{"product_id":"a-ladder-to-the-sky-paperback","title":"A Ladder to the Sky - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJohn Boyne\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A satire of writerly ambition wrapped in a psychological thriller . . . An homage to Patricia Highsmith, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe, but its execution is entirely Boyne's own.\"--Ron Charles, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY \u003ci\u003eTHE WASHINGTON POST \u003c\/i\u003eAND \u003ci\u003eMINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMaurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn't have is talent--but he's not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don't need to be his own. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful - but desperately lonely - older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice's first novel. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall. . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Sweeping across the late twentieth century, \u003ci\u003eA Ladder to the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary virtuoso. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eA Ladder to the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Boyne's mastery of perspective, last seen in \u003ci\u003eThe Heart's Invisible Furies\u003c\/i\u003e, works beautifully here. . . . Boyne understands that it's far more interesting and satisfying for a reader to see that narcissist in action than to be told a catchall phrase. Each step Maurice Swift takes skyward reveals a new layer of calumny he's willing to engage in, and the desperation behind it . . . so dark it seems almost impossible to enjoy reading \u003ci\u003eA Ladder to the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e as much as you definitely will enjoy reading it.\"\u003cb\u003e--NPR\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Delicious . . . spins out over several decades with thrilling unpredictability, following Maurice as he masters the art of co-opting the stories of others in increasingly dubious ways. And while the book reads as a thriller with a body count that would make Highsmith proud, it is also an exploration of morality and art: Where is the line between inspiration and thievery? To whom does a story belong?\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn Boyne \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, five for younger readers and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel \u003ci\u003eThe Boy In the Stiped Pajamas\u003c\/i\u003e sold 9 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera. John has won three Irish Book Awards and many other international literary awards and his novels are published in over 50 languages. He lives in Dublin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 400\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 8 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 06, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51769767526688,"sku":"9781984823021","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/18cef504f7599122b8bb36567129dcef.webp?v=1780355956","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/a-ladder-to-the-sky-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}