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He was meaner, more irritable, more impatient for the ultimate power which could only be his through the elimination of all rivals; and if he had ever had any scruples, any love at all for even a monkey, a book, or a sword-hilt, all this, and even this, had been cauterized and drowned away.

— Mervyn Peake Gormenghast (1950)

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More quotes by Mervyn Peake

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.”

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

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

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Mervyn Peake (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.