It seems that no matter what topic John Boyne tackles, he is always on point. I suppose this is because he has such a talent for seeing what truly makes up humanity, and at heart, isn't that where all stories start? I opened this book, and from page one was completely immersed in another world, another time; at the last page I emerged as though from a long nap, shaking my head wondering where the time went.

Fantastic!! Ever since I read The Hearts Invisible Furies and loved it, John Boyne has been a favorite author of mine. His latest book A Ladder to the Sky is just as phenomenal as his other work and was truly a pleasure to read. The plot is dark and psychologically complex with many layers that initially reads like a series of short stories. A very clever framework indeed.

We are introduced to young and ambitious Maurice Swift, an aspiring writer, through the eyes of Erich Ackermann, an award winning author and lecturer. As Erich becomes infatuated with handsome Maurice, he begins sharing details about his past as a young man living in Naxi Germany - personal details he has never shared with anyone before. Maurice uses his charms to entice lonely Erich into revealing a sordid tale that Maurice then uses to write his first book and achieve the success he has so desperately wanted. This is just the beginning of Maurice’s treachery and manipulation because, although he is a talented writer, he lacks the creativity to come up with fascinating ideas. In a nutshell, his stories are boring...and Maurice will do ANYTHING to be a famous and prized writer.

I will admit it took me a little getting used to the switching of perspectives, but once the story is in full swing, I barely noticed anymore. The writing is phenomenal. Boyne has a gift with words that reminds me of throwing a dart into the bull’s eye with each sentence. The characters are superbly developed. Such a unique telling of an age old question - to what lengths would one go to get ahead?

A gracious thank you to the publisher for an ARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

While the premise of this book was quite interesting, I found it hard to read. It was depressing and I was just ready for it to end. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone I know but others obviously enjoyed it. It just wasn't for me.

A Ladder to the Sky tells the life story of fame hungry, Maurice Swift. Maurice Swift longs to be an acclaimed writer. The only problem is that he has no talent. This book stretches through time as Swift's moral compass gets thrown completely away and Swift loses his wife and child all for the sake of fame.
I found the storyline to be just ok at points, but I kept reading on in shock of the relentlessly immoral decisions Maurice was swept up in. The writing was superb and kept me wanting more. I definitely recommend for anyone.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read John Boyne, but after reading A Ladder to the Sky, I will definitely be reading more of his books.

A Ladder to the Sky Is on my Top 5 for 2018! The book was addicting for the fact I could not put it down.

Maurice Swift is a character you love to hate. He wants nothing more in life than to be a successful writer and a father. Maurice has the remarkable ability to write, but lacks the imagination to come up with good stories. He is ruthless, manipulative, and as you read you find out he will do anything to reach his goal.

Just how far is Maurice willing to go? How does befriending Maurice impact the other character’s lives?

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC.

3.5 stars


What do you do when you have the blind ambition to be a writer and while you can write, you just don’t have a creative idea in you ? If you are the unscrupulous, narcissistic, slime ball named Maurice Swift - you do anything that it takes - steal their stories and their books and ruin their lives. I wasn’t going to read this, but 33 trusted GR friends gave it 5 stars and more than a handful gave it 4 stars so how could I resist? Besides, I really enjoy Boyne’s writing and I loved his last book. So I read this more out of curiosity than anything else wondering what my thoughts would be because I don’t usually like books where the main character is as despicable as Maurice. Bottom line is that I couldn’t stand him and what he does and more than once I almost gave up, in particular after the middle section. I continued reading because I hoped with every page that he would get his. I’m not going to spoil this for anyone who hasn’t read this yet. You’ll have to find out for yourself.

The writing is as good as it always is in a book by Boyne. The characterization is phenomenal not just of Maurice, but of Erich Ackermann and Dash Hardy, two men who are pathetically obsessed with Maurice and who fall prey to his devious schemes. My favorite character and perhaps the only one I felt anything for is his wife Edith who definitely “falls” prey to Maurice. I also was heartbroken for his son, Daniel. My favorite part of the novel was the clever conversation and interaction between Gore Vidal and Maurice. The discussions about who own the ideas for a book in various places in the novel were food for thought . I got through it in spite of my aversion, dare I say hate of Maurice, mainly because of Boyne’s writing. For that, I’ll have to bump up to 4 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Hogarth/Crown through NetGalley.

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. 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...

My Thoughts:
As I was scanning through upcoming books some weeks ago, I saw that John Boyne had a new book coming out this fall. That's as far as I read before I requested this book. I went into the book having absolutely no idea what this collection of closely connected short stories was about.

