134 — William Golding's 'The Spire'

About this episode

The episode discusses William Golding's novel 'The Spire', exploring its themes and architectural significance.

In our final episode of 2025, we discussed William Golding's 1964 novel 'The Spire', a deeply psychological portrayal of the construction of a cathedral spire in the 14th century, heavily influenced by Salisbury Cathedral. One of the great architectural novels, this episode contains extensive spoilers, so we recommend reading it or listening to the audiobook before you listen to this episode! Find this episode on YouTube to follow along with the images: https://youtu.be/Z2bjd950HOQ?si=yZ0nUn31nYVtLkvg Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

People in this episode

Hosts: Luke Jones, George Gingell

Topics covered

• architecture
• literature
• psychology
• cathedrals
• historical fiction
• construction

Keywords

• William Golding
• The Spire
• Salisbury Cathedral
• cathedral construction
• psychological novel
• architecture
• 14th century

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Spire

Places: Salisbury Cathedral

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