Book Series Guide

Author guide

Mervyn Peake Books in Order

Mervyn Laurence Peake (1911–1968) was an English novelist, poet, artist, illustrator, and playwright. His major achievement is the unfinished Gormenghast sequence, comprising Titus Groan, Gormenghast, Boy in Darkness, and Titus Alone. He also produced distinctive nonsense poetry, children's books, graphic works, essays, radio plays, and theatre plays, and illustrated classics including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Treasure Island.

fantasygothic fictionliterary fictionpoetrynonsensechildren's literaturegraphic literatureessaysplays

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Titus Groan

Titus Groan

The first and foundational novel in the Gormenghast sequence.

Cover of Mr Pye

Mr Pye

A concise standalone novel for readers seeking Peake's fiction outside Gormenghast.

Read in order

Books by series

literary fantasy sequence · unfinished

Gormenghast

An unfinished sequence centered on Titus Groan and the ancient castle of Gormenghast.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Titus Groan
    Titus Groan

    Book 1 · novel · 1946

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of Gormenghast
    Gormenghast

    Book 2 · novel · 1950

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  3. 3
    Boy in Darkness

    Book 2.5 · novella · 1956 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of Titus Alone
    Titus Alone

    Book 3 · novel · 1959

    Amazon ↗

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (1)
  1. Cover of Mr Pye
    Mr Pye

    novel · 1953

    Amazon ↗
Essays and speeches (1)
  1. The Craft of the Lead Pencil

    essay · 1946

    Amazon ↗
Children's books (2)
  1. Cover of Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor
    Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor

    children's-book · 1939

    Amazon ↗
  2. Cover of Letters from a Lost Uncle (from Polar Regions)
    Letters from a Lost Uncle (from Polar Regions)

    children's-book · 1948

    Amazon ↗
Poetry (9)
  1. Shapes and Sounds

    poetry-collection · 1941

    Amazon ↗
  2. Rhymes Without Reason

    poetry-collection · 1944

    Amazon ↗
  3. Cover of The Glassblowers
    The Glassblowers

    poetry-collection · 1950

    Amazon ↗
  4. The Rhyme of the Flying Bomb

    poetry-collection · 1962

    Amazon ↗
  5. Poems and Drawings

    poetry-collection · 1965

    Amazon ↗
  6. A Reverie of Bone and Other Poems

    poetry-collection · 1967

    Amazon ↗
  7. Cover of A Book of Nonsense
    A Book of Nonsense

    poetry-collection · 1972

    Amazon ↗
  8. Collected Poems

    poetry-collection · 2008

    Amazon ↗
  9. Complete Nonsense

    poetry-collection · 2011

    Amazon ↗
Plays (8)
  1. A Christmas Commission (A Mural for Christmas)

    radio-play · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  2. The Eye of the Beholder (The Voice of One)

    radio-play · 1956

    Amazon ↗
  3. Titus Groan: A Radio Play

    radio-play · 1956

    Amazon ↗
  4. The Wit to Woo

    play · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  5. For Mr Pye—An Island

    radio-play · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  6. Noah's Ark

    play · 1978

    Amazon ↗
  7. The Cave

    play · 1996

    Amazon ↗
  8. Mr Loftus, or a Horse of Air

    play · 2014

    Amazon ↗
Other (3)
  1. Drawings by Mervyn Peake

    graphic-work · 1950

    Amazon ↗
  2. Cover of Figures of Speech
    Figures of Speech

    graphic-work · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  3. The Drawings of Mervyn Peake

    graphic-work · 1974

    Amazon ↗