The Absolutist

By: John Boyne

Narrated by: Michael Maloney

Audie Award Nominee, Best Solo Narration, 2013

It is September 1919: Twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the Great War. But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan's visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden himself of it. As Tristan recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will - from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain.

The Absolutist is a masterful tale of passion, jealousy, heroism, and betrayal set in one of the most gruesome trenches of France during World War I. This novel will keep listeners on the edge of their seats until its most extraordinary and unexpected conclusion, and it will stay with them long after they've finished.

©2011 John Boyne (P)2012 Tantor

Great Candidate for a Discussion Group

I thought the characters were well developed and put into a setting seldom used. In fact, it was the setting which made me select the book, not the topic.
And the topic - well, it's something we're all forced to have an opinion of in this age - not having an opinion on this matter is considered a crime of omission.
And that's why I would nominate this book for group discussion - because while reading this book I had several interesting thoughts - and that's a compliment to the author. What intrigues me is that I suspect my thoughts are not the normal reaction to the characters and the situation.
Well done. A book that gives me new thoughts, that is my compliment to the author.

Great story, poor narrator

As many reviewers have noted, it is a difficult book to review without giving away what is better left to the slow, intense unfolding which is skillfully handled by Boyne. Friendship, moral issues, and the nature of humanity is explored by way of the complicated interaction of two young men who meet in the process of being sent to a brutal war, and the fall-out from that interaction. I admired the carefully controlled, seemingly low-key manner by which Boyne discloses this very emotional tale. I doubt that I would read this again, but not because it was a disappointment or not worthy.
My only complaint was the narrator. Maloney has a very pleasant speaking voice and isn't too bad at various accents. (No idea where the Sargeant was from, though) Maloney needs some training--or something--in reading before a mic. He doesn't seem to understand how to create intensity or anger without simply shouting. Since most of the first person narrative is delivered in well-modulated sotto voce, the sudden too-high volume as a character expresses strong emotion or distance is jarring and unpleasant. Just pulling away from the mic or muffling it would have helped. If Maloney could improve his technique, he could be a very good narrator.
Despite the narration, I recommend the book with no reservations.

Lovely

If you could sum up The Absolutist in three words, what would they be?

Wasn't expecting to be so moved by this book, but I was. Very sweet, tender and sad.

deeply disturbing novel of war and mistakes

this novel was seriously disturbing, but really good.

it's extremely emotional. an intimate portrayal of a soldier and all the mistakes he makes in relationships, in war, in love. it's truly moving and tragic and very powerful.

the narrator brought tristan to life in a really wonderful way...making him just sympathetic enough for you to want to read on (listen), but also bringing the ringing truth about his decisions into plain sight.

it's a book that will stick with you a while.

Impossible to hear

The narrator does a good job… a little too good. He SCREAMS as generals and whispers as other characters. If you are listening on headphones, you’ll be adjusting the volume nonstop.

Dramatic but calm

This book deals with some very large and important questions about life and humanity. Both the narrator and the author seem to know that the audience needs space to ponder and work through their feelings on these topics and they weave it in incredibly well.

Engrossing Story

The narrator is a relatable character, who you grow to like, then you find out how much he suffered and the mistake he made, and somehow you like him even more. He is a victim of his time, but he has found meaning in it. This was a great story and I enjoyed it enough to listen to more books by this author.

Good story, over dramatic narration

Overall, a pretty solidly written story with a few surprises. However, the narrator was overly dramatic and was a distraction

A Thin Red Line Between Love and Hate

WW1 has just begun and two English boys meet during basic training and become fast friends. Tristan lies about his age to enlist because he has been thrown out of his parental house with his father's condemnation that it would be best if he were killed by a German bullet. Will, the son of a vicar, enlists for patriotic reasons. The boys develop an emotional relationship that becomes strained when Will asks Tristan to support him in a point of principle. Tristan, the more pragmatic of the two, refuses because both he and WIll could be put into jeopardy if Will reveals what really happened to a prisoner of war.

John Boyne deftly straddles the line between cowardice and honor and love and hate. He leaves us stunned as we careen toward an ending so unexpected that I cannot get it our of my mind. This novel is a true tour de force.

Heartbreaking and powerful

Would you listen to The Absolutist again? Why?

Yes, even knowing the ultimate outcome, this is nuanced and powerful story, and the narration was fabulous.

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator was really exceptional. I was absolutely drawn into the story, and the question of what constitutes courage.

Have you listened to any of Michael Maloney’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The first performance that I've listened to. Loved his reading of the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A very emotional story...I was so involved that there were times I felt like speaking directly to the characters. There is a sense of sadness that haunts the story.