The Absolutist

By: John Boyne

Narrated by: Michael Maloney

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Best Solo Narration, 2013

It is September 1919: Twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the Great War. But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan's visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden himself of it. As Tristan recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will - from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain.

The Absolutist is a masterful tale of passion, jealousy, heroism, and betrayal set in one of the most gruesome trenches of France during World War I. This novel will keep listeners on the edge of their seats until its most extraordinary and unexpected conclusion, and it will stay with them long after they've finished.

©2011 John Boyne (P)2012 Tantor

Boyne’s heart and skill is unsurpassed

This is the last of John Boyne’s available audio books. I’ve listened to them all, which is sad for me. His stories are so varied and unique, so vivid, beautiful and absorbing. They are intelligent, well-researched and realistic. His characters are flawed and human, with the ability to wrench your heart. When The Absolutist ended, one had a feeling that this might be his own story, but the era makes that out of the question.

I don’t give five stars lightly - perhaps only six or seven - and I have listened to over two hundred books.

If you love novels that challenge your mind and your soul, without projection or superfluous descriptions, I urge you to read/listen to this one, and all of his others.

I’m a big fan.

Mr

loved it. I highly recommend I also applaud all involved and am very grateful to have been a participating audience of this touching story ❤️

Painful and Worth Your Time

Would you listen to The Absolutist again? Why?

I don't like this question. I probably will not listen to this book again---but not because it's not brilliant. It's ugly and I don't want to go through it again. But it is a great work.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Absolutist?

Tristan's meeting with his father before shipping out to war.

What does Michael Maloney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Does a great job of bringing the characters to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It sickened me. Man's inhumanity can be overwhelming.

Any additional comments?

I like the book and recommend it but it's not for everyone. You'll gain insight into human suffering but there is nothing uplifting in the book. If you need "happy endings" this wouldn't be for you.

So, I recommend it with a caution.

Chris Reich, TeachU

Tough going

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars for the story. It is beautifully written and well plotted. The characters, however, were not deeply drawn and so my compassion was limited for them despite how terribly sad the story is. I have to say that I strongly disagree with the negative reviews of the narrator. I thought he was superb. His voice is wonderful and he distinguishes between the characters very well. I will actually seek him out. I wonder if some of the criticism of too loud and then too soft might more justly be applied to the sound engineer.

Intense

Love and war with a twist. Heartbreak and horror. Bleak but very intense. The narrator was perfect for this kind of story.

Great Candidate for a Discussion Group

I thought the characters were well developed and put into a setting seldom used. In fact, it was the setting which made me select the book, not the topic.
And the topic - well, it's something we're all forced to have an opinion of in this age - not having an opinion on this matter is considered a crime of omission.
And that's why I would nominate this book for group discussion - because while reading this book I had several interesting thoughts - and that's a compliment to the author. What intrigues me is that I suspect my thoughts are not the normal reaction to the characters and the situation.
Well done. A book that gives me new thoughts, that is my compliment to the author.

Great story, poor narrator

As many reviewers have noted, it is a difficult book to review without giving away what is better left to the slow, intense unfolding which is skillfully handled by Boyne. Friendship, moral issues, and the nature of humanity is explored by way of the complicated interaction of two young men who meet in the process of being sent to a brutal war, and the fall-out from that interaction. I admired the carefully controlled, seemingly low-key manner by which Boyne discloses this very emotional tale. I doubt that I would read this again, but not because it was a disappointment or not worthy.
My only complaint was the narrator. Maloney has a very pleasant speaking voice and isn't too bad at various accents. (No idea where the Sargeant was from, though) Maloney needs some training--or something--in reading before a mic. He doesn't seem to understand how to create intensity or anger without simply shouting. Since most of the first person narrative is delivered in well-modulated sotto voce, the sudden too-high volume as a character expresses strong emotion or distance is jarring and unpleasant. Just pulling away from the mic or muffling it would have helped. If Maloney could improve his technique, he could be a very good narrator.
Despite the narration, I recommend the book with no reservations.

Lovely

If you could sum up The Absolutist in three words, what would they be?

Wasn't expecting to be so moved by this book, but I was. Very sweet, tender and sad.

deeply disturbing novel of war and mistakes

this novel was seriously disturbing, but really good.

it's extremely emotional. an intimate portrayal of a soldier and all the mistakes he makes in relationships, in war, in love. it's truly moving and tragic and very powerful.

the narrator brought tristan to life in a really wonderful way...making him just sympathetic enough for you to want to read on (listen), but also bringing the ringing truth about his decisions into plain sight.

it's a book that will stick with you a while.

Impossible to hear

The narrator does a good job… a little too good. He SCREAMS as generals and whispers as other characters. If you are listening on headphones, you’ll be adjusting the volume nonstop.