Gormenghast is a vast, sprawling town of a castle, which seems to have spread organically.  Here one of its towers is likened to an aggressive finger, jabbing at heaven.  

See, as a contrast, the similarly graphic description of the hovels limpet-glued to its external walls.

‘This tower, patched unevenly with black ivy, arose like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry and pointed blasphemously at heaven.’ 

See also our bestellar review of this book, with its lavishly illustrated quote-mosaic, packed with fine phrasing and fresh metaphors.  

Source: Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan, introduction by Anthony Burgess (London: Vintage Books, 1998), p. 6

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