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.