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)

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.

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.

enjoyable but predictable

it was highly predictable but well written and entertaining. it was performed quite well also.

Non Stop

This booked grabbed my attention from the start and never let it go. Truly exceptional.

Interesting but not a must read

Good book. It's exciting but not a must-read. If you have a few hours and want a good listen and don't have any other books on your list then go for it.

Loved it!

John Boyne has fast become one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy his stories and characters. Narration was excellent as well. Highly recommend.

Absolutely wonderful

Morris Swift is one of the most evil people ever to walk the literary earth, and I totally love him for it! Listen and be amazed at the ever-widening swath of destruction he creates in the world of high-stakes publishing. The sinister seeds are planted early, and begin to flower in the interludes between the chapters of Morris’ life as he narrates it. To say more would spoil the revelations and the fun, but the voices of Edith and of Gore Vidal are especially moving and powerful. The performances, all of them, are brilliant. John Boyne continues to be an international treasure. Don’t miss this fabulous book!

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.