Fine Illustrated Edition of Marvyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy (Folio Society)

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Fine Illustrated Edition of Marvyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy (Folio Society) Marvyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy illustrated throughout by Peter Harding published by The Folio Society You are bidding on this fantastic three volume set of Marvyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy ( Gormenghast , Titus Alone and Titus Groan ) illustrated throughout by Peter Harding and published by the Folio Society in 2011. The three volumes are housed in a strong black and red cardboard slipcase. Each volume is bound in full hardback cloth with a black and white illustration by Peter Harding which runs the full area of the cover. Each volume is rather large, measuring 18 cm by 25 cm. In addition, each frontispiece is illustrated by Harding as an unusual double-page spread. The set comes with a forward by Michael Moorcock, which is only available in this edition. The typesetting is in Ehrhardt by Frakenham Photosetting and printed on Abby Wove paper at Memminger MedienCentrum AG in Germany and bound by Lachenmaier, one of the words best printers and binders. The typesetting and illustrations are really what makes this edition stand out. As you can see, it is lavishly illustrated by Harding throughout with black and white drawings. These take various sizes, from bleed to edge double page spreads, illustrations running across the bottom half of each page, half page bleed to edge and small insets. Illustrations occur at about every three pages as an average, with many of them occurring consecutively. The set is new and has never been read. I would ask you to note, however, that there are some glue bubbles on the paper covering the slipcase, hence the low starting price. I have photographed this so you can see it, although it is obviously not noticeable when it is on a bookshelf. This is a weighty set, hence the rather high postage price. For bidders in the UK the postage will be no more than £14 and internationally no more than £25. Please wait for an invoice at the end of the bidding for the actual postage charge. More about the series (from Wikipedia) Titus Groan The story begins with the birth of the eponymous Titus, as the heir to the throne of the House of Groan, and finishes just over a year later with his "Earling" or formal investiture as the seventy-seventh Earl of Groan, after the untimely death of his father Sepulchrave . As Titus is only an infant in this novel, he plays a minor role. The main plot therefore follows the somewhat bizarre inhabitants of Gormenghast Castle, and in particular chronicles the rise to power of Steerpike , a scheming kitchen boy. Steerpike successfully destroys the existing order of the castle by inciting the twin sisters of Sepulchrave, Cora and Clarice, to burn Sepulchrave's beloved library. This event drives Sepulchrave into madness and eventually into taking his own life. Although Cora and Clarice are not exposed as the perpetrators of the fire, they are now under Steerpike's power. A sub-plot involves the feud between Sepulchrave's loyal servant Flay, and the chef Swelter, which ends with them fighting and Swelter being killed. Gormenghast The second book follows Titus from the age of seven to seventeen. As the 77th earl and lord of Gormenghast, he dreads the life of pre-ordained ritual that stretches before him. His desire for freedom is awakened by the sight of his foster sister, known only as "The Thing", a feral child who lives in the woods of Gormenghast (due to her mother being banished as an outcast) and who terrorizes the Bright Carvers, the inhabitants of the mud dwellings outside the castle walls. Her life of wild freedom makes him realise that an existence is possible other than the rigid formalities and ritual of the castle. Meanwhile, Steerpike continues his rise to power by killing Barquentine, the Master of Ritual, and taking his place, but he is eventually unmasked as a traitor and murderer. The castle is flooded by a rainstorm, and in a wa... read more

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