Publisher's summary
"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 Post)
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post and Minneapolis Star Tribune
Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, 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 20th 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)
Critic reviews
"Maurice has the heart of a sniper...marvelously engaging, barbed and witty." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A darkly funny novel that races like a beating heart." (People)
"Maurice Swift may not be much of a novelist, but he inhabits a literary tradition going to back to Patricia Highsmith. Boyne’s protagonist is Tom Ripley as literary climber.... Boyne’s novel is about high literature but has lower, juicier ambitions, at which it wildly succeeds." (Vulture)
Featured Article: Standout Contemporary Irish Authors You Should Give a Listen
Ireland may be a small country, but it's brimming with talent. Just listen to some of these popular contemporary Irish authors and see if you're not impressed with what this North Atlantic island has to offer to the literary community. Winning prestigious awards and topping best seller lists, today’s Ireland-born-and-bred authors are making a big impression on the literary world. Here are some contemporary Irish authors you should listen to now.
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What listeners say about A Ladder to the Sky
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Autodidact
- 12-02-18
Wish there we 20 novels by John Boyne yet unread!!
His work is the best writing and story I have had the pleasure to discover
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9 people found this helpful
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- Kari
- 02-23-19
Good book.
Good book. Needs better a-ha rollout at end. Dramatic ending happens too quickly with not enough bread crumbs to get us there.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kambiz Tavabi
- 09-27-20
A True Villain
Maurice, is evil personified, a narcissistic monster that Boyne easily compels one to take pity on, if not envy a wee bit. And the performance is delicious.
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1 person found this helpful
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- truthseeker marie
- 09-29-19
in the top 3 of the last 100 books i read
i write one review a year when a book delights and moves me in an exceptional way. not a review as much as a sincere recommendation. This is such a clever and well-written book. Wonderful, rich characters, with a plot and structure that keeps it really fresh and interesting. beautiful exploration of ambition and self-delusion and the human psyche... like a really satisfying puzzle. i rarely cant put a book down, but i didnt want to set this one down. and then i was sad i had finished it.
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- David/Kathy S.
- 06-07-23
Great story and performance
Original story with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Beautifully written. Don’t miss this one!
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- Brad Zerkel
- 12-20-23
This author
The author keeps getting better with every book I read. The main character is so soulless it makes the story so believable..
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- krolik
- 07-22-21
sour story of unmitigated literary ambition
Morris Swift is a handsome ruthless cad intent on literary success, despite a problem coming up with good plots. The picture of the literary world from the 1990s to present seems dated and the author does not really explore the issues of whether there are any really new stories to tell , as Morris steals other writers' ideas and writes them as his own. Still Morris has some good lines, definite wit, as he makes his felonious career.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Victoria R. Shemaria
- 05-22-21
It’s a very long book and at times, confusing. Especially towards the end, when a lot is going on.
Seems it took a long novel to get the point across. I’m sure there are many points, but overall, summed up: You reap what you sow.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tracy
- 01-14-19
enjoyable but predictable
it was highly predictable but well written and entertaining. it was performed quite well also.
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- DandyDM
- 10-09-19
Non Stop
This booked grabbed my attention from the start and never let it go. Truly exceptional.
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