A Ladder to the Sky

A Novel

De: John Boyne

Narrado por: Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, Laurence Kennedy

Duración: 11 h y 32 m

Resumen del Editor

"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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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)

Chilling from the get go,blossoming of a psychotic

I preferred Boyne's Heart...book , but this one was actually riveting while at the same time having a dose of predictability building over its course. However, It's a wonderful depiction of a soulless beauty, a man lacking any real desire, only crushing need, constantly driving him and others toward disaster. Wonderful narration.

Absolutely perfect

A perfect book with perfect narration. Thriller movie material but so much more than that. I’m going to go through Boyne’s entire catalogue now.

couldn't stop listening..

loved the story loved the performance I had no idea that it was Richard E Grant until I saw the last page no wonder it was so fabulous. he is incredible I could listen to him read the dictionary.

great job

loved it! my second novel by the author great job...
took me back to a great time

What a Different and Wonderful Story

The tale interweaves the real, with the imagined - and does it very very well. Excellent writing and narration join in while the stories within the story come to its satisfying creshendo.

My favorite novel to date for 2019

This has been my favorite book so far this year. I really enjoyed this. Boyne does a great job of capturing humor and suspense in a story that is not always meant to be humorous or suspenseful. I have not read any of his other novels yet, but I enjoyed this enough that he is now an author I plan to revisit.

Talented Mr. Ripley but better

The comparisons to Patricia Highsmith’s novel are understandable. Boyne is so good at creating suspense and tension

A prize-winner

What an extraordinary book. Entertaining, with despicable yet engaging characters (nearly sympathetic, I dare say), insightful narration, and, as expected, beautiful writing by John Boyne.

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.