A Ladder to the Sky

by John Boyne

'A deliciously dark tale of ambition, seduction and literary theft . . . an ingeniously conceived novel that confirms Boyne as one of the most assured writers of his generation.' Hannah Beckerman, Observer

*

A psychological drama of cat and mouse, A Ladder to the Sky shows how easy it is to achieve the world if you are prepared to sacrifice your soul.

If you look hard enough, you can find stories pretty much anywhere. They don’t even have to be your own. Or so would-be writer Maurice Swift decides very early on in his career.

A chance encounter in a Berlin hotel with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann gives him an opportunity to ingratiate himself with someone more powerful than him. For Erich is lonely, and he has a story to tell. Whether or not he should do so is another matter entirely.

Once Maurice has made his name, he sets off in pursuit of other people’s stories. He doesn’t care where he finds them – or to whom they belong – as long as they help him rise to the top.

Stories will make him famous but they will also make him beg, borrow and steal. They may even make him do worse.

*

'Maurice Swift, the novelist protagonist of John Boyne’s A Ladder to the Sky, is a bookish version of Patricia Highsmith’s psychopathic antihero Tom Ripley' The Times

'A dark morality tale in the mould of Patricia Highsmith . . . consistently intriguing' Daily Mail

• ISBN10: 085752349X
• ISBN13: 9780857523495
• Publish Date: 9 August 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 April 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Doubleday
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

“It’s not as if anyone could just take someone else’s story and write it themselves, is it? These things need to form in a writer’s mind over time. After all, a novel is about a lot more than just plot, right?”

“Right. So, what you’re saying is that if someone did do that, they’d have to be… what? Actually, what are you saying?”

“Well, they’d have to be really talented. But also a complete psychopath.”
 

An utterly brilliant and fascinating book about a mediocre but cunning and manipulative writer who would do whatever it takes to achieve literary fame, even if that means stealing other people’s stories or lives. WHAT 👏 A 👏 BOOK 👏. I particularly loved its examination of literary ownership. Who owns a story? If we write a narrative based on a conversation we overheard, or from a personal story someone shared with us, how much do we own of that narrative? Where do we draw the line between inspiration and theft? I’ve never read anything as literary as this and yet works so well as a psychological thriller too. I am truly blown away. Easily my favorite book so far this year 👏

[rohshey]

There's a thin line between a finely crafted piece of literary fiction and a cheap throw-away psychological thriller. And throughout the entire book, my thoughts swayed on both sides but I'd be lying if I say it wasn't goddamn enjoyable!

Just as Patricia Highsmith made us complicit in the actions of the murderously sociopathic Tom Ripley, one of Boyne's achievements here is to make his own psychopath so outrageously intriguing that we're as fascinated as we're appalled by the terrible things he does.