'...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. $3.02, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1965 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of The Spire (Sun Microsystems Press Java Ser. ) to cart. $3.09, very good condition, Sold by Vashon Island Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Vashon, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1965 by Harcourt Trade Publishers.
Add this copy of The spire. to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by Bedrock Books & Art rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Helena, MT, UNITED STATES, published 1966 by Pocket Books.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $4.30, 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 The Spire to cart. $4.79, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Houghton Mifflin.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $6.00, good condition, Sold by The History Place rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Palestine, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1964 by Harcourt. Brace And Company.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $7.00, very good condition, Sold by The Book House - Saint Louis rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from St. Louis, MO, UNITED STATES, published 1966 by Pocket Books, Inc..
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $7.00, very good condition, Sold by Olympia Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dowagiac, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1965 by Mariner Books.
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $7.09, good condition, Sold by HPB-Red rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Mariner Books.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or limited writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Spire to cart. $7.10, fair condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Mariner Books.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches dents worn and creased covers folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing age related spots and browning. May NOT include discs access code or other supplemental materials.
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.