Because of that, as I was reading the first story, I almost set the book aside. I thought this was going to be about Erich Ackermann, an aging author who had only ever had mediocre success and then won a prize. It was too close to Andrew Sean Greer's Less, which was still fairly fresh in my mind. I'd enjoyed that book quite a bit but I wasn't ready to read another one so similar.

Fortunately, Boyne's writing is so wonderful that I wasn't ready to give up on the book after the first story. This is a long quote, but well worth the time it will take you to read it:
"I found myself drinking a glass of rose outside a bar in Montmartre, a chestnut tree shading me from the late summer sunlight, while I observed the closing moments of a marriage. A woman in her late forties, very beautiful, with short black hair and expensive sunglasses, had been sitting alone since my arrival with a large glass of white wine and an envelope on the table before her. She had already smoked three cigarettes and was lighting a fourth when a man appeared, perhaps a little older thinner but dressed just as smartly, holding his hands in the air in apology for his tardiness, and she stood to allow him to kiss her on both cheeks. The waitress brought a second glass and she poured some wine for him as he reached into his bag and removed a similar envelope to hers. They spoke for some time and at one point he laughed and put an arm around her shoulders before they picked up the envelopes and took out two lengthy documents. Turning to the last page of each they allowed their pens to hover over the paper for only a moment before signing simultaneously, then passed each one to the other, whereupon they signed again. Finally, the man returned both forms to his bag and the couple removed their wedding rings, dropping each one into their glasses before standing up, kissing on the kips and walking off in opposite directions, their hands drifting out behind them, their fingers touching momentarily before they disappeared from my sight an, presumably, from each other's lives."
I just love the way Boyne has told an entire story in one paragraph and the way I am able to so clearly see this scene playing out before me.

As you'll have noticed in the summary, this isn't, after all, Erich Ackermann's story. It's Maurice's story but told through the eyes of several different people as Maurice's life progresses, including one story written in first person by Maurice's wife with a twist I definitely didn't see coming.

Maurice is not without talent; he can write well. But he has no creativity and is incapable of coming up with fresh new ideas for books. And therein lies his moral dilemma. From the minute he takes Erich's life story and turns it into a best-selling novel, the line between right and wrong blurs for Maurice.
"You've written a novel that features Erich Ackermann as a character?" asked Howard.
"I suppose that's a reasonable way of putting it, yes."
"And does he mind?"
"He hasn't said one way or the other."
"Did you have to ask his permission?"
"No."
"Isn't there some sort of moral conflict there then?" asked Howard.
"None whatsoever,"said Dash. "There can be no discussion of morality when it comes to art. A writer must tell the story that captures his soul."
Dash goes on here to point out that many authors write about the lives of other people, tell their stories, and no one questions their right to do so. The historical fiction genre is loaded with books that rely on the stories of real people to create their story around. When have you crossed the line? When you take other people's story ideas when their lack of skill will never allow that story to see the light of day? Or must you steal an entire book and pass it off as your own?
"And you've heard the old proverb about ambition, haven't you?"He shook his head."That it's like setting a ladder to the sky. A pointless waste of energy."
Maurice is so driving to succeed as a writer that he never entertains the possibility that he won't succeed, never sees it as a pointless waste of energy. Even when he is caught out, he has so convinced himself that he has done nothing wrong, that he is almost able to justify to the reader as well.

I haven't read a book with this unlikable a character in a long while but Boyne just proves that point that characters need not be likable to make you appreciate them as a character, to make their story worth reading. And Maurice's story is definitely one worth reading.

Holy moly, y'all! This book was absolutely crazy, crazy good. John Boyne has solidified himself as one of my auto-buy authors, and I definitely want to catch up on his backlist. I was nervous going into this, seeing as how The Heart's Invisible Furies was my favorite book last year, and even in the last ten years. This novel also sounded so very different than his previous works. Yet his ability to create a character study with an utterly compelling plot is spot on.
Each section of the book is told from the point of view of a character that (unwittingly) helps the single minded Maurice move up the ladder of literary fame - including an entertaining interlude with Gore Vidal. The chapters start out quietly absorbing, with witty dialogue and dry humor that begins to take a dark turn with excruciating foreshadowing. The section from his wife Edith's perspective, written in the second person, is utterly haunting and I literally could not put the book down until I finished her story. Then I was riveted until the very end as Maurice narrated the final chapter, and I guffawed at the satisfying and darkly humorous end.
A Ladder to the Sky would make for a superior book club discussion, with a lot of themes to chew on. What are the consequences of our actions when we are young? Should our mistakes color our lives and work as an adult? What kind of mistakes? (Rather timely, no?) Or the concept of ownership and plagiarism - what stories are ours to tell? There was a good deal that was reminiscent of Ann Patchett's Commonwealth in this regard.
Some readers are turned off by unlikeable characters, and oftentimes I can understand why - I wrote a bit about this subject awhile ago here. But when it comes to a suspenseful novel, they totally work for me and Maurice is a deliciously evil villain that one can't help love to loathe. If this is a stumbling point, I would still wholeheartedly endorse this book, as I do not believe anyone would regret the experience.
Thank you so very much to the folks at Hogarth and NetGalley for a complimentary digital galley in exchange for my honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hogarth Books and John Boyne for the opportunity to read and review his latest work. Wow - 4.5 stars for this one! I didn't read his big buzz book last year, The Heart's Invsible Furies, but I think I need to put it on my to-read list. However, at first, I wasn't sure about this book - be prepared for unlikeable characters and talk of gay sex. But as I got into it, I couldn't put it down.

