but books are better: Book Review: A LADDER TO THE SKY by John Boyne

Author: John Boyne
Read: December 2018

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

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 musings:

I went into this book totally blind, and must say that it was one of the most unusual books I have read all year. Normally, I am not great with unlikeable characters, but there are some authors who have managed to pull this off for me, and those books usually stay in my memory far longer than others. Maurice Swift has now joined force with the little troupe of psychopaths I have encountered through books, but which still somehow managed to capture my attention, even if it was through the open-mouthed WTH expression of morbid fascination whilst reading.

We first meet Maurice through the eyes of Erich Ackermann, a famous novelist in his sixties, who is easy prey to Maurice’s good looks and charm. Recognising Ackermann’s desperate loneliness, it does not take Maurice long to worm his way into his life, using the older man’s affection to not only obtain a small stipend but also to make contacts in the publishing world that will benefit Maurice in his ambition to become a famous writer himself. Through moments of shared confidence, Maurice encourages Erich to confide a secret from his youth that he has hidden from the world all these years – and uses it to destroy him.

As Maurice continues his rampage, leaving many victims behind on his “climb up the ladder” to success, I was equally horrified as I was fascinated by his utter lack of remorse and moral compass when it came to achieving his goals. Boyne tells his story through the eyes of several characters whose lives cross paths with Maurice, often to their detriment, and even though this may have served to fragment the story somewhat, I loved the different viewpoints, which managed to give a good insight into the life of a psychopath and the path of destruction he leaves in his wake. The foreshadowing Boyne uses to hint at his characters’ fates worked well here and kept up a sense of danger and suspense that kept me reading avidly, eager to find out more. Most of all I was longing to see Maurice get his just-deserts! Not since meeting Lily in The Kind Worth Killing (Peter Swanson) have I been so fascinated by a psychopathic character!

Boyne is an extremely talented writer, easily transporting us into the minds of several very different characters, and effortlessly bringing them to life in my mind. His characterisations are truly masterful, each character’s voice is unique, and his observations of the human mind are fascinating as much as they are frightening at times. It was impossible not to get emotionally involved in this story, which always makes for the best reading experiences.

With Maurice, the author also touches on a few ethical concepts that made me think. Such as ownership of stories – do we really “own” a story, an idea? Maurice argues that every writer steals stories, in the act of overhearing a conversation that may inspire a story, observing people in a coffee shop etc. And then of course there is Ackemann’s secret, which Maurice uses for his own gain and Erich’s downfall. Maurice states that Erich deserved what he got. But were Maurice’s actions not more despicable? Reading this book as part of a buddy read was the perfect way to explore these issues from various POVs, and I therefore recommend it as a great bookclub read that would make for an excellent discussion!

Summary:

All in all, A Ladder to the Sky was an extremely well written, thought provoking book that has stayed in my mind long after I turned the last page. I am now very eager to read Boyne’s other works!

Thank you to the #travelingfriendsreads for inviting me to read this book with you - I really enjoyed the discussion that ensued!