Listen free for 30 days
-
A Ladder to the Sky
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.22
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
"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, The Washington Post)
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post and Minneapolis Star Tribune
Maurice 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.
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....
Sweeping across the late 20th century, A Ladder to the Sky 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.
Praise for A Ladder to the Sky
"Boyne's mastery of perspective, last seen in The Heart's Invisible Furies, 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 A Ladder to the Sky as much as you definitely will enjoy reading it." (NPR)
"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?" (Vanity Fair)
You may also enjoy...
-
Flights
- Written by: Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft - translator
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chopin's heart is carried back to Warsaw in secret by his adoring sister. A woman must return to her native Poland in order to poison her terminally ill high school sweetheart, and a young man slowly descends into madness when his wife and child mysteriously vanish during a vacation and just as suddenly reappear. Through these brilliantly imagined characters and stories, interwoven with haunting, playful, and revelatory meditations, Flights explores what it means to be a traveler, a wanderer, a body in motion not only through space but through time.
-
-
Fabulous story
- By Roger Perrault on 2019-02-13
Written by: Olga Tokarczuk, and others
-
A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom
- A Novel
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Tim McInnerny
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This story starts with a family. For now, it is a father and a mother with two sons, one with his father’s violence in his blood, one with his mother’s artistry. One leaves. One stays. They will be joined by others whose deeds will determine their fate. It is a beginning. Their stories will intertwine and evolve over the course of 2,000 years. They will meet again and again at different times and in different places. From Palestine at the dawn of the first millennium and journeying across 50 countries to a life among the stars, their destinies remain the same....
-
-
"Trump Derangement Syndrome ruined a good book"
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-10-23
Written by: John Boyne
-
The Book of Longings
- A Novel
- Written by: Sue Monk Kidd
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò, Sue Monk Kidd
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with 18-year-old Jesus changes everything.
-
-
Breathtakingly rich, nuanced and interesting
- By Jackie Greenizan on 2020-05-10
Written by: Sue Monk Kidd
-
The Bee Sting
- A Novel
- Written by: Paul Murray
- Narrated by: Heather O’Sullivan, Barry Fitzgerald, Beau Holland, and others
- Length: 26 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under—but Dickie is spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife, Imelda, is selling off her jewelry on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attention of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike, while their teenage daughter, Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge drink her way through her final exams. As for twelve-year-old PJ, he’s on the brink of running away.
-
-
Brilliantly comedic and dark
- By carolyn mains on 2023-12-19
Written by: Paul Murray
-
The Echo Chamber
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Cleverley family live a gilded life, little realising how precarious their privilege is, just one tweet away from disaster. George, the patriarch, is a stalwart of television interviewing, a 'national treasure' (his words); his wife, Beverley, a celebrated novelist; and their children, Nelson, Elizabeth, Achilles, various degrees of catastrophe waiting to happen. Together they will go on a journey of discovery through the Hogarthian jungle of the modern living where past presumptions count for nothing and carefully curated reputations can be destroyed in an instant.
-
-
Hilarious!
- By Kelly on 2024-02-28
Written by: John Boyne
-
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Michael Maloney
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some information about the audiobook, but in this case we think that would spoil the listening. We think it's important that you start to listen without knowing what it is about.
-
-
Great Narration
- By Remy on 2019-02-06
Written by: John Boyne
-
Flights
- Written by: Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft - translator
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chopin's heart is carried back to Warsaw in secret by his adoring sister. A woman must return to her native Poland in order to poison her terminally ill high school sweetheart, and a young man slowly descends into madness when his wife and child mysteriously vanish during a vacation and just as suddenly reappear. Through these brilliantly imagined characters and stories, interwoven with haunting, playful, and revelatory meditations, Flights explores what it means to be a traveler, a wanderer, a body in motion not only through space but through time.
-
-
Fabulous story
- By Roger Perrault on 2019-02-13
Written by: Olga Tokarczuk, and others
-
A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom
- A Novel
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Tim McInnerny
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This story starts with a family. For now, it is a father and a mother with two sons, one with his father’s violence in his blood, one with his mother’s artistry. One leaves. One stays. They will be joined by others whose deeds will determine their fate. It is a beginning. Their stories will intertwine and evolve over the course of 2,000 years. They will meet again and again at different times and in different places. From Palestine at the dawn of the first millennium and journeying across 50 countries to a life among the stars, their destinies remain the same....
-
-
"Trump Derangement Syndrome ruined a good book"
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-10-23
Written by: John Boyne
-
The Book of Longings
- A Novel
- Written by: Sue Monk Kidd
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò, Sue Monk Kidd
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with 18-year-old Jesus changes everything.
