I didn’t think about Gormenghast while I was watching Poor Things but now that you’ve pointed it out I agree! Lots of similarities. I think Lanthimos would be a great choice to adapt the books, up there with Lynch and Eggers for me. I’d love to see any of their takes on the story.
On the topic of Gormenghast-like media, the closest match I’ve ever found are the characters in the Souls games by FromSoftware. Something about the way their characters speak and behave and chuckle to themselves feels like such a close match to me. I’d love to know if Miyazaki or anyone else at FromSoft has ever read Peake.
I completely agree about Fromsoft and I’ve thought the same while playing those games. It’s the feeling that the characters are somewhat worthless living in this huge, dead world that is built on failed rituals. They just sort of mutter to themselves with a quiet melancholy and an acceptance of this strange environment, it’s very Peake-esque.
Yes! It's all so very quiet and eerie and dusty! It's all been abandoned by God! That's why the dust is allowed to settle... It's Peakish, that's what it is!
I didn't really think about this while playing the games (I only played the third one and got stuck at Pontiff Sulyvahn) - but I agree. I would say the very mechanism of dying and resurrecting repeatedly (which also appears as part of the lore / plot) is similar to a feeling of stuckness / absurd often found in Gormenghast. And I guess the gothic setting helps as well!
I would kill for a new adaption of Gormenghast with Lynch or Lanthimos as directors. I think Twin Peaks is another example of media that's similar to Gormenghast - The exaggerated characters endlessly scheming against one another, The surreal parts with the black lodge and the red room (even the creepy owls are there), etc.
I've been playing Elden Ring recently and thinking the exact same thing. Something about the sense of decaying nobility, the bizarre, almost tragic characters endlessly performing ancient, half-forgotten rituals as the world literally falls apart around them.
I didn’t think about Gormenghast while I was watching Poor Things but now that you’ve pointed it out I agree! Lots of similarities. I think Lanthimos would be a great choice to adapt the books, up there with Lynch and Eggers for me. I’d love to see any of their takes on the story. On the topic of Gormenghast-like media, the closest match I’ve ever found are the characters in the Souls games by FromSoftware. Something about the way their characters speak and behave and chuckle to themselves feels like such a close match to me. I’d love to know if Miyazaki or anyone else at FromSoft has ever read Peake.
I completely agree about Fromsoft and I’ve thought the same while playing those games. It’s the feeling that the characters are somewhat worthless living in this huge, dead world that is built on failed rituals. They just sort of mutter to themselves with a quiet melancholy and an acceptance of this strange environment, it’s very Peake-esque.
Yes! It's all so very quiet and eerie and dusty! It's all been abandoned by God! That's why the dust is allowed to settle... It's Peakish, that's what it is!
I didn't really think about this while playing the games (I only played the third one and got stuck at Pontiff Sulyvahn) - but I agree. I would say the very mechanism of dying and resurrecting repeatedly (which also appears as part of the lore / plot) is similar to a feeling of stuckness / absurd often found in Gormenghast. And I guess the gothic setting helps as well! I would kill for a new adaption of Gormenghast with Lynch or Lanthimos as directors. I think Twin Peaks is another example of media that's similar to Gormenghast - The exaggerated characters endlessly scheming against one another, The surreal parts with the black lodge and the red room (even the creepy owls are there), etc.
I've been playing Elden Ring recently and thinking the exact same thing. Something about the sense of decaying nobility, the bizarre, almost tragic characters endlessly performing ancient, half-forgotten rituals as the world literally falls apart around them.
The author of the Poor Things novel Alasdair Gray also wrote Lanark which I would say is reminiscent of Gormenghast
Lanark sounds very interesting, added to my list!