A review by jfbfsf
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
4.0
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was darker than that. Perhaps 1/4 of the way through the book I double checked to make sure I was reading the right book (selected for a bo0k club), but I was... I think the description just made it sound a little more lighthearted, about deception and immorality rather than - well, no spoilers, but not quite as heavy as I found it to be.
Well written, and fairly unpredictable... since the book is about the world of writing and publishing, I did wonder how much of it was based on Boyne's own experiences or encounters. I'm not suggested that he or anyone he knows actually behaves like the main character - but if personal experiences colored the tone or background or minor characters.
I want to note that the book jacket describes the protagonist, Maurice, as having a lot of ambition but no talent. But the story reads otherwise - he has talent, just no original ideas.
I didn't really understand the Gore Vidal section. Vidal only spends one evening in the company of Maurice, whereas all of the other sections of the book are about people who play major roles in Maurice's life. I guess I just didn't really see where it fit... but I also haven't read any Gore Vidal. Parts of this book may have just gone over my head, with all the literary references.
And the final section felt far fetched to me... but I guess by then the whole story was pretty crazy, so I guess it shouldn't have been a shock.
Not 100% what to make of this book, but the writing was great, and I enjoyed it.
Well written, and fairly unpredictable... since the book is about the world of writing and publishing, I did wonder how much of it was based on Boyne's own experiences or encounters. I'm not suggested that he or anyone he knows actually behaves like the main character - but if personal experiences colored the tone or background or minor characters.
I want to note that the book jacket describes the protagonist, Maurice, as having a lot of ambition but no talent. But the story reads otherwise - he has talent, just no original ideas.
I didn't really understand the Gore Vidal section. Vidal only spends one evening in the company of Maurice, whereas all of the other sections of the book are about people who play major roles in Maurice's life. I guess I just didn't really see where it fit... but I also haven't read any Gore Vidal. Parts of this book may have just gone over my head, with all the literary references.
And the final section felt far fetched to me... but I guess by then the whole story was pretty crazy, so I guess it shouldn't have been a shock.
Not 100% what to make of this book, but the writing was great, and I enjoyed it.