'...the folly isn't mine. It's God's Folly. Even in the old days He never asked men to do what was reasonable. Men can do that for themselves. They can buy and sell, heal and govern. But then out of some deep place comes the command to do what makes no sense at all - to build a ship on dry land; to sit among the dunghills; to marry a whore; to set their son on the altar of sacrifice. Then, if men have faith, a new thing comes.' Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire on his cathedral. His ...
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'...the folly isn't mine. It's God's Folly. Even in the old days He never asked men to do what was reasonable. Men can do that for themselves. They can buy and sell, heal and govern. But then out of some deep place comes the command to do what makes no sense at all - to build a ship on dry land; to sit among the dunghills; to marry a whore; to set their son on the altar of sacrifice. Then, if men have faith, a new thing comes.' Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire on his cathedral. His mason anxiously advises against it, for the old cathedral was built without foundations. Nevertheless, the spire rises octagon upon octagon, pinnacle by pinnacle, until the stone pillars shriek and the ground beneath it swims. Its shadow falls ever darker on the world below, and on Dean Jocelin in particular.
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Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $1.91, good condition, Sold by Neil Shillington rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hobe Sound, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1964 by Harvest Book.
Add this copy of Spire to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by Friends of the Phoenix Library rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 1964 by HARCOURT, BRACE, AND WORLD.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Unless specifically noted to the contrary, item may contain library markings; 100% of this purchase will support literacy programs through a nonprofit organization!
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $2.33, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1965 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of Spire to cart. $2.48, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of Spire to cart. $2.48, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of Spire to cart. $2.48, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $2.50, fair condition, Sold by Bookmans rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucson, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Houghton Mifflin.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $2.62, good condition, Sold by The Maryland Book Bank rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from baltimore, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of Spire to cart. $2.70, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1974 by Faber Faber Inc.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $2.79, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1965 by Mariner Books.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I love the medieval world and have studied the Middle Ages for many years. With few exceptions, though, I am disappointed by novels set in the period. They are either historically accurate but written in a plodding style and filled with wooden characters, or are stylishly written but full of inaccuracies and filled with characters who think 21st Century thoughts.
William Golding's "The Spire" is an exception: beautifully written, historically accurate, and peopled by characters with authentic medieval mindsets. At the same time, the events and conflicts in it reflect human characteristics that are universal, even today.
Golding was a Nobel laureate, and although this book is not one of his best known, it bears the hallmarks of a master. I highly recommend it.
