“A satire of writerly ambition wrapped in a psychological thriller . . . An homage to Patricia Highsmith, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe, but its execution is entirely Boyne’s own.”—Ron Charles, The Washington PostNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNEMaurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn’t have is … and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn’t have is talent—but he’s not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don’t need to be his own.
Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful – but desperately lonely – older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice’s first novel.
Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall. . . .
Sweeping across the late twentieth century, A Ladder to the Sky is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary virtuoso.
Praise for A Ladder to the Sky
“Boyne’s mastery of perspective, last seen in The Heart’s Invisible Furies, works beautifully here. . . . Boyne understands that it’s far more interesting and satisfying for a reader to see that narcissist in action than to be told a catchall phrase. Each step Maurice Swift takes skyward reveals a new layer of calumny he’s willing to engage in, and the desperation behind it . . . so dark it seems almost impossible to enjoy reading A Ladder to the Sky as much as you definitely will enjoy reading it.”—NPR
“Delicious . . . spins out over several decades with thrilling unpredictability, following Maurice as he masters the art of co-opting the stories of others in increasingly dubious ways. And while the book reads as a thriller with a body count that would make Highsmith proud, it is also an exploration of morality and art: Where is the line between inspiration and thievery? To whom does a story belong?”—Vanity Fair
more
What an amazing and horrifying and insightful and incredible read this was!! And to think, I almost put it down in the beginning… This was my first John Boyne – but DEFINITELY not my last. His characters are difficult (personality-wise, not to read – his writing is gorgeous) and I was struggling to fall into the story at first – or even to figure out who exactly the book was about. But I read so many reviews that gushed, so kept going – and am so very glad I did because this was a fantastically-crafted book!
The POV changes from section to section, and if you haven’t remembered or reread the blurb, as I had not, it’s easy to forget who you’re actually reading about because for most of the book the first person narrator is in fact not the protagonist (who is, incidentally, the antagonist too). It’s an unusual construct, and that’s what I was struggling with a bit in the beginning – I was looking for the “relentlessly immoral man” but found myself reading about a waiter and an author. I don’t always do well with non-traditional narrative styles – they often feel like gimmicks for the sake of being gimmicks – but once I hit my stride with this one (fairly early on) I was hooked and you couldn’t pry the book out of my hands…
Boyne has an incredible ability to paint characters that jump off the page, even when the “action” they are engaged in is inactive. He’s a phenomenal wordsmith and the story creeps into your subconscious, tangling itself into your mind until you can’t help but read it compulsively. Maurice is deplorable – utterly and completely and unapologetically so. But he’s a delicious kind of deplorable, and you can’t stop yourself from flipping pages to see what horrible device he will employ next in his unrelenting quest for fame and glory. The characters who fall to him are brilliantly contrived to both meet his/the plot’s needs AND to stand on their own as relatable humans who each suffered from a fatal flaw of their own and whose downfall is both shocking and banal at the same time. To me, that’s the true brilliance here – the evil is on naked display but much of it is massaged so it creeps up on you in intensity until BAM! it smacks you over the head with a two by four.
This was an incredible book and I am definitely lining up for the next Boyne title!
Thanks to the Penguin First to Read program for my ARC.
Best/worst diabolical unlikable hilarious and brutally honest anti-hero in a while. Loved it.
John Boyne’s novel The Heart’s Invisible Furies was one of my favorite books of 2017. If the protagonist of Furies was sympathetic, the main character in Boyne’s new book A Ladder to the Sky offers readers an entirely different type of character. For Maurice Swift uses everyone to advance his obsession to become a lionized writer of prize-winning books. On his way to the top, he breaks hearts and ruins and even ends lives. We despise him while finding him fascinating.
The story has a noir quality as Swift’s crimes become darker. I was reminded of The Talented Mr. Ripely by Patrician Highsmith. One feels almost guilty about how enjoyable it is to read about very bad people.
The people Swift has used as rungs up the ladder tell their stories, until the end when we finally hear from a declining Swift. It is a compelling story.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
I am probably one of the only readers on this site that hasn’t read John Royne before. This was a Traveling Sister read and I thank them for bringing this book to my attention.
This book is about writers, the publishing industry, how different people get their ideas to write a novel,etc, but it revolves steadily around the main character Maurice. We are taken back to 1988 Berlin where an illustrious and recently well published author, Erich Ackermann is eating at a restaurant and can’t take his eyes off of a particular waiter, we later find out this is Maurice. Erich is a homosexual who hasn’t had any physical relationships since he was young and apparently Maurice is extremely handsome. Erich is so entranced with Maurice from the start that he asks him to travel with him on his book tour through Europe and Maurice accepts.
