A Ladder to the Sky: A Novel

This well-crafted novel by prolific Irish writer Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies , 2017) is about unbounded ambition. An old proverb, we're told, describes ambition as like setting a ladder to the sky ; in other words, futile. Erich Ackermann, who narrates the early portion of the novel, is an older man gay, German, an admitted former Nazi, and a much-praised writer. He describes his attraction to the handsome Maurice Swift, an aspiring writer, and also describes in detail a long-ago parallel relationship with the young painter Oskar Gott and its tragic ending, for which Ackermann was responsible. Swift incorporates the dreadful details of Ackermann's life into his own hugely successful first novel, thus ruining Ackermann's final years. Maurice, we learn, is a skilled wordsmith, but he gets his ideas from others. He is, above all, a chronic manipulator. After an interlude at Gore Vidal's Italian villa, we follow Swift on his ambition-fueled climb to ever-greater fame. The novel unfolds in an extremely layered manner, but what Swift's story slowly reveals says much about publishing, pride, deceit, and plagiarism and worse, much worse.--Mark Levine Copyright 2018 Booklist

This evocative saga from Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies) presents the Machiavellian literary success of Maurice Swift. In the late 1980s, Swift is an aspiring writer working as a waiter in West Berlin when he meets acclaimed author Erich Ackermann. Despite Swift's inexperience, Ackermann is besotted by Swift's beauty and coy sycophancy and employs him as his assistant. In a fruitless effort to win Swift's affections, Ackermann entrusts him with his darkest secret: in 1939, information he gave SS officers led to the deaths of five people. Swift then uses Ackermann's stories as the basis of a commercially successful novel, and to incriminate Ackermann. But Ackermann is just his first victim, and for the next 30 years, Swift's ruthlessness flourishes as he manipulates others' sexual desires and talents to further his literary career. Swift's story spans the fall of the Berlin Wall to the present day as his career's demise is related from the perspectives of Ackermann; a fictionalized Gore Vidal; Swift's wife, novelist Edith Camberley; and finally Swift himself. In his relentless pursuit of literary canonization, despite creative impotence, Swift is an enthralling yet profoundly disturbing protagonist. Boyne's fast-paced, white-knuckle plot, accompanied by delightfully sardonic commentary on the ego, insecurities, and pitfalls of those involved in the literary world, makes for a truly engrossing experience. Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME Entertainment. (Nov.) c Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Maurice Swift intends to be the greatest novelist of his generation. Yet his ambition is greater than his ability. Equipped with a flexible concept of authorship and a knack for seizing opportunities, Swift becomes an award-winning author of significance, influencing literary tastes for a generation. His greatest work, however, is his life, the only subject that truly sets his imagination on fire. So consuming is Swift's focus that several people are destroyed by it: an older writer famed late in his career, a celebrity author of popular fiction with connections in publishing, and a young novelist celebrated for her stunning debut. No one can stand in the way of Swift's aspirations until he meets Theo Field, an aspiring biographer who uncovers the aging novelist's deceptions as well as the monster within the man. Will a prison cell finally contain Swift's ambition? VERDICT Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies) expertly explores notions of originality and authorship through multiple first-person accounts of the despicable Swift. As a result, his latest novel is absorbing, horrifying, and recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 6/10/18.]-John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

An all-consuming ambition to be a successful writer drives a young man down unusual paths to literary acclaim in this compelling character study.Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies, 2017, etc.) opens his 11th novel for adults with novelist Erich Ackermann, 66, telling how he was beguiled by the handsome young would-be writer Maurice Swift, at whose urging Ackermann reveals his early life in Nazi Germany and a terrible secret. The revelations become Swift's successful first novel, and Ackermann's career collapses as the young man stokes media attention by disclosing his source. Cut to the Amalfi Coast home of Gore Vidal and a third-person narrator describing Swift's visit with a different older gay writer. Vidal has some good sharp-edged lines as he concedes that the young man is well-read and a good writer, but he also finds him cruelly abusive to his latest mentor. What Vidal doesn't perceive is Swift's one glaring, possibly implausible shortcoming: He has no imagination for fiction, no good original ideas for a story. The tension rises as Boyne plays on the question of how far Swift will go for a winning idea. He is married in the next section, his second novel has flopped, and four more unassisted efforts were all rejected. Meanwhile his wife's fictional debut is well-received, and she feels her second novel will be even better. This leads to a chilling confrontation, made all the more so as Boyne reveals why the wife's narration addresses Swift as "you." Other horrors lie ahead. The question of comeuppance is long left unanswered. Boyne lightens the book's deep shadows and amorality with amusing jabs at the fame game behind literary life, with its blurbs and prizes, acolytes and endless envy.Boyne's singular villain and well-sustained tension merit a good audience. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This well-crafted novel by prolific Irish writer Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies?, 2017) is about unbounded ambition. An "old proverb," we're told, describes ambition as "like setting a ladder to the sky"; in other words, futile. Erich Ackermann, who narrates the early portion of the novel, is an older man—gay, German, an admitted former Nazi, and a much-praised writer. He describes his attraction to the handsome Maurice Swift, an aspiring writer, and also describes in detail a long-ago parallel relationship with the young painter Oskar Gott and its tragic ending, for which Ackermann was responsible. Swift incorporates the dreadful details of Ackermann's life into his own hugely successful first novel, thus ruining Ackermann's final years. Maurice, we learn, is a skilled wordsmith, but he gets his ideas from others. He is, above all, a chronic manipulator. After an interlude at Gore Vidal's Italian villa, we follow Swift on his ambition-fueled climb to ever-greater fame. The novel unfolds in an extremely layered manner, but what Swift's story slowly reveals says much about publishing, pride, deceit, and plagiarism—and worse, much worse. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

Aspiring writer Maurice Swift climbs that ladder to the sky by taking advantage of famed novelist Erich Ackermann, whom he encounters in a West Berlin hotel, and spinning Ackermann's secrets to the world. Now famous himself, Swift goes looking for more stories to spill. International best seller Boyne should get under Swift's skin, making us uneasy yet absorbed; already buzzing in the UK.

Maurice Swift intends to be the greatest novelist of his generation. Yet his ambition is greater than his ability. Equipped with a flexible concept of authorship and a knack for seizing opportunities, Swift becomes an award-winning author of significance, influencing literary tastes for a generation. His greatest work, however, is his life, the only subject that truly sets his imagination on fire. So consuming is Swift's focus that several people are destroyed by it: an older writer famed late in his career, a celebrity author of popular fiction with connections in publishing, and a young novelist celebrated for her stunning debut. No one can stand in the way of Swift's aspirations until he meets Theo Field, an aspiring biographer who uncovers the aging novelist's deceptions as well as the monster within the man. Will a prison cell finally contain Swift's ambition? VERDICT Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies) expertly explores notions of originality and authorship through multiple first-person accounts of the despicable Swift. As a result, his latest novel is absorbing, horrifying, and recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 6/10/18.]—John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

This evocative saga from Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies) presents the Machiavellian literary success of Maurice Swift. In the late 1980s, Swift is an aspiring writer working as a waiter in West Berlin when he meets acclaimed author Erich Ackermann. Despite Swift's inexperience, Ackermann is besotted by Swift's beauty and coy sycophancy and employs him as his assistant. In a fruitless effort to win Swift's affections, Ackermann entrusts him with his darkest secret: in 1939, information he gave SS officers led to the deaths of five people. Swift then uses Ackermann's stories as the basis of a commercially successful novel, and to incriminate Ackermann. But Ackermann is just his first victim, and for the next 30 years, Swift's ruthlessness flourishes as he manipulates others' sexual desires and talents to further his literary career. Swift's story spans the fall of the Berlin Wall to the present day as his career's demise is related from the perspectives of Ackermann; a fictionalized Gore Vidal; Swift's wife, novelist Edith Camberley; and finally Swift himself. In his relentless pursuit of literary canonization, despite creative impotence, Swift is an enthralling yet profoundly disturbing protagonist. Boyne's fast-paced, white-knuckle plot, accompanied by delightfully sardonic commentary on the ego, insecurities, and pitfalls of those involved in the literary world, makes for a truly engrossing experience. Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME Entertainment. (Nov.)