September 1919: Twenty-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a clutch of letters to Marian Bancroft. Tristan fought alongside Marian's brother Will during the Great War. They trained together. They fought together.
But in 1917, Will laid down his guns on the battlefield and declared himself a conscientious objector, an act which has brought shame and dishonour on the Bancroft family.
The letters, however, are not the real reason for Tristan's visit. He holds a secret deep within him. One that he is desperate to unburden himself of to Marian, if he can only find the courage. Whatever happens, this meeting will change his life – forever.
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 9780552775403
Number of pages: 432
Weight: 303 g
Dimensions: 197 x 128 x 27 mm
Extraordinary... The narrative is by turns surprising and tragic in equal measure while its troubling conclusion will stay with readers long after they've closed the book - Carlo Gebler
Powerful, poignant and beautifully written. This will become a classic war novel - Bookseller
Compulsive, stylish and gripping - Reader's Digest
A wonderful, sad, tender book - Colm Toibin
John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories. He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant and real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature - Colum McCann
Tristan, the protagonist of The Absolutist, is, at the start of the novel, on a train travelling to a tatty B&B in Norwich, England, just after the war. He is here to visit Marian, the sister of a close friend who... More
John Boyne has written a story that is both intense and illuminating. It explores the relationships and beliefs of young men in WW1 and is a story that grips you and takes you on an emotional roller-coaster.
You will...
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Probably this was because I struggle with the war genre in general, although I still occasionally, like now, go back and try it again. This one felt like it was trying too hard. The first giant chapter pushed the... More
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