Erich is no match for the manipulating, seducing Maurice who remains just out of reach physically to pretty much drive Erich crazy. After the book tours are completed Maurice leaves Erich, he has gotten all he wants from Erich, basically his life story which he will turn into a well received novel. Next is Dash whom he has met through Erich, he is also very attracted to Maurice and they do have a relationship, starting with Dash being a mentor to Erich into being subservient to him, it is not a pleasant thing to read about. Are there really that many people out there that would give away their stories or ideas over an infatuation with a young man? Is the author telling us through this story that there are a lot of homosexuals in the writing field, which I have no problem with but am just interested if this is his intent.
Maurice himself is a writing machine. He knows the mechanics of writing and how to add to an exciting story once he has been given an idea. He also cares not a bit if he hurts anyone in the process. Maybe some of you have encountered the type in the workplace, after all the “Ladder to the Sky” could be many professions besides writing, it could be banking, law, retail etc. Maurice really is a sociopath, maybe a psychopath if his actions really killed someone.
I felt as though the book lagged a bit in the middle, when the second narrator is introduced. For quite a while we don’t even know who this person is until her life and relationship with Maurice are revealed. This is Edith, a fantastic but insecure writer who has married Maurice. Two of Maurice’s goals in life are to be a well reputed writer and to be a father, thus the marriage as Maurice has no real love for anyone. Edith will become another of Maurice’s targets, this one much worse than the last.
The story goes on and has three basic points of view but with some interchanging at times. We learn that Maurice gets that special little one only to find it not what he had hoped. This comes to an unbelievable ending which made me really despise Maurice. But he wasn’t done yet,he manages to “steal” or re-imagine books from others ideas, always changing them up just enough so that it couldn’t be proven that he actually stole their ideas.
I did have a problem with the book industry as it is portrayed, but I have no real idea of how it all works. I will look forward to any writers who read this book and their reactions to it. The process of interns reviewing manuscripts possibly to discard a few because they were “too good”, better writers than themselves, was a really scary thought. I hope that the book is exaggerating the general system. I think someone has to be really mentally tough to put a book out there for someone to publish, I know several authors whom I’ve corresponded with who have boxes full of rejection letters before they got their published best seller 🙂
That is probably quite enough and maybe too much but I’m hoping to get you interested in the book. I was satisfied with the ending, although I had wished it would be a bit more of a balance, equal punishment for what he had done and is about to do again.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley
I would love Boyne’s grocery list. One of my all-time favorite authors. Another great read.
This book is so amazing, I read it in a day. Not just any day. A day I had the coronavirus. It allowed me to forget for a little while, and it was glorious. Captivating world building and story-telling. This book is a masterclass is pacing and character development.
I am more of a reader than a writer, but I have taken some creative writing classes, so I could relate to some of the thrust of this book. I was shocked at the sociopathic tendencies of the main “writer.” Interesting questions…
A novel about a psychopathic writer who is so ambitious that there is absolutely nothing he will not do to gain acclaim. Ruining lives, no problem. Ending inconvenient lives, a little more difficult but certainly doable for our handsome lad. I cannot get this guy out of my head-I may need an exorcism. The book is told from different points of view and at least one historical character, Gore Vidal, is brilliantly portrayed. I see comparisons to “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” but honestly I think Tom had some redeeming social value compared to Maurice Swift. I recommend it highly if you like psychological thrillers. Psychotic is more accurate, perhaps.
John Boyne is a relatively new discovery for me, a writer of immense talent. In his latest novel, he not only tells a compelling story with a complex protagonist, but also explores the integrity of the publishing business. AND, as if that weren’t enough, he forced me to ponder the nature of personal morality in a way that STILL has me thinking.
The central character is Maurice Swift. When we meet him he is a young and very handsome waiter working in Berlin with only two life ambitions: he wants to be a successful writer and he wants to become a father. He is fascinated with stories. When Maurice spots an older, well-known British author in the cafe, he introduces himself and the two begin a friendship that begins to open doors for Maurice.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book is its changing voice. While Maurice eventually narrates SOME of his own story, much of what we learn about him comes from the viewpoint of others who enter and then fade out of Maurice’s life. First, from that older writer at the cafe, Erich Ackermann. Then, from a second-rate American writer, Dash Hardy, to whom Maurice is introduced. Later, author Gore Vidal crosses Maurice’s path. Then from Maurice’s wife and son. And much later, from a would-be biographer.
Central to Maurice is his ambition. As his story progresses, we begin to witness all the ways he uses both his looks and those around him to advance his career. It beings with simple “networking.” But slowly, as he achieves greater success and reveals more about himself, Maurice’s interactions and decision-making become more questionable.