-
-
Breathtakingly rich, nuanced and interesting
- By Jackie Greenizan on 2020-05-10
Written by: Sue Monk Kidd
-
The Bee Sting
- A Novel
- Written by: Paul Murray
- Narrated by: Heather O’Sullivan, Barry Fitzgerald, Beau Holland, and others
- Length: 26 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under—but Dickie is spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife, Imelda, is selling off her jewelry on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attention of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike, while their teenage daughter, Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge drink her way through her final exams. As for twelve-year-old PJ, he’s on the brink of running away.
-
-
Brilliantly comedic and dark
- By carolyn mains on 2023-12-19
Written by: Paul Murray
-
The Echo Chamber
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Cleverley family live a gilded life, little realising how precarious their privilege is, just one tweet away from disaster. George, the patriarch, is a stalwart of television interviewing, a 'national treasure' (his words); his wife, Beverley, a celebrated novelist; and their children, Nelson, Elizabeth, Achilles, various degrees of catastrophe waiting to happen. Together they will go on a journey of discovery through the Hogarthian jungle of the modern living where past presumptions count for nothing and carefully curated reputations can be destroyed in an instant.
-
-
Hilarious!
- By Kelly on 2024-02-28
Written by: John Boyne
-
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- Written by: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Michael Maloney
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some information about the audiobook, but in this case we think that would spoil the listening. We think it's important that you start to listen without knowing what it is about.
-
-
Great Narration
- By Remy on 2019-02-06
Written by: John Boyne
What the critics say
"Maurice has the heart of a sniper...marvelously engaging, barbed and witty." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A darkly funny novel that races like a beating heart." (People)
"Maurice Swift may not be much of a novelist, but he inhabits a literary tradition going to back to Patricia Highsmith. Boyne’s protagonist is Tom Ripley as literary climber.... Boyne’s novel is about high literature but has lower, juicier ambitions, at which it wildly succeeds." (Vulture)
What listeners say about A Ladder to the Sky
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MEW
- 2019-04-27
Quality Voice
I really enjoyed the primary narrator's English accent. It sounded great and was nice to listen to. The novel dives into some saucy adult scenes that I would not have initially suspected when reading the book description provided by the publisher, but I found it to be an interesting audio experience! I thought that I would make a note of the brief flashes of adult content in case anyone is contemplating purchasing this title as a gift for an underage individual or anyone else who is sensitive to this type of material.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous
- 2019-01-04
Worth Waiting For
I was in a situation where I had to listen for about five hours (I was driving by myself). It took me about three hours in to get interested. The whole novel is about writers — not my favorite subjects. I like it when writers describe more diverse social milieus. Also it opens with hours of homosexual obsession. I suppose this would interest others. But once it lurches out of that, the novel gets more complicated and offers some surprises. The ending is more drawn out and clever than I’d prefer. Not as good as Since We Fell or Something in the Water, but worth listening to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- andrew
- 2021-10-06
Lacking a moral compass
My initial slightly bored response was colored by Erich and his obsessive lust for Maurice which droned on a bit but as the story evolved I understood why this was so important in the set up for later events. Maurice fulfills most of the criteria for psychopathy and is a truly brilliant and loathsome fictional creation, one wonders if Mr Boyne really has come across writers like this in his career. The use of different narrators (reliable or otherwise) for the different parts of the story is refreshing with the best one left for last. Richard E. Grant puts in a showstopper for the final quarter as only he can: wonderful drunken ramblings and deranged delusional fantasies of his own (Maurice's) pure genius. I enjoyed imagining how Gore Vidal would have really responded to a Yorkshire accent if he ever came across one. The scene where the fictional Gore puts Maurice in his place was a beautifully crafted piece of writing. A very clever and revealing novel about the bitchy dog-eat-dog world of publishing fiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael Bates
- 2019-05-02
Amazing voice talent
Wow! When I first saw the amount of voice actors in this I was surprised - I’m usually a one voice kind of auidobooker, but this book blew me away. Each voice is its own character and narrates its perspective rather than there being a dialogue – which is what I initially thought was going to be the case. The way that the talent was able to convey such a multitude of characters while still feeling individual from each other was astounding. I don’t think I would have liked this book nearly as much as I did if it weren’t for the voice talent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maria Dolores
- 2022-05-19
Fitting protagonist for this day and age
I listened to this novel without any idea of its storyline, and in spite of my irritation with the aging gay writer’s naïveté and neediness in the first section, I quickly became fascinated and horrified at once with the Maurice Swift character, wondering how far he would go. What a figure for our troubled times, so selfish, calculating and devoid of moral compass.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Debbie Nemtean
- 2023-02-16
Excellent. couldn’t put it down
The story was quite different than expected. I enjoyed this writers very much and will check out his other books. Although he seems to weigh heavily on homosexuality in his work I have noticed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JAM
- 2019-11-19
Thinly disguised porn
Some compelling ideas that could have been really well developed without the constant sexual stream that made this book something I couldn't listen to after 6 or 7 chapters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!