Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Many famous authors have delved into the art of the short story. The discipline needed can be seen as greater in many ways than sitting and writing a novel, by no means an easy task either. It has its restrictions, the conciseness of the story needs make an impact on the reader’s attention immediately, the characters need to be cared about much quicker as there is no time for them to grow upon the reader, they need to stand out more in order for anyone picking up the book to be grabbed and understood. In Royston Cole’s short story The Spider, all these conditions are met in such a manner that the story flows so well that in no time at all 105 pages are easily digested and enjoyed.