3.5 stars. Typically of a Golding novel, 'The Spire' is a real uphill struggle to get through, but equally typically there is great reward to be found in and at the end of your labours. At times it shares a mad, hallucinatory quality with 'Pincher Martin', which a mind can only take so much of in one sitting. My reading of 'The Spire' had ground to almost a halt when I went to see Roger Spottiswoode's adapted play at Salisbury Playhouse, having originally intended to finish the book beforehand. The brilliant - if not entirely faithful - production fully reinvigorated my approach, and gave the rest of my reading a new facet of interest. It was so worthwhile to persevere to the end, and I'm thankful for having had the play to help me along. It still feels wrong to be giving such incredible books such mediocre ratings, but I feel they are all I can give from the person that I am right now, at this point in time. These are not works you read once, assess and never come back to; you are in for life, and I am glad to be.