A Ladder to the Sky
A Ladder to the Sky is a 2018 novel by Irish author John Boyne about Maurice Swift, a good-looking young writer who uses charm, manipulation, and even stealing others’ work to reach literary fame.
The story unfolds in five parts from 1988 to the present. In 1988, in West Berlin, Maurice meets Erich Ackermann, a celebrated German novelist. Maurice entices Erich with a story and then becomes his assistant, hoping to gain access to publishing circles. He also uses Erich to learn about a young artist’s romance for a tell-all. When Erich admits he betrayed a Jewish girl to the Nazis, Maurice severs ties with him. He later turns his life as a roman à clef titled Two Germans, which becomes a critical hit and launches Maurice’s career, while Erich’s reputation is ruined.
In the next section, Maurice has a transactional relationship with an older gay writer, Dash Hardy, and the two visit Gore Vidal’s villa. Maurice tries to pursue Vidal but is rejected, highlighting the fame game and moral compromise in literary life.
The third part is told by Edith Camberley, a Black British writer who becomes Maurice’s wife. In the late 1990s, Maurice’s second novel flops, while Edith’s own debut is both a critical and commercial success. Edith discovers Maurice has plagiarized her work, submitting her manuscript as his own. In a violent confrontation, she falls down stairs, ends up comatose, and dies; the section ends with Edith’s voice from the coma.
A decade later, Maurice lives in New York as a single father to a surrogate son, Daniel. He runs a literary magazine and publishes books that borrow ideas from Storī’s misfit pile. He recalls a genuine teenage romance he had, which ended in abuse.
In the final section, Maurice returns to London. His son dies, and Maurice becomes a barely functioning alcoholic. He agrees to an interview for a biography by Theo Field, a student whose appearance mirrors Maurice’s late son. Theo records Maurice’s full confessions—of seducing Erich and Dash, stealing Edith’s manuscript, and writing a life story that Daniel read. Theo reveals he has shaped his look to resemble Daniel and that his book is really about his great-uncle Erich Ackermann. In a postscript from prison, Maurice learns that Ackermann’s legacy has been rehabilitated and that The Tribesman has been republished under Edith’s name. He participates in a prison writing program until a cellmate dies, and he decides to send the new story to a publisher.
The book received positive reviews, with critics praising its sharp look at ambition and the costs of fame. It was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the 2018 Irish Book Awards but lost to Normal People. A film adaptation was announced in February 2025, with Johan Renck in talks to direct and Edward Berger as a producer; Fifth Season is also involved in discussions.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:32 (CET).