Maurice Swift is a handsome young man who wants to be a writer; unfortunately, he doesn't have the natural ability and doesn't have the imagination to come up with his own stories. Working as a waiter in Germany, he meets an older, celebrated novelist, Erich Aukermann, who quickly becomes obsessed with the young man. When Erich divulges his past to Maurice, Maurice knows he found the story he can write. He does and it becomes a hit, although there are consequences for Erich. But now Maurice is on the hunt for more stories and ideas that he can use - so up he climbs the ladder of ambition, leaving others in his shadow.

The writing is wonderful and this is a true character study of a psychopath who will let nothing stop him from the success he feels is rightly is. This one deserves the buzz it's getting.

{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Maurice Swift, A Man You’ll Love to Hate – If you were one of the legions of fans of Cyril Avery, John Boyne’s main character in The Heart’s Invisible Furies, be prepared to have a MUCH different reaction to Maurice Swift! He starts out as a young wannabe writer with absolutely NO original ideas. Maurice soon befriends lonely, aging author Erich Ackermann and manipulates the man into sharing the deepest, darkest secret in his life. In short order the author’s secret becomes Maurice’s first bestseller, destroying Ackermann in the process. And, that is NOT the worst of Maurice’s crimes in his never-ending hunt for good ideas. Throughout A Ladder to the Sky I alternated between shock and awe at this truly evil man.

A Fun Foray Into the Publishing World – As Maurice used his unusual “talents” to enter the publishing world, so too did the reader. I enjoyed learning about writers’ tours, finding and keeping agents and publicists, and the many stressors affecting authors. Maurice went through more than one publisher as his career waxed and waned. The pressure he felt to continue publishing and remain “relevant” felt very real, something I imagine many authors might feel. His large ego led Maurice to always believe he was best and to almost hate anyone who garnered more accolades than he did. I almost felt sorry for him. ALMOST!

Boyne’s Writing – Make no mistake about it, John Boyne’s writing, his storytelling craft is the real star of A Ladder to the Sky. His ability to breathe life into his characters continues to amaze me, and the fact that he does it equally well with heroes and villains has quickly made Boyne one of my favorite authors.

“For a time, I feared that I was finished. The greatest writer of his generation, stalled for lack of an original thought. Really, I should have had more self-belief. If I’d learned nothing else since leaving Yorkshire at the end of the 1980’s, it was that, like the proverbial cat, I had a habit of landing on my feet.”

What Didn’t
The End – While I very much liked where Maurice ended up and and even how it happened, I also felt it dragged on and on. Sadly, I grew a little bored in the last quarter of A Ladder to the Sky, anxious to have everything wrap up. This was also the part of the book where Maurice’s actions felt least believable to me.

{The Final Assessment}
Overall, A Ladder to the Sky has only made me a bigger fan of John Boyne. A well-written story is always a pleasure and this was no exception. While it’s true that I liked The Heart’s Invisible Furies a bit more, I can highly recommend A Ladder to the Sky. Just be prepared for a VERY different type of story. Grade: B+

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

As I read the differences between a sociopath and a psychopath, I still can't determine which of those terms define Maurice Swift because he fits the worst parts each personality disorder. Maurice is a horrible person and is only concerned with getting what he wants. What Maurice wants most is fame and success as a writer and the fact that he steals ideas and actual written works and destroys lives to achieve those things does not concern him one bit. Maurice will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Maurice manipulates people and events throughout his life and it's a shame that he is so handsome and physically desirable that two men allow him to walk all over them and destroy their lives, just so they can be near him, in the hopes that he will give them even a little attention. It's appalling to think that these men know they are being manipulated and allow it to happen. I very much enjoyed the part of the book where Gore Vidal sees right through Maurice, rejecting him completely, and I wish everyone in this book could/would have done so.

