A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

A seductive, unputdownable psychodrama following one brilliant, ruthless man who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of success. Maurice Swift is handsome, charming and hungry for success. 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. 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. 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. . . .

This is what happens when you write about a sociopath and it's not a crime novel. This doesn't really have the comedy that The Heart's Invisible Furies has, but the premise is original and the characters interesting. I liked the format and enjoyed reading.

J'ai découvert John Boyne il y a quelques années avec son roman jeunesse The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Le garçon en pyjama rayé en VF). Plus récemment, j'avais été emballé par The Heart's Invisible Furies, le magnifique récit de la vie d'un homosexuel irlandais, de son enfance jusqu'à la fin de sa vie. J'ai lu ce roman il y a un an environ et je m'étais dit que je surveillerai les prochaines publications de cet auteur talentueux.

Au début de l'année, j'ai appris la sortie prévue cet été de son nouveau roman A Ladder to the Sky, dont le synopsis m'a tout de suite donné envie de le lire :

A psychological drama of cat and mouse, A Ladder to the Sky shows how easy it is to achieve the world if you are prepared to sacrifice your soul.

If you look hard enough, you can find stories pretty much anywhere. They don't even have to be your own. Or so would-be writer Maurice Swift decides very early on in his career.

A chance encounter in a Berlin hotel with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann gives him an opportunity to ingratiate himself with someone more powerful than him. For Erich is lonely, and he has a story to tell. Whether or not he should do so is another matter entirely.

Once Maurice has made his name, he sets off in pursuit of other people's stories. He doesn't care where he finds them – or to whom they belong – as long as they help him rise to the top.

Stories will make him famous but they will also make him beg, borrow and steal. They may even make him do worse.

I couldn't put this book down. A shocking story which never ceased to surprise me even when I guessed where it was going. When a friend passed this book along she said that it is rare to read a book about writers writing and she was spot on - this will leave you heartbroken in the best possible way.