marlon James' Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy.
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Opaque. And hard to care about.
- By Lisa Gray on 02-07-19
By: Marlon James
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Dandelion Wine
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: David Aaron Baker
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding knows Green Town, Illinois, is as vast and deep as the whole wide world that lies beyond the city limits. It is a pair of brand-new tennis shoes, the first harvest of dandelions for Grandfather's renowned intoxicant, the distant clang of the trolley's bell on a hazy afternoon. It is yesteryear and tomorrow blended into an unforgettable always. But as young Douglas is about to discover, summer can be more than the repetition of established rituals whose mystical power holds time at bay.
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Turn to wonder and remember childhood summers
- By April Rose on 06-26-19
By: Ray Bradbury
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The Darkness That Comes Before
- The Prince of Nothing, Book One
- By: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrated by: David DeVries
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both 2,000 years past and 2,000 years into the future, untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.
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Finally in audiobook!
- By Andy on 06-28-12
By: R. Scott Bakker
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Gardens of the Moon
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
- By: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 26 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
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An engrossing yet demanding high epic
- By Adnan on 11-20-12
By: Steven Erikson
What listeners say about Titus Groan
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- baffle 239
- 08-04-21
It's a classic
This book, to me, is a classic; a work of genius. I read the whole trilogy in my college years and decided to listen to Vol 1 a few months ago. It made an impression on me the first time and I was not disappointed this time. The contrast between the grimness of the world that Mervyn Peake has created and the lushness of the imagery and language with which he describes it make it unique. The denizens of this weird world have the most wonderful names. How can you not revel in characters whose names are Flay, Steerpike, Prunesquallor, and Swelter? Not to mention Groan. Simon Vance enhances the experience by bringing both the characters and the text to vibrant life. Ordinarily a world so ugly, claustrophobic, and grim would not be my cup of tea, but yet again I found it irresistible.
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2 people found this helpful
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- gabry79
- 10-20-16
One of the best performances I have heard
Simon Vance did an excellent job. This is not an easy book to read yet his voice, his pace, his tone made it justice. It is mesmerizing, both the story and the narration are excellent.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Benjamin L. Alpers
- 09-11-07
Count Me Among the Peake Fans
As others have noted, Peake is often spoken of in the same breath as Tolkein. They are undoubtedly two of the greatest English fantasy novelists of the twentieth century. But rather than thinking of Peake as similar to Tolkein, it's perhaps best to think of him as the anti-Tolkein. Both Peake and Tolkein are great at what they do, but they're up to rather different things. If The Lord of the Rings is a basically celebratory series that focuses on plot, Peake's Gormenghast books (not, by design, a trilogy, but the first three books of a longer series cut short by Peake's untimely death) are deeply cynical and are about character and, above all, setting. While Tolkein's world is full of magic, monsters, and a variety of non-human races, Peake's is largely without all these things.
I'm a longtime Tolkein fan who is now also a Peake fan. Plenty of people appreciate the qualities of both authors. But others love one and detest the other. For example, the great British novelist Michael Moorcock is a proponent of Peake and a detractor of Tolkein.
At any rate, this book is a classic that deserves a listen by those prepared for something un-Middle Earth-y. And Robert Whitfield's reading is truly outstanding, as he effectively brings to life the many characters who populate Peake's book.
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53 people found this helpful
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- Rebecca
- 04-30-04
One of the Best
Early in my audible membership i bought this book (as well as Gormenghast and Titus Alone) and i was hooked. Mervyn Peake was an amazing writer and the details of the novels kept me attentive thru all 45 hours of them. Robert Whitfield is a great reader and i've since purchased other books from audible just because he was the reader.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Nik
- 03-02-08
Great!!
Part 1 really set the story up nicely. I loved the characters, weird as they are, and the narrator was perfect with a range of voices for each character. I would refer this to anyone who loves a good book along the lines of a cross between dark gothic and poetic fantasy.
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4 people found this helpful
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- mandu
- 11-04-23
Remarkable
This book is an explosion of beautiful language and iridescent creativity. The characters are strange and fascinating. They manage to be both a Bizzarre and human at the same time. This is now one of my favorites!
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- jessica
- 04-28-14
for those who love turns of phrase and Simon Vance
This one is tricky. I like it, I do. I couldn't tell you what actually happens in the story because I am still not sure. The language is glorious. If you enjoyed the language for its own sake in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, I bet you would like the language in this.
In a fit of enthusiasm for that very idea I tried listening to The Three Musketeers
and Ivanhoe. Not so much, the language in those didn't draw me in. It was too stiff and put me off.
The problem here, and it IS a problem for me... super lengthy descriptions of every little thing, every thought, every expression, every everything, goes on and on and on and on. You can listen for two hours and its still the same scene in which nothing of note has happened. The rub is, I keep thinking maybe something did happen and I missed it because I was happily lost in some enchanting phrase. It is DELIGHTFULLY irritating. So I will keep playing it over and over until I am sure I have it. Even if it turns out I hate the story I will have gotten more than my money's worth.
Simon Vance is always perfect. He is the only actor of many books who has never ever let me down.
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16 people found this helpful
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- Joe Kraus
- 03-26-13
Didn't Quite Groa(n) on Me
Any additional comments?
This book had been on the fringes of my to-read list for almost 35 years. I question some of the other readers who want it to be a Lord of the Rings-type experience. It isn't, and that's mostly because its star is a place -- the castle in its ruin -- more than a character. That said, though, it's hard to dispute that not enough happens here. Just as the castle is in ruin, so is the ambition of the characters collectively. Everything slides toward decay. I could live with that if we continued to discover new elements of the castle, new evidence of spent and abandoned dreams, but the action focuses increasingly on characters who've lost or never quite been able to grasp those dreams.
The canvas is broad and beautifully grey, but the narrative is often too much expository, too much a reporting of things that happened before. The result is a sense that we're missing the brightest part of this weirdly magical place.
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1 person found this helpful
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- AFG
- 08-17-14
Great voice characterisations, a touch too fast
I love this story. The imagery is amazing. Overall, the narration is very good.
The narrator spoke clearly and gave each character his/her own voice. However, the speed at which he read the descriptive passages did not do justice to the rich imagery. It was almost as if he thought he needed to gloss over them to get to the dialogue.
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- Ben Roberts
- 11-18-15
Fantasy isn't just a genre
Both the writing and reading of this classic set the standard for the literature of fantasy. Simply marvelous.
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