Along the way, Boyne manages to raise other profound questions. Is the publishing industry overly ruthless in its quest for financial success? How important are looks to achieving success? If a mistake, made in youth, comes to light when the perpetrator is much older, should it still matter? Exactly where is “the line” that should NEVER be crossed when trying to achieve your dream?
Anytime I come across a book that offers me a great story AND forces me to BOTH think about important life questions AND feel strong emotions, I consider that great literature. This book easily qualifies.
Not since Patricia Highsmith’s, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) has there been such a diabolical psychopath. Well Done!
Maurice Swift is a writer who has reached success in what appears to be from unconventional and dubious ways. His story is told through the narratives of those he’s encountered who have significantly influenced his journey and have, in turn, been impacted by their encounters with him.
I knew going into this book that Maurice (pronounced as Morris) was going to be a challenging character to stick with but I wasn’t prepared for my strong repulsion of this man. The trail of human carnage he leaves behind is only tempered, at times, by their own shortcomings. Most of what we learn about him is through these narratives and they are brutally honest not only about Maurice but the storyteller. It makes them extremely reliable narrators, which set my expectations for his eventual perspective. Maurice’s ambition isn’t eclipsed by anything else in his makeup other than his lack of empathy. You just keep hoping that there will be some poetic justice by the end of the story.
I’m so glad I opted for the audio version as the multiple narrators were not only essential but outstanding in their passionate delivery of the story. The performances for Erich Ackerman and Gore Vidal were pitch perfect! I highly recommend the audiobook.
The title is born from the proverb “ambition is putting a ladder to the sky,” the sometimes futility of it and depths of a potential fall. This story is a compelling and ugly illustration of that in Maurice Swift. It had me questioning whether he’s a norm in the industry or an extreme outlier. Some of his behavior we’ve seen before, just not normally successfully sustained for as long as he was able to pull off. He uses his assets effectively, preying on the human condition in powerful ways. It’s a fascinating story that also shares insights into the writing arena that’s not pretty. I highly recommend it not for the salacious factor but because it exposes how someone like you and me can willing open herself or himself to be exploited and used by someone who doesn’t earn our trust but gets it simply because we’re drawn to superficial qualities or seeing what we want and desire instead of the reality.
(Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
4 stars
After a couple of failed starts with Ladder to the Sky, I finally cracked it open for the final time and got swept away in Boyne’s magnificent story telling. It has been a long time since I have read a book where the author created a character so despicable that I was actually wishing for Maurice to get his comeuppance and a swift (pun intended) kick in the…, well, I’ll leave that up to you to fill in the blank.
This book is full of rich and developed characters and the stories and horrors they tell had me captivated and glued to my Kindle. My favorite “story” was the one narrated by Edith. In some aspects, I knew what was going to happen (but not all!) and like a train wreck, I could not turn away. I was so captivated by this section of the book.
All in all, this book was an amazing read; the writing is flawless and the story flows. But I just couldn’t give this 5 stars because I did feel like there were some “draggy” parts and the ending basically made me want to throw my Kindle against the wall. I am sure that was what Boyne intended, but for me, I needed something different.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Crown Publishing for my copy of this book via NetGalley
I was fascinated by the stories told by the real writers in this novel, but I didn’t like Maurice Swift at all, which is why I didn’t rate this book very highly. It just wasn’t for me.
Maurice is a manipulative thief and an evil person, bent on one thing – to be recognized as a great writer. He stops at nothing to achieve his goal, and if anyone gets in his way, he destroys them.
#ALadderToTheSky #JohnBoyne
I Loved this book. I’m going back and reading all of his books.
If you want an entertaining read that you can’t put down, this is it.
A completely despicable protagonist with absolutely no redeemable qualities, but I kept waiting for him to get his comeuppance. I had to finish this book. I love John Boyne’s writing.
We’ve all seen novels with suspiciously similar storylines. Some with publication dates so close together that it’s eery. Are there really enough ideas in the world to allow every writer to have their own? In A Ladder to the Sky, John Boyne uses his characters to say, yes. There is inspiration all around. There are observations, overheard secrets, and shared conversations for the taking. Every thought we have likely has its roots in a personal or observed life experience. Who has the rights to these fleeting plotline ideas? Who owns a story?
Boyne’s main character embraces the wealth of inspiration and allows it to fuel his ambition for success and fame to dysfunctional levels. A Ladder to the Sky is dark and satirical, and uses a variety of POV’s to show firsthand accounts of the consequences that result. This was the kind of book I didn’t want to keep reading due to the nature of the story, but I had to because of my investment. Many people get hurt to ensure the success of one. It happens every day. Check it out.