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A review by nlgn
Vast Alchemies: The Life and Work of Mervyn Peake by G. Peter Winnington
5.0
(NB: a review of the older, unillustrated and non-'definitive' edition)
This is not a definitive biography of Peake -- Winnington's inability (due to the Peake Estate) to illustrate his text with direct quotes and images prevents it from being that -- but it is very, very good. There is a wealth of detail about the conditions under which Peake produced his work, the people with whom he interacted, and a sympathetic rendering of the man himself. My next return to Gormenghast will be much enhanced as a result.
This is not a definitive biography of Peake -- Winnington's inability (due to the Peake Estate) to illustrate his text with direct quotes and images prevents it from being that -- but it is very, very good. There is a wealth of detail about the conditions under which Peake produced his work, the people with whom he interacted, and a sympathetic rendering of the man himself. My next return to Gormenghast will be much enhanced as a result.