A Ladder to the Sky

A Novel

By: John Boyne

Narrated by: Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, Laurence Kennedy

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

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)

©2018 John Boyne (P)2018 Random House Audio

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

Great story and performance

Original story with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Beautifully written. Don’t miss this one!

This author

The author keeps getting better with every book I read. The main character is so soulless it makes the story so believable..

Wonderfully told!

Loved this. What an incredible character study. Told in different periods of Maurice Swift’s life - whose 2 goals in life are to be an accomplished writer and a father - at any cost. Wonderfully told. Love John Boyne’s writing

Dark and Devious

I devoured the first two parts. When he's young in Germany and his time with Gore Vidal is such good writing. Rest of the book was good but tedious to get through. Though he is at his most "innocent" in the beginning it is the best part of the book.

Excellent story but hold tight !

I thoroughly enjoy John Boyne's books and each one is completely a new adventure. The characters pull you in and then the story gets you. Most of the time I can't stop listening to his books and they almost take my breath away. Very rich reading. I feel full afterwards. The story takes time to digest but remarkable.

Incredibly fun to listen to

Genius performance and a fabulous story with a truly marvelous finish! I really enjoyed the audible version of this book!