Hermann Stiehl Libros

Exploring the pressures of societal expectations, the novel follows Laurence, a seemingly perfect woman in 1960s Paris, who juggles a successful career, a loving family, and a lover. Despite her outward success, she struggles with the relentless pursuit of perfection that has overshadowed her happiness. The turning point comes when her daughter, Catherine, begins to express her frustrations about the world's injustices, prompting Laurence to confront her own sacrifices and desires. Translated by Lauren Elkin, this work delves into themes of feminism and identity.

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. The Spire is a dark and powerful portrait of one man's will, and the folly that he creates.