"A small classic of horror." -- Michiko Kakutani,
The New York Times "Brilliant. . . . The sensuous world that McGrath creates is intense in its beauty. . . mesmerizing." --Katherine Dunn,
The New York Times Book Review "Disturbing, wholly absorbing. . . a combination murder mystery/dark-night-of-the-soul. . . touchingly, menacingly brilliant." --
Chicago Tribune "A gorgeous, painful howl of madness, shockingly perfect." --Jonathan Hawkes
"Has the compelling quality of felt reality [that] feels like the inevitable truth.
Spider is a thriller of sorts, as well as a psychological case study. . . a gem." --
Washington Post Book World "McGrath especially excels at evoking the latent horro in commonplace sights. . . . [He] has created a manifestly untrustworthy storyteller without sacrificing suspense or sympathy for his characters." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
"[
Spider] is as creepy as a fleshy incarnation of an Edward Gorey drawing. . . . McGrath's a shrewd performer. You're fascinated; you're enthralled. . . it's a pleasure to be mesmerized." --
Newsday "Truly outstanding. . . evocative. . . Accomplished in the sinister and macabre, McGrath transcends his already solid reputation with a powerfully realized character who simply won't let you go." --
Christian Science Monitor "The strength of
Spider is in the character of the deeply human, if mad, protagonist who emerges as a formidable sufferer among the Gothic trappings. . . . McGrath is a sly literate who. . . has talent--in spades." --
Philadelphia Inquirer
Spider is gaunt, threadbare, unnerved by everything from his landlady to the smell of gas. He tells us his story in a storm of beautiful language that slowly reveals itself as a fiendishly layered construction of truth and illusion. With echoes of Beckett, Poe, and Paul Bowles, Spider is a tale of horror and madness, storytelling and skepticism, a novel whose dizzying style lays bare the deepest layers of subconscious terror.