Reviews with content warning for Murder - A Ladder to the Sky

Awful read - basically airplane fiction.

I have a massive issue with the author using violent Nazi history as a fun part of the character's development. It is only for the shock value and adds very little to the overl plot.

The writing style is awful. They say men who write women focus on their unattainable looks. I would say that Boyne does the same thing with young men in a way which is nauseating to read, and entirely unrealistically.

Took me two days to read this book for book club and we never even met to discuss it it was so horrible.

There's nothing to take from this book nor is it even a fun beach read. All the characters felt forced and completely unrealistic. The relationships were so odd I could never buy into any of the plot.

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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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.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective 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

4.5

Maurice Swift doesn’t let lack of ideas or talent prevent him achieving his goal of becoming a celebrated author. He simply steal stories and even entire novels from others. Maurice is totally unlikeable - literary plagiarism is the least of his sins - and thoroughly unrepentant. But I was totally absorbed in the novel about him and found it contained plenty of food for thought about current publishing issues.

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corinthians666's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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andy78's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I- I don't know what to say other than that this book is the first to ever make me feel physically ill and it's not even some horror shit. Fuck Maurice.

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