A disturbing yet evocative portrait of inspired creativity
and its cost. Jocelin, Dean of the Cathedral, is inspired and
obsessed by his visionary aim of building the spire. The vision, he
is convinced, comes from God, and he is God's instrument. However,
in the process of fulfilling his aim, others are used as
instruments too, with tragic consequences. The spire points at
heaven but - of necessity -- has its roots in frailty and
corruption. At the end of the novel, the spire stands, but the cost
is great, a mixture as complex and ambiguous as humanity
itself.
William Golding Limited has established a collaboration
with the Centre for South West Writing based at the Streatham and
Tremough campuses of the University of Exeter featuring original
writing by graduate students. Read 'The
Spire: A Construction of Desire' (PDF, 50 Kb) by Jane Costin,
PhD student, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus