Sometimes, Never, three novellas by William Golding, John Wyndham, and Mervyn Peake **5/8

I bought this when I saw Peake was one of the three authors. Really, the other two stories could have been shit-storms 1+2 and I would have picked this up. Fortunately, they're both fine, with the Golding novella in particular being interesting as a tale about how life has to be lived in its own time. I also enjoyed the Wyndham, which is futuristic distopia that was written from a pleasingly-confusing perspective. But it was for the Peake that I purchased this, and it is because of the Peake that I would recommend this to people who enjoy his writing. His novella features Titus of the Gormenghast trilogy, as he navigates new territory outside the castle but also with Peake's uniquely grotesque characters, in this case talking animals. It's not essential reading, but it's recommended for Peake fans.
(Summer 2007)

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