Genre: Psychological Fiction
Four and a half stars: * * * * 1/2
This book had been patiently waiting in my Audible library just long enough that I couldn't quite remember the outline of the story which had tempted me to download it. I decided not to re-read the synopsis and instead, go in blind, knowing how much I enjoyed one of the author's other books, 'The Heart's Invisible Furies'. I wasn't disappointed. There's something about the way John Boyne writes and develops his characters that is so enticing. It's like the events are secondary to the way he unravels and reveals them through the people and their interactions with each other. His writing is captivating, real and in the case of this book, very raw. The protagonist in 'A Ladder to the Sky', Maurice, is slowly revealed to us through others as we move through the book and through his life, before we finish on his own narration of the last part of his life.
Synopsis
You’ve heard the old proverb about ambition, that it’s like setting a ladder to the sky. It can lead to a long and painful fall. If you look hard enough, you will find stories pretty much anywhere. They don’t even have to be your own. Or so would-be-novelist Maurice Swift decides early on in his career.
A chance encounter in a Berlin hotel with celebrated author Erich Ackerman gives Maurice an opportunity. For Erich is lonely, and he has a story to tell; whether or not he should is another matter.
Once Maurice has made his name, he finds himself in need of a fresh idea. He doesn’t care where he finds it, as long as it helps 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.
As taken from the author's website.
My thoughts
As a writer myself, this book made me think long and hard about the central questions of the book; where do ideas come from? How do you distinguish between inspiration and plagiarism? How far is too far? On most of Maurice's actions I have a clear opinion. On story-telling as a whole, however, I'm less sure. Ideas are everywhere, inspiration is all around us. Blending, adapting, taking new perspectives on old ideas. It's not always so clear-cut when an idea is stolen or just developed. Much has been written about the 'seven basic plots' which exist and are simply recycled, or so this discourse suggests. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this theory and the generation of ideas generally.
Anyway, I digress! Back to this captivating and clearly, thought-provoking book. It's divided into different sections, narrated by different actors on Audible. There's a really nice contrast to the characters and the role they play in Maurice's life which these actors bring out. I kept wondering against what aspects of these characters' lives Maurice was going to prop his ambitious ladder. And then macabrely, what he would destroy about them to keep climbing. I hang shy of giving the book five stars only because I felt at times the plot was a little far-fetched. However, maybe it's more of a reflection of the fact that I find it disturbing to imagine that there are people like Maurice really out there. Make of that what you will!
About the author
John Boyne was born in Dublin, Ireland, and studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. He's published 12 novels for adults, a short story collection and 6 novels for younger readers, including The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas which was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 10 million copies worldwide. Among his most popular books are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and My Brother’s Name is Jessica.
Adapted and truncated a little from the author's biography on his website.
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