h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I happen to have a copies of both the (mini)series and the books...I love them both, however no one else around me has ever even heard of them. And so, I've taken as my duty to make as many people as possible view it...Currently the person I'm trying to make watch it keeps falling asleep during it!

I have found out that our local lbrary has a copy of the Gormenghast miniseries

A mini series here in Australia, is a program played over several night, usually a total of 8-10 hours

Like the BBC adaptation of Gormenghast?

That's the one

I'm about 50 pages in and quite enjoying it, it is very different to anything I have read before

Glad to hear you're enjoying it so far The Gormenghast books are wonderful for descriptive prose capable of conjuring strong and persisting pictures in the mind. It's many years since I read them but the pictures in my head are still distinct, detailed and darker that the TV versions. The BBC adaptation was good but I'd still say try and read the books first to let your imagination create the place, the people and the atmosphere for yourself.

Just to clarify my position on the "series" thing, I tend to think of a series in the UK as only *ever* being about half a dozen episodes - like a series (as in season) of Red Dwarf, for instance. Whereas in America, a "season" (of a "series" ) tends to be more like a couple of dozen episodes - like, I don't know, Six Feet Under, or Buffy...

But maybe it's not such a clear-cut UK/US thing as I thought, and some people in this country *do* think of a series as being longer than that.

Fair enough

I probably couldn't cope with the books , really not into all that descriptive stuff...took me 8 years to get through Lord of the Rings! It stifles me - I just want story, my mind'll do the rest thank'ee

I think of a series as being more like a sitcom, with individual storylines each time as well as ongoing storylines.

I'd have described the Gormenghast TV showing as a drama in x episodes (can't remember how many there were)

from a search there was 4 two hour episodes........

up to 185 pages now and I am enjoying it immensely, however I can only read it for around 15min, before I have to stop and absorb what I have read, (the visualisations can be quite overwhelming) this has worked out well today as I have been reformating and updating a new hard drive

what a day, computer, and a good book

I don't have a fovourite character, in fact I find all of them distasteful, but this is part of the attraction, their failings are so human, so normal, that you keep reading, keep hoping that they will redemn them selves

I think it's worth bearing in mind that Gormenghast isn't simply surreal whimsy and fantasy. Peake wrote the novel during and after WWII, and quite specifically set out to address issues of the changing of the social fabric of Britain during that time.

Also worth remembering that Book 3 (Titus Alone) was never finished as Peake died while he was writing it. Although it has the complete plot it is not a finished volume like the oher two.

Also worth looking out for are 'Mr Pye', Peake's novel about a man with the wings of an angel, and somewhere upstairs I have a copy of his illustrated Grimm's Fairie tales' which is quite wonderful. Memory tells me that the BBC also did a radio version of the books with Sting as Steerpike which is realy rather good...

Did I start this 'miniseries' vs. 'series' rigamarole?... As I said, I saw it on BBCAmerica, hence my usage of the term 'miniseries'. It also ran on PBS here in the states. A quick look at their website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/gormenghast/home.html) and I see it just refers to it as a film. I'm fairly certain my copy of the book had a gold sticker referring to the "Award Winning Miniseries". BBCAmerica is a bit schizo when it comes to describing shows. They often use the British usage of 'series' rather than the American 'season'. But they may have called it a 'miniseries' as well.

For those that are sufficiently confused now here's a bit of comparitive glossary:

US.
Series - the entire run of a television programme.
Season - one year of episodes from a programme, usually around 22 episodes.
Miniseries - an extended movie made for television to be broadcast over several days. Typically six or more hours. ('Roots' ran ten hours).

UK.
Series - one "season's" worth of episodes, usually 6 with a possible 7th holiday episode.
...


Ok.. that's all I know, one of you on that side of the pond can flesh it out more.

"Posted 3 Days Ago by Helelou2 Brown sauce rules..wearing green socks, and got a punk Rat!

I don't have a fovourite character, in fact I find all of them distasteful, but this is part of the attraction, their failings are so human, so normal, that you keep reading, keep hoping that they will redemn them selves"

Lol. I actually felt very comfortable with the characters, so-to-speak.
I was specially fond of the Lord Sepulchrave, for instance.
Admitedly, Steerpike does breed in oneself the hidden desire to grab a frying pan and nail him to the floor...
Nay, I think that he mastered the art of creating really emotional characters, Keda's two lovers for example... wow.
And it is impossible not to like good old Dr. Prune.

Btw, give a look to this interesting thingies...
http://www.gormenghastcastle.co.uk/s-sep.html
http://www.gormenghastcastle.co.uk/s-prune.html

nice site

I have finished the first book, but am leaving the second for a bit, I need to read something 'normal', something easy

I did quite like Flay and was glad when he killed the horrible Swelter

I will start book 2 in the next week or so....

Ye know lass... In some distant galaxies, THAT is called an spoiler.
And i'm sure all of Gormenghast will miss those creamy pies!

Glad to hear you enjoyed the book!
Its funny, just like someone said a couple of post ago, that this story is relatively unknown, compared to works like those of Tolkien or Lewis; Peakes writting is more than a match for any of those guys.
I suppose it was some bad marketing issue or lousy editorial promotion back then.

Hi Y'all,

Just popped in to say that I love 'Gormenghast' and 'Titus Groan', but I've had great difficulties reading the third book 'Titus Alone'. I've started Titus Alone on numerous occassions, but I just can't get on with it. For some reason it just doesn't hold my attention at all. Has anyone else had this problem?

I think my favourite characture is Lady Gertrude - I really identify with the way that her animals mean more to her than the people in the castle.

QB

I have had exactly that problem. Books one and two I lapped 'em up, book three I laboured with it for a while but could not finish it The best character was the castle itself, I loved it all the nooks and crannies, the conflicting jumble of styles- sounds great Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

I believe the editor says as much in the forward of the edition I have (the current trilogy in paperback).

I've just started reading 'Titus Alone' again. Its even harder work than I remembered! I've vowed not to start anything else until I've finished so I'll keep slogging on with it.

Crescent - you're right, the castle is the best characture. I'd love to live in Gormeghast Castle. What's your favourite place? I like the twin's tree best.

QB