I read Equus and Five Finger Exercise, gave up on Shrivings after a scene or two.
Equus is the famous Shaffer play I've heard so much about, and its themes are quite intriguing, but Shaffer's writing just strikes me as annoying and occasionally melodramatic. Also, the psychologist's dilemma in Equus about whether or not he should cure the disturbed boy who blinded six horses because it might just make him ordinary like everyone else struck me as strange at best.
Five Finger Exercise was beyond tedious and did not move me in any way. Shrivings started out the same way, so it was time to put the book down. There are far too many better books to read out there.
A huge disappointment. Five Finger Exercise and Shrivings have absolutely nothing to recommend them. Terrible dialogue and unbelievable characters. Equus at least has a more challenging theme and Shaffer makes more of an effort to dramatise the story. Still something less than a masterpiece though, in my view.