Today Mervyn Peake's reputation rests largely on his three novels, Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950), and Titus Alone (1959) which became widely known after they were published as Penguin Modern Classics in 1968. Prior to that, Peake was known rather for his poems, paintings, drawings, and book illustrations. Specialists still consider the pictures he provided for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner as one of the most powerful interpretations of the poem, and his Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as the most memorable illustrated edition. During the 1950s most of Peake's energy went into playwriting, but only one of his plays reached the London stage.

The younger son of

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First published 28 February 2003

Citation: Winnington, G Peter. "Mervyn Peake". The Literary Encyclopedia. 28 February 2003.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3515, accessed 9 February 2010.]