Recommendations for a Gormenghast fan?

[Oubliette]

Hi,
I know there's nothing else like Gormenghast, but I'm wondering what books other Peake fans enjoy and would classify as at least slightly similar or on a par with Gormenghast.

I'm looking for something with at least some of the following:

- A fantastic or surreal element
- A gothic element
- Genrebending aspects
- Flawed, disabled, evil or bizarre main character(s)
- Dark comedy or satire
- Challenging Not a must, but it would be a plus if it challenges the reader in terms of its themes, vocabulary or length (I'm an English student from Denmark, so I try to find books that will make me a better reader )

A few authors that I love and would put in this category are: Angela Carter, Shirley Jackson, Oscar Wilde, Nicola Barker (though I haven't read much by her yet), Gene Wolfe and Patrick McGrath.

Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Ronny]

You might like, Pfitz, by Andrew Crumey. I think it has a little similarity to Gormenghast, but it is hard to explain why, they just felt the same I guess.

An eighteenth-century prince devotes his entire wealth and the energy of his subjects to the creation of Rreinnstadt, a fantastic city that exists only on paper and in the minds of its creators. Among Rreinnstadt's fictional inhabitants is Pfitz, a count's loyal servant who mysteriously disappears one night from a tavern. Andrew Crumey's exploration of the rich territory between reality and fantasy reveals a genuine affection for character and the terrain of the human heart."

 

[Oubliette]

Thanks a lot Ronny! Pfitz sounds great and I'd never heard of it before - Can't wait to get my hands on it

 

[zen]

might have a look for that as well thanks.. i loved Gormenghast... did you watch the tv mini series with Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Steerpike? lots of good actors in it, loved it too.