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The Absolutist

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 2,086 ratings · 463 reviews

September 1919:20 year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver some letters to Marian Bancroft. Tristan fought alongside Marian’s brother Will during the Great War but in 1917, Will laid down his guns on the battlefield, declared himself a conscientious objector and was shot as a traitor, an act which has brought shame and dishonour on the Bancro...more

Hardcover, 309 pages

Published May 12th 2011 by Doubleday

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History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason

Man Booker Prize Eligible 2011

30th out of 154 books — 226 voters

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Absurdity of War

11th out of 60 books — 27 voters

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Aug 14, 2012 Dem rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, recommended, war

I really enjoyed this novel and found it an emotional read. While reading this book I exclaimed out loud and cried and for me this is the basis on which I award 5 stars, I try to write a review on a novel as soon as I can after putting the book down as I like my review to express my feelings of the book when I closed the covers be that good bad or indifferent. The absolutist had me so emotionally charged that I was thinking about the story even when I was not reading it.

The Absolutist is a wart...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Alyce (At Home With Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Absolutist begins with a soldier named Tristan traveling to visit the sister of his friend Will, who fought with him in World War I. Then it flashes back to Tristan’s experiences in basic training where he meets Will for the first time and they form a close friendship. From that point on the story alternates between the two time periods.

Early on in the novel it becomes obvious that Tristan’s affections for the male friends in his life mean more to him than just normal fond feelings of camara...more The Absolutist begins with a soldier named Tristan traveling to visit the sister of his friend Will, who fought with him in World War I. Then it flashes back to Tristan’s experiences in basic training where he meets Will for the first time and they form a close friendship. From that point on the story alternates between the two time periods.

Early on in the novel it becomes obvious that Tristan’s affections for the male friends in his life mean more to him than just normal fond feelings of camaraderie. We learn of his early childhood friend and how Tristan’s father casts Tristan out of the family when he learns of Tristan’s feelings (clearly reflecting the attitudes of the time toward homosexuality). Then at basic training Tristan meets Will, who is the personification of kindness, compassion and reason; and he is pulled into his sphere as if by gravity.

His friendship with Will is complex and conflicted. You can tell that Will is fond of Tristan, yet fearful of feeling anything more, and incredibly disturbed by what the implications and ramifications could be of any actions taken. After seeing how the men of the group pick off a weaker member in their midst, Will’s fear is certainly understandable.

What follows is the tragic rending of a friendship against the backdrop of the inhumanity and horror of war. There is beauty in their friendship that is in direct contrast to the ugliness of war, yet the complexity of their situation reveals bravery and cowardice in both men. Throughout the story, again and again, bravery and cowardice are eloquently contrasted side by side, and play out in unexpected ways for Will and Tristan, in both the war and civilian life.

The significance of the title “The Absolutist” pertains to those pacifists who refused to do battle. Absolutists were those who refused to have anything to do with war or soldiering at all; even non-violent duties. A few pacifists figure into the plot of this book, and the author describes their uncommon courage in the face of taunting and the most dangerous (usually fatal) duties that they were given. He skillfully illustrates the irony of these men being brave enough to stand up for their beliefs, yet knowing they will eternally be labeled cowards.

A quick note about content, even though the story is not that graphic, some of the battle scenes and themes about homosexuality definitely make this an adult novel.

The Absolutist is a very well written story that drew me in and had me reading late into the night. Even as I read and knew that my heart might be broken, I did not want to stop. I highly recommend The Absolutist to those who love good literature, and to fans of dramatic war novels.

I received a free copy of this book for review via Goodreads.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Mrs S Ahern rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Absolutist begins slowly as we learn that Tristan Sadler is a returned soldier who survived the horrors of the Somme. He is now working for a respected publisher and it is nine months since his return. He is journeying to Norwich to return fellow soldier, Will Bancroft's letters to his sister. During this journey Tristan reveals that he was thrown out of home by his father before he turned sixteen, " The truth is Tristan... it would be best if the Germans shoot you dead on sight."

The narrat...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Kerstin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leseliste-2012, favorites

John Boyne gelingt hier meines Erachtens ein Meisterwerk, dass mit leisen melachonischen Untertönen von den Schrecken des Krieges erzählt, sanft verwebt mit den zarten ersten Gefühlen eines 17 jährigen Jungen zu einem Kriegkameraden.

Wann verjährt Schuld? Wann vergisst man und was, wenn man nie vergisst?
Wo liegt der Unterschied zwischen Moral und Feigheit und wann ist man ein Feigling?

Zwei Tabuthemen der damaligen Zeit, werden hier schonungslos und doch mit so viel Feingefühl und Sensibilität erz...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Marialyce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: august-2012

Oh, how very tragic, sad, and moving this novel was! It made the reality of World War 1 ever more so awful as this author managed to make the reader aware and knowing due to his unforgettable and complex characters. Having read three books fairly recently about the "great" war, a misnomer if ever there was one, the plight and hardship suffered by these young men was unbelievable. It broke my heart to again be reminded of the carnage, the loss of young lives, and the utter depravity of war.

We see...more Oh, how very tragic, sad, and moving this novel was! It made the reality of World War 1 ever more so awful as this author managed to make the reader aware and knowing due to his unforgettable and complex characters. Having read three books fairly recently about the "great" war, a misnomer if ever there was one, the plight and hardship suffered by these young men was unbelievable. It broke my heart to again be reminded of the carnage, the loss of young lives, and the utter depravity of war.

We see a new facet of characters in Mr Boyle's novel, that of a gay young man in love with another, Will, who we are never quite sure of. The feelings of death, of love, of loneliness are all brought forward in the characters of Tristan and Will. They become the two true beings of what war can and does do to the human psyche. Tristan is pathetic and never does reconcile himself to what he is, what he was, and how his life has gone about. He pulls at you and makes you know inner turmoil so well that your heart wants to hold onto him and tell him things are ok and yet he would never believe that. He doesn't know how to forgive anyone because of his protective shell, yet is the most hard on himself. Will flounders as well. Caught in the trap of thinking always about the wrongness of war, the actions of people shell shocked by it, and the morality of the killings, he becomes so rigid in his beliefs that he suffers the ultimate sacrifice in many ways other than the loss of his life. He never can reconcile himself to his need for another man. He hates himself for allowing his time with Tristan to be tainted by his conscience of morals and the rightness of situations. He fights against his feelings for Tristan and denies the both of them the idea of love and human care even if among the same sex group at a time and place where love is most needed.

John Boyle has given readers another way to look at war, another way to look at homosexuality, but mostly another way to feel the anger, despair, and futility of war. No one wins really, no one survives really, no one grows untouched. So sad, and yet so utterly true, war is hell. It is this internal and external hell that Mr Boyle's has so well presented in his novel.(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Barb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: stls-has-copy, gay-lesbian-bi-transgender, new-in-2012, read-in-2012, vine, wwi

It's 1919 and Tristan Sadler has established a life after the war. One of only two soldiers from his unit to survive the fighting in France, he's made an errand for himself; to deliver his friend Will Bancroft's letters to Will's older sister, Marian. He wants to tell her about her brother, the friend he trained beside and fought with in the trenches, he wants to tell her about their friendship and the secret he's kept all this time.

I wanted to love this book and I know I had high expectations f...more It's 1919 and Tristan Sadler has established a life after the war. One of only two soldiers from his unit to survive the fighting in France, he's made an errand for himself; to deliver his friend Will Bancroft's letters to Will's older sister, Marian. He wants to tell her about her brother, the friend he trained beside and fought with in the trenches, he wants to tell her about their friendship and the secret he's kept all this time.

I wanted to love this book and I know I had high expectations for it, which generally isn't a good thing. It seemed like one of those books that would be a perfect fit for me (heart wrenching with a few secrets and some dirt and grit thrown in). And while it did have a lot of what I like in a book it didn't have it all.

I immediately liked the protagonist, I liked his story and had a pretty good idea of where he was headed and what he had done to get there. I thought the relationship between Tristan and Will was well done. I thought the conflict over Tristan's secret was also well done, both well written and believable. I also liked the ending where we get to see the main character as a man at the end of his life.

There are a lot of good things happening in this book and I did enjoy it. But two things spoiled my ability to love it; the unrealistic interactions and dialogue between Tristan and Marian and Tristan and Will's parents when he goes to deliver Will's letters and the voice that Tristan adopts somewhere in the middle of the narration when he begins to sound like a worldly scholar, which was not in keeping with his character at that point.

When Tristan and Marian meet she's very flustered and understandably upset but she's also very abrasive, yet at the same time their conversations during his visit seem too familiar. Well into their visit she asks if he will meet her parents, he immediately refuses but ends up going to their home despite his reservations, (which I did find believable). What didn't hang well for me was the way Marian and her parents bicker and are impolite in front of Tristan. I think the conversation and comments they make to and about each other might not be considered outright rude today but in 1919 it would have been very bad form, especially Marian's comment about 'a fat lot of good' her grandfather's duty (to serve his county) did him. Maybe she's right, maybe it's true but I don't think she would have said it in front of the company, especially when the guest present served beside her brother in the most recent war. There are many things said during that brief visit that don't ring true to my ears and Marian's disappearance, which leaves Tristan alone with her parents, also didn't seem realistic. She talked him into coming and then left him to fend for himself. When she leaves the room Will's father goes too far in his confrontation of Tristan. He asks if he's a shirker, then asks if he knows how he feels as Will's father to have lost his son the way he did. Both are really intimate questions that put Tristan in the hot seat and I didn't find this conversation believable. I was disappointed with this part of the book and thought it could have been improved with some editing.

However, I really liked the majority of this book and consider it a worth-while read. I'm sure other readers will have a different take and may not be bothered by the issues I found fault with. Overall a really interesting story but some flaws in execution that didn't allow it to become a favorite for me. For reasons I won't disclose It reminded me of 'Blue Asylum' by Kathy Hepinstall which I really enjoyed. (less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Chris Wolak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Downton Abbey, WWI buffs, LGBT

Shelves: historical-fiction, lgbt, military-fiction, world-war-i, irish-writer

Beautifully written. Love everything about this novel--the characters, the story, the time period, the writing style. Would love to have this as a book club book to discuss the issues of cowardice and courage and all of their many, many manifestations. Perhaps they're better understood on a continuum, and certainly with a huge dose of context. How easy it is to point out and condemn others for what's currently a hot-button social or situational transgression and completely let one's self off the...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am deeply troubled by this book. Not because of how it was written, but how it left me feeling. It has left me to question the two main characters as well as most of the other minor ones. What is a coward and what do you have to do to be brave? I can see myself in one of the characters and I think that troubles me. I rated The Absolutist five stars because it is a great story, I would like to say it has made me question, but instead it has made me angry, sad, feel romantic, but also hate. I wo...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Nanie Dias rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

[Review in Portuguese]

Tristan Sadler tem apenas 21 anos - um jovem. Mas a guerra o transformou em um homem com um imenso fardo. Não é apenas a mão direita que começa a tremular nos mais incômodos momentos. Vai muito além disso.

Os danos psicológicos são irreversíveis. Ter sido o único sobrevivente (se você não contar o companheiro que enlouqueceu completamente) de um grupo de vinte não o ajuda de forma alguma.
Ter passado por tudo o que passou, também não.
Ter perdido alguém importante só piora as...more

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May 17, 2013 Els rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Na de goelag en de non-fictie van Rusland was ik wel toe aan iets lichters. De Witte Veer had het perfecte vederlicht en digestief gehalte dat ik nodig had...

Het is ongetwijfeld moeiteloos te verslinden lectuur - altijd prettig om op regenachtige lenteavonden met een boek in de zetel te zitten. Het gaat vlotjes binnen, maar ik was toch ook enigszins opgelucht toen het uit was - het gevoel van net niet maar er zat wel wat in. Het had een mooie coming of age kunnen zijn, het ontluiken en het ontd...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Filo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erster Eindruck:
Ich hatte schon etwas länger keinen historischen Roman mehr gelesen und fand das eigentlich auch recht schade. Als ich dann auf die Leseprobe zu diesem Buch stieß, war ich sogleich gefesselt und wollte unbedingt weiter lesen.

Meine Meinung:
Es ist wirklich schwer dieses Buch in Worte zu fassen. Ich brauchte deshalb erst auch etwas Zeit um das Buch zu "verdauen". Dies liegt allerdings nicht daran, dass mir das Buch nicht gefallen hat, ganz im Gegenteil.
John Boynes Schreibstil gefäl...more Erster Eindruck:
Ich hatte schon etwas länger keinen historischen Roman mehr gelesen und fand das eigentlich auch recht schade. Als ich dann auf die Leseprobe zu diesem Buch stieß, war ich sogleich gefesselt und wollte unbedingt weiter lesen.

Meine Meinung:
Es ist wirklich schwer dieses Buