I thoroughly enjoyed this novel of deceit and deception. John Boyne is one of my favourite authors and this novel once again proves why.

I truly enjoy John Boyne's ability to develop complex characters, although this was very different because the main character is so intensely unlikeable. I had a harder time getting started with the book because of this, but once I was past the first part, I really needed to know how each character, especially Maurice, would fare.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC

First things first. Let me say: this book is an absolute must-read. Put it at the top of your to-read list. One you start it, you won’t want to set it aside as life calls.

Talk about the Adam and Eve syndrome; Maurice always wanted what he couldn’t have and made no bones about stealing it if necessary.

Was Maurice a sociopath, a psychopath, without conscience, or merely someone who thinks nothing of exploiting someone else.

It pained me to read about Erich’s unrequited love for both Oskar and then Maurice. It pained me even more when Maurice used Erich and Erich, in his desperation to be near Maurice, allowed it to happen. And it pained me still more when I could see what Maurice would do with Erich’s story.

There’s so much more. There’s Edith. And Daniel. And Theo. All great storylines.

This is such an excellent read. I would easily give it more than five stars if I could. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved it! High praise to you, Mr. Boyne.

Did I mention, I highly recommend this to my reading friends.

Such a manipulative man. Great book, loved the story. Some parts I had a hard time reading. I really enjoyed this one, my heart hurts though. No justice at all.

I don't think I have ever despised a character as much as I despised Maurice Swift. As an aspiring writer, Maurice is willing to do just about anything to obtain the stories for his novels. Unable to come up with his own creative ideas, Maurice relies on using the stories he sees and the people around him to provide him the inspiration. My favorite part about this novel is the way the first half was written from the perspective of the people with whom Maurice clings onto. Through most of the novel, a reader does not get inside the mind of Maurice, but rather gathers details about the writer from those closest to him. John Boyne is a master of character development, and I love his writing style as well as his characters (until I met Maurice). A uniquely written story, well worth the read. I am finding John Boyne's novels are quickly becoming some of my favorite.

This is a great story! Thank you to all the reviewers who rated it so highly and got me to read something I might have passed on. The main character, Maurice Swift, is a handsome, unscrupulous, and ambitious young man who will do anything to become a famous writer. The problem is that while he can write, he has trouble coming up with good ideas. What he does to get ahead makes for a terrific, terrifying tale that starts out as a rather quiet, slow burn of hurting and using other people and then builds up to a raging fire of manipulation and destruction. I am so pleased to have found a new author of this caliber and will definitely read more of his work.

I was thrilled to death for the opportunity to read an ARC of his new book. I was drawn in from the first chapter and could hardly put it down!

“You’ve heard the old proverb about ambition, haven’t you? That it’s like setting a ladder to the sky.”

Moment of truth: I am still actively avoiding Boyne’s mega-hit-with-all-my-friends The Heart’s Invisible Furies because I’m afraid I’m going to be the dissenting opinion and I don’t want to be stoned to death in the public square. I also have to confess that despite buddying up with my kid for The Boy In The Striped Pajamas a few years ago when it was a required read for school, I didn’t remember Boyne being the author so it was pretty much like he was brand new to me (and also, the latter was a YA book so my two experiences were truly apples and oranges).

I decided to roll the dice and request this from NetGalley after seeing many comments both here and Instagram regarding what a vile main character it contained. And yes, I was totally prepared to fall in love with him. Upon being approved I did what I do best - sat on it forever instead of reading it. But then it was chosen as a Book of the Month selection so I decided to bite the bullet. So what did I think of Maurice????

Ahhhh, he's not so bad.

Ha! Just kidding. He really was awful. I will say that I immediately knew where the story was going (the first part had just a teensie bit of an Apt Pupil vibe that was impossible for me to ignore). It doesn’t appear that was the case for everyone, however, and some were completely blown away by Maurice and his attitude of . . . .

“I want to be a success. It’s all that matters to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.”

Luckily it didn’t matter even one iota that this wasn’t full of shock and awe for me. The storytelling was brilliant and the only reason I’m holding out on a full 5 Stars is because I feel like I need to save at least a half for if I ever get brave enough to try The Hearts Invisible Furies.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

John Boyne has created a novel that so completely diverges from the other works that I know by him—The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Heart’s Invisible Furiesthat it’s actually hard to believe that they’re all by the same author.

Here, readers are introduced to Maurice Swift, perhaps the most unlikable character I’ve encountered in years. As the novel opens, in 1988, Maurice is a young waiter and aspiring writer living in Berlin. One day, he meets celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. A bit lonely, Ackerman takes Maurice under his wing, inviting him to travel with him on his book tour and attend various literary functions. As the two become closer, Maurice teases out of Ackerman the story of his most shameful, long-held secret. Ackerman is stunned, then, when Maurice publishes a novel based on the terrible secret. Ackerman’s career is ruined—he loses his teach job, his novels are taken out of print, and he is essentially forced into hiding. Maurice, meanwhile, is applauded and his novel becomes a sensation. And once he’s had a taste of that fame and fortune, he’ll stop at nothing to hold onto it.

The subsequent sections of the novel show the myriad writers affected by Maurice’s underhandedness. In a brief interlude, Maurice attempts to befriend an aging Gore Vidal. Years later, Maurice is married to a fellow writer whose second novel is expected to make a huge splash. A young woman finds success after Maurice rejects her from the literary magazine he started. And then, as an old man himself, Maurice meets a new aspiring young writer who expresses an interest in becoming Maurice’s official biographer.

The depths that Maurice will sink to in pursuit of critical acclaim and fortune are stunning. Boyne throws some surprises at his reader that I absolutely did not see coming. One even made me exclaim so loudly that my husband came running into the room to make sure I was okay. This is that kind of book and it’s absolutely delicious.

John Boyne did not disappoint! I'm fascinated by novels that are enjoyable to read even though the main character is a horrible human. I highly recommend

This book was absolutely amazing. I have had difficulty describing why I liked this book so much, but the best word to describe A Ladder to the Sky is “captivating”!

The story is unique, interesting, and thrilling. The plot is centralled around the main character, Maurice Swift, and his obsessive desire to be a successful published author, which he succeeds at early in his twenties with the help of Erich Ackermann, and not in the way you might think. While I was very invested in the initial story with Maurice and Erich, I was captivated with every new encounter Maurice had with other novelists and publishers as he climbed his “Ladder to the Sky”. Soon enough, it becomes apparent that Maurice is a sociopath and you can’t help but keep reading to find out what will happen next.

I love the way John Boyne writes. The flow of the conversations among the characters is smart and witty. Sometimes the dialogue would even shock me! I mean, how many writers can do that?

In summary, I absolutely loved this book. I’ll definitely remember the characters and the story forever. I’ll be highly anticipating John Boyne’s next book as well. Thank you to #Netgalley and Crown Publishing for my advanced e-book copy.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Crown Publishing and John Boyne for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

Get ready to dive into a tale of deceit and subterfuge as you discover what make Maurice Swift tick. All Maurice wants to be is a writer. A writer and a father. But not just any writer, a famous bestselling, award winning author. He is an excellent writer, the only problem is that he doesn’t have any original ideas - not even one. Maurice’s ambition is not going to let a little thing like that stop him. Why should it? By using people, stealing their stories and leaving a trail of crushed spirits (and bodies) behind him, he manages to publish successful novels. How far will he go? Will he commit the ultimate sin to get his story?

This character reminds me a bit of “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. As I learned more about Maurice, I realized this wasn’t so much an arc of this character’s descent into evil, rather, he is so cold, calculated, and unfeeling, with psychopathic tendencies, that I realized he doesn’t have a moral centre at all. His wife, Edith, wonders if he ever loved her. She couldn’t believe that even in the beginning it wasn’t a real love. The relationship with his son really illustrates how he is incapable of emotion. Claiming he always wanted a son as much as he wanted to become a writer, he finds a surrogate and along comes Daniel. Daniel is a perfect child, but reality does not live up to what Maurice thinks and he says that “he always had expected to feel unadulterated love for a child…but things hadn’t quite worked out that way”. No parental feelings of love developed, even his own child can’t stir his heart. Psychopaths can only copy the outward actions of people, because they don’t have the emotions to guide them. Watching Maurice’s story unfold and following his rise and fall is thrilling and beautiful.

Boyle has a unique voice. I love the way this was written. Suspenseful, but not in a whodunit kind of way. It flows beautifully and I was so excited to keep reading. The characters are rich, well drawn and you can’t help but feel for Maurice’s victims, even those who should have known better. My heart broke for Erich, Dash, Edith, but mostly for Daniel. Gore Vidal was delicious. Yes, Maurice doesn’t have any redeeming qualities, but I was still drawn in by him. His ability to pick his targets and like a spider, spin a web that they are powerless to escape from. The ending was completely satisfying, everything I could hope for. This was just a great read and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This was my first John Boyne book. This was a great book. It required some thinking and following so it took my longer but i really like it. It shows you how some people can take and take and then take some more to make themselves. I feel bad for all the people that he used and the story felt very life like. The end kinda blew my mind...

I don't think I've ever despised a character as much as I despise Maurice Swift, but holy, I loved this book. The writing was superb, the characters were all fascinating, the premise was intriguing, and the whole book was addictive. Nothing that I could write in this review would do the book justice - it was fantastic!

You are 2/2 Mr. Boyne. I read THIF a few months ago and absolutely adored it. While this book is completely different, it was amazing in a different way. The way @johnboyne tells his stories is captivating and immersive.
Brief Summary:
Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for success. 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.
If you are looking for a story to sweep you up this weekend, this is your book! It is now a goal to read all of his other novels, which should I read next??

Thank you @netgalley for my free review copy.

4.5 Stars* (rounded down)

Proof Positive that an author can write a novel with a truly despicable main character (and some less than likeable supporting characters) and still write a brilliant novel! All it takes is a fantastic storyteller. John Boyne is that man.

When I read “The Hearts Invisible Furies” last year I fell in love. With both Cyril Avery - the main character, and with John Boyne. Prior to that, I’d only known Boyne through the movie “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” “A Ladder in the Sky” showed me just how dynamic John Boyne is. All I can say is bravo.

In “A Ladder to the Sky” he writes of Maurice Swift a man who wants to be a successful writer. He needs it more than anything else in this world. Maurice is a man who will stop at nothing to get it. The problem is simply that he lacks ideas. He cannot come up with one iota to write about. He does however have a plan on how to write successful novels, he either steals other people’s ideas or their books and he writes them as if they are his own and he gets away with it! Bold, right? Wrong, yes? Not to Maurice!

Shown to us through the eyes of many, we see a few different sides to Maurice Swift and none are pretty. First up, is Erich Ackermann, a successful novelist in his own right, whose life Maurice all but destroys; then we meet Edith, who becomes Maurice’s wife - she of course fares no better; then, we meet Maurice himself.
The things he does to become successful are outrageous! I laughed and then I shrieked out loud. Though I immediately despised him, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by his machinations, Tsk tsk, Maurice - have you no soul? Oh right, I know the answer to that question.

“A Ladder in the Sky” is a masterpiece plain and simple and I can’t recommend it highly enough. For me, it falls a tiny bit short of “The Hearts Invisible Furies” simply because I loved those characters with my whole heart. The bottom line however is this: John Boyne is brilliant and commanding. To create a character as real and unappealing as Maurice Swift is a feat most authors are unable to achieve and here, the author does it with ease.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and John Boyne for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon, Twitter and Instagram on 11.23.18.

John Boyne is one of my absolute favorite authors, so I was thrilled to death for the opportunity to read an ARC of his new book. I was drawn in from the first chapter and could hardly put it down!

What a strange main character and story. How ironic that Maurice didn't possess a strong imagination yet is the main character in an extremely creative story. The writing is profound, the story is engaging and intriguing and the characters are well developed. It is sprinkled with references to politics, literature and other cultural forms enhancing the fictionalized account. The story dives deep into morality and loyalty. It is painful to read at times as you suspect what is coming next. Dive in - it's a wild ride.

This is the second book I have read and enjoyed by John Boyne and I will definitely be checking out his earlier books. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun to read. Sometimes you just need a character to really hate! I've never read someone as despicable as Maurice Swift, but I was constantly surprised by him and so so eager to see if he got what was coming to him in the end. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. Thank you!

I have yet to read a novel by John Boyne that I don't absolutely get engrossed with. After finding and reading The Absolutist I've been a huge fan of his. After missing the deadline to read The Heart's Invisible Furies earlier this year, I thought I could redeem myself by reading A Ladder to the Sky in order to maintain my fan status. Suffice it to say, Boyne does not disappoint.

A Ladder to the Sky is written from four different perspectives chronicling the life of this ass-wipe (excuse my French) Maurice Swift. Oh he's quite swift in his ability to manipulate and deceive. He uses his good looks and charm to swindle people of their stories. Why? Well he believes he's destined to be a great author, but he has no story to tell. He has no talent, nor imagination, yet those minimums don't matter to him when he has "ambition". Early on we see him ruin a lonely old man. He moves on then to a woman he marries and... well... we won't get into details. But what he does to her made me hate this guy.

While reading A Ladder to the Sky, I kept thinking was all this necessary? Why does being a beloved author mean so much to Maurice? And why's he such a psychopathic shit? And why wasn't this conniving twit smart enough to realize he just might be asexual? He missed a great opportunity for a story right there. Instead, he chose to focus on what he could take or be given rather than actually become a great writer finding a story of his own.

Argh-

Maurice Swift frustrated me to no end but Boyne is such an amazing writer that I couldn't just walk away. I had to see it through. I needed to see this guy get his comeuppance.

Because I don't want to give this story away, I will leave my review there. John Boyne's A Ladder to the Sky was an extremely fast moving tromp with a sociopath that most readers will enjoy. Boyne cleverly unravels the layers to this villain in a way that forces readers to tag along. There's a tendency for audiences to like or love the main character in order to keep reading a book. Boyne proves one simply needs the thrill of seeing if evil ever dies.

Copy provided by Crown Publishing via Netgalley