As Maurice builds a life on lie and deceit, one can only hope he'll get his comeuppance and that is what the final third of the book delivers in the most wonderful way. Maurice's egotism is his undoing and I loved that while he was still trying to manipulate, he became the manipulated. Still, even when he is down, Maurice is never really down. He takes no blame for anything, feels no guilt for anything, and will never stop being an antisocial beast, no matter where he ends up in life. When it comes to Maurice, life is black and white and he is all black.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

My first book by John Boyne, and I’d say it’s rather impressive!

Maurice Swift is at the center of this story. He is a handsome fellow and people like him; however, he only cares about success. His own, as a writer. At any cost.

The story begins in West Berlin in 1988. Swift is a waiter in a hotel when he meets famous novelist Erich Ackermann. While he makes fast friends with Ackermann, he takes advantage and lures a scandalous secret about his behavior during World War II.

Swift sees this as free fodder for the book he wants to write. That begins his path to success, and onwards and upwards he travels until he no longer knows the truth from fiction, or even who he is anymore.

Wow, Swift is a character you will quickly love to hate. As much as I disliked him, completely abhorred him, I was entranced with his story and had to know how far he would go for his next story.

Boyne’s writing is what everyone says it is. Smooth, buttery, intricately detailed, smart, and completely absorbing. Maurice Swift made my skin crawl with his hatred for humankind (and probably himself) and his complete moral disregard. When a character turns your stomach in that way, you know you’ve been on a powerful journey.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and Hogarth Books for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

I knew when I picked up A Ladder to the Sky that I was in for an extraordinary and singular reading experience. After all, it's written by John Boyne, who is arguably one of the most outstanding contemporary literary authors of our generation. There's something exceptional in Boyne's writing ability and if you haven't read one of his books yet, then I definitely recommend you run out and grab a copy of his latest novel.

Boyne is that rare and remarkable author who writes the perfect novel. His literary phrases and dialogues are gorgeous, his plots clever and intelligent, and his protagonists are unforgettable just like his newest protagonist, Maurice Swift.

When we first meet Maurice, he's a young and very handsome waiter in West Berlin who catches the eye of the much older and acclaimed German novelist, Erich Ackermann, a very naive and lonely gay man who's not experienced love since his youth. This part of the story is narrated by Erich, and he tells how alive Maurice's youth, sexuality, attention, and good looks make him feel, so he asks Maurice, who's also an aspiring author, to join him on his international book tour as his assistant.

On their travels, Maurice smoothly manipulates Erich into sharing his most shamefully guarded and terrible secrets from when he was a youth in Nazi Germany and deeply in love with his best friend. Maurice is shameless and deceptive in his quest for his own ambition, and he uses Erich's personal story to write a bestselling first novel that quickly launches his own career while at the same time it destroys Erich's life.

This is just the start of a deliciously, dark and twisted novel about deceit, manipulations, cruelty, ambition, fame, and the lengths one will go to reach the dizzying heights of success. Just when I thought that Maurice's actions couldn't get any more chilling and reprehensible, I came across the horrors (and heartbreaks) awaiting me on the next pages!

Maurice is one of the most sociopathic and amoral characters that I've come across in my literary journeys. At first, I thought Maurice was going to be portrayed as a relatable (on some level) antihero. But as the tension continued to rise in each part of the book and the further I read, I realized with loathing he'd stop at nothing, no matter how evil and vile, to achieve his literary ambitions. It became clear Maurice is a soulless villain. Believe me, this is one character you'll love to hate, and you'll be hoping for him to receive a dire punishment.

What I found interesting while reading this, was how Boyne satirizes the authors, the publishing world, and the literary lifestyle. How true any of this is, I have no idea, but I think the dark humor of the endless and petty jealousies, the rudeness of the authors and publishers towards each other, the fight for awards and so on, was almost entertaining in a very wicked way, but I do enjoy a good satire!

You can be assured that this is one book that I'll not forget for a long time because the characters are compelling and powerful (not just Maurice but Erich and Edith!), and you really have to admire a character who is so amoral and villainous that he's able to do the unconscionable things Maurice does throughout the book! I think A Ladder to the Sky will end up on many reader's favorites lists this year and well-deservedly too. Once again, Boyne has brilliantly done it...but really, was there any question?

**Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC to read in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

What to say about this lovely novel? It's like The Talented Mr. Ripley meets the even more talented John Boyne and his creation of the most unique sociopath who can metaphorically (and sometimes literally) charm the pants off of anyone he meets! I admit it was a slow start for me as I had no idea where it was going but I know Boyne doesn't disappoint and WOW, he does not! It's a book about writers, the creative process, jealousy, revenge, passion, arrogance, and...I'm not going to say more because this is just one you have to read for yourself! You will savor it, maybe throw it across the room, weep a little, but it will stay with you long after you've finished it. This one is a must read!

I don’t recall ever reading a book with such an intensely unlikable main character yet finding the book to be an enjoyable read. Alas, that was my experience with A Ladder to the Sky. Maurice Swift is a horrendous human being that will stop at nothing to achieve his dreams. He is ruthless, narcissistic, and has not a care in the world for anyone else’s feelings or emotions. The things he says and does to achieve his dream of being a writer are horrifying and reprehensible. Yet, as the reader, you find yourself rooting for him. This is a testament to John Boyne as an author and his ability to draw the reader into the story and capture their emotions. The story moved a bit slow for me at times but the ending was extraordinary and tied things up nicely for me. To be completely honest though, as much as I’ve enjoyed his books, I think I may be done reading John Boyne. I truly despise his portrayal of women and the derogatory terms he uses to describe them. It’s something I noticed in The Hearts Invisible Furies but was extremely prominent in A Ladder to the Sky. While this is certainly a character trait of Maurice, it’s been prominent in too many of Boyne’s books for me to brush it off and blame it on the character. I enjoyed this book but I think it will be my last of his. For me, A Ladder to the Sky was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @crownpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

We all say we will do whatever it takes to succeed, but is that really true? For Maurice Swift it certainly is. He is an aspiring writer who has everything it takes to become successful, except an imagination, but he won't let that stop him. You will not believe the lives he is willing to destroy just to get ahead and his justifications to go along with those actions.

I don't want to say too much because this story is best to not know too much. John Boyne is a beautiful writer and has yet to disappoint me. This was beautifully written and he knows how to make you feel the feeling he is aiming for. In this books instance it just so happens to be not liking the protagonist.

If you are a fan of John Boyne, pick this one up. If you have yet to read anything by him, what are you waiting for?
2 likes

A really well written book. The main character Maurice was a really unlikable character but the book for me was a page turner non the less. I look forward to reading his other books now.

Bottom line: I really wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I'll start by saying that I don't have to like main characters in order to love a story. Nor do they have to be mentally sane. In fact, I loved You by Caroline Kepnes and I'm not sure there could be a bigger psychopath than Joe. So I knew going in that Maurice was going to be an unlikeable, manipulative character and I was fine with that. Really, I suspected that might even make the story more enjoyable.

Like many others, I loved The Heart's Invisible Furies last year, it was actually my top book of 2017 so I definitely had high hopes for this one, although I did remain open to the idea that this was a completely different story. And, if anyone has the writing ability to shift gears and write a totally different type of story it's John Boyne. That being said, the writing quality in A Ladder to the Sky was excellent. Boyne has such an ear for dialogue and every character was so well drawn. Most were flawed which I loved and I even thought Maurice was very multidimensional...I didn't like him at all but he had many layers which I appreciated.

The novel is structured in an interesting way in that the sections alternate between Maurice and those he manipulates. Actually manipulates may be too nice of a word for what he does to some of them...I'm thinking of you Edith! This technique provided fresh perspectives and insights, moving the story along at a faster pace. Maurice's main goal was literary fame and success at any cost which kept me reading to find out how many lives he'd ruin along the way and whether he'd ever get his comeuppance? You'll have to read to find out but for me, getting that answer didn't prove as surprising as I thought it would be. I expected much more and was left feeling underwhelmed.

4+ enthusiastic stars

A Ladder in the Sky was quite delightful — in a twisted sort of way. How John Boyne plays with the vanity and ruthless ambition of authors! How John Boyne plays with the prurient curiosity of his readers! I couldn’t stop reading. This is a book lover’s novel. Clever, clever, clever... It’s best to go in blind so I won’t say anything more about the plot.

But don’t read this if you dislike disagreeable characters. And definitely read it if you do.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Having ambition without talent is as pointless as holding a ladder to the sky. Maurice is a sociopath who has the ambition to be an author without the accompanying drive and passion for the actual writing process. He latches on to others and parasitically builds his career on their backs. It was interesting for me to be reading this fictional account of a sociopathic author at the same time as reading the biography of acclaimed author Daphne du Maurier “Manderly Forever” by Tatiana de Rosnay. Daphne is driven to write, not only for ambition but for the sake of writing itself. In contrast, Maurice’s life seems empty as he only strives for the glory. I liked how A Ladder to the Sky was broken into different parts from different points of view and how much I learned about the behind the scenes cut-throat part of the writing world.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and the author John Boyne for an advanced electronic review copy.