#Ireland John Boyne

• Author: John Boyne (1971)
• Title: A Ladder to the Sky
• Published: 2018
• Trivia: shortlisted  2019 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the year
• List of Challenges 2019
• Monthly plan
• #ReadingIrelandMonth19
• @746books.com

Shortlisted books:  read 3/5

Quickscan:

1. The story of one man’s cut-throat path to literary stardom
2. starts impressively but then the author loses his way.
3. BEST QUOTE:
4. “When the gods wish to punish us
5. …..they answer our prayers.” (pg 124)

 

Part One: Before the Wall Came Down:

1. Maurice’s journey through 8 cities
2. …with mentor Erich Ackermann (66 yr)

 

Interlude: The Swallow’s Nest

1. Maurice’s vist with Gore Vidal.
2. The title of this chapter refers to Gore Vidal’s villa in Ravello ‘La Rondinaia’
3. The Swallow’s Nest’ was built in 1925 on the Amalfi coast
4. Vidal bought the villa 1972.

Part Two: The Tribesman (best-seller)

1. Maurice’s marriage to Edith and the 8 months
2. leading up to the publication on his best-seller.

 

Interlude: The Threatened Animal

1. 10 years later
2. …1 child (Daniel), 2 new books published
3. Maurice is founder and editor-in-chief
4. …of a  NYC literary magazine.
5. Backstory: Maurice’s childhood
6. The story kicks into high gear!
7. This chapter is the turning point!
8. Maurice has married Edith
9. ….but she is about to tell him the ugly truth!
10. Can Maurice find redemption
11. …or does he continue with his relentless pursuit of fame?

 

Part Three: Other People’s Stories

1. Maurice’s meetings in 6 pubs
2. with the thesis student,Theo Field
3. …and Daniel’s ghost. (his son)
4. Part 3: “Other People’s Stories” was a tour de force!.
5. John Boyne uses  a clever maneuver (technique)
6. in handling a difficult situation
7. while giving the novel a satisfying ending
8. ….a sense of justice.
9. Extraordinary!
10. Title: A Ladder in the Sky is a metaphor for the
11. Main theme:  ambition
12. “…it’s like setting a ladder to the sky
13. …pointless waste of energy.” (pg 304)

 

Strong point:

1. Character:
2. Boyne developed a complex, ambitious writer…Maurice Swift.
3. Boyne creates a push and pull in the story.
4. Maurice bounces off characters
5. …who are generous and loving.
6. This is the tension that starts the problems
7. …drives the plot with twists and turns
8. …and makes this book a page-turner!
9. The ultimate resolution…a feeling of closure.

 

Conclusion:

1. This book WILL WIN the prize
   
2. ….Kerry Group Irish Novel of 2019!
3. I am a difficult reader to please when it
4. comes to contemporary fiction.
5. But I did NOT SKIM one word of the story.
6. The reader will be mesmerized by
7. …devastating effects of ambition.
8. This book is absolutely brilliant!

 

Last thoughts:

1. John Boyne is the discovery of my #ReadingIrelandMonth19.
2. He wrote  the best-seller Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in 2006
   
3. …but I was more impressed by the story
4. instead of investigating the author.
5. Boyne has continued to write 5 star books!
6. The Ladder to the Sky was excellent
7. …my best 2019 read so far.
8. Pay close attention to what you’re reading
9. …and even closer attention
10. …to what you may be missing.
11. #SupriseEnding