Mervyn Peake Quotes

1911–1968 England

Mervyn Laurence Peake (9 July 1911 – 17 November 1968) was an English novelist, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books, though the Titus books would be more accurate.

England
Academics
Novelists
Poets
Short story writers

Also known as: Peake, Mervyn

Random Mervyn Peake quote

63 quotes

There is danger in deep water, and danger is more real than beauty in a boy’s mind.

Gormenghast (1950)

There is something about a swarm that is damaging to the pride of its individual members.

Gormenghast (1950)

“Let him play,” whispered Cheeta. “Let him make believe that he’s alive again.”

Titus Alone (1959)

Autumn returned to Gormenghast like a dark spirit re-entering its stronghold.

Titus Groan (1946)

His days were full of meaningless ceremonies whose sacredness appeared to be in inverse ratio to their comprehensibility or usefulness.

Gormenghast (1950)

This tower, patched unevenly with black ivy, arose like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry and pointed blasphemously at heaven.

Titus Groan (1946)

Lust is an arrogant and haughty beast and far from subtle.

Titus Alone (1959)

Other people’s faults can be fascinating. One’s own are dreary.

Gormenghast (1950)

“I am a beggar.”
“You are a travesty,” said Titus, “and when you die the earth will breathe again.”

Titus Alone (1959)

“Let go of my arm, or I will scream for God.”
“He never helped you. Have you forgotten?”

Titus Alone (1959)

This upstart, this dangerous, unprecedented upstart, whose pursuit of the doctrines was propelled by a greed for personal power as cold as it was tameless.

Gormenghast (1950)

He also knew when to stop. In the fine art of deceit and personal advancement as in any other calling this is the hallmark of the master.

Titus Groan (1946)

The ritual which his body had had to perform for fifty years had been no preparation for the unexpected.

Titus Groan (1946)

His mind fell asleep. His wits fell awake. His cock trembled like a harp-string.

Titus Alone (1959)

Never having had either positive cruelty or kindness shown to her by her parents, but only an indifference, she was not conscious of what it was that she missed—affection.

Titus Groan (1946)

There are times when the emotions are so clamorous and the rational working of the mind so perfunctory that there is no telling where the actual leaves off and the images of fantasy begin.

Gormenghast (1950)

“There’s something else, Mr. Muzzlehatch.”
“I’m sure there is. In fact there is everything else.”

Titus Alone (1959)

So limp of brain that for them to conceive an idea is to risk a haemorrhage.

Gormenghast (1950)

He was as young as twenty years allowed, and as old as it could make him.

Titus Alone (1959)

The days wear out the months and the months wear out the years, and a flux of moments, like an unquiet tide, eats at the black coast of futurity.

Gormenghast (1950)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Mervyn Peake (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.