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A review by asourceoffiction
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the things I love most about Boyne's work is his ability to create morally ambiguous characters that still feel sympathetic. But what fascinated me about A Ladder to the Sky is how he turned that so completely on its head. Erich Ackerman is exactly such a character, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is not his story. And in Maurice Swift, there is absolutely nothing redeemable to be found.
In a way every section of the book was predictable. But knowing what would happen actually enhanced the anticipation each time, and Maurice's actions gradually went much further than I could imagine. I'm not sure if I've ever been so physically angry while reading a novel; at one point I genuinely came close to throwing it across the room.
But as hateful as Maurice is (and he takes us to some deliciously dark places), I could not stop reading. The hardest thing with irredeemable characters is how to make you want to keep reading. And the narrative structure helps with this; the first section is Erich's story, and Maurice is the third party. The mid-section is Edith's, and she addresses Maurice in the second person which adds depth. But Maurice does not get to control his own narrative until the very end, which is so fitting to the story he has to tell and to his overall character.
It also helps that it is, inexplicably, funny. Boyne is a master of very, VERY dark humour and this is no exception. I'm not even sure if I should have been laughing. This is an original, imaginative story about a man completely devoid of imagination and original thought, and I absolutely loved it.
In a way every section of the book was predictable. But knowing what would happen actually enhanced the anticipation each time, and Maurice's actions gradually went much further than I could imagine. I'm not sure if I've ever been so physically angry while reading a novel; at one point I genuinely came close to throwing it across the room.
But as hateful as Maurice is (and he takes us to some deliciously dark places), I could not stop reading. The hardest thing with irredeemable characters is how to make you want to keep reading. And the narrative structure helps with this; the first section is Erich's story, and Maurice is the third party. The mid-section is Edith's, and she addresses Maurice in the second person which adds depth. But Maurice does not get to control his own narrative until the very end, which is so fitting to the story he has to tell and to his overall character.
It also helps that it is, inexplicably, funny. Boyne is a master of very, VERY dark humour and this is no exception. I'm not even sure if I should have been laughing. This is an original, imaginative story about a man completely devoid of imagination and original thought, and I absolutely loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, and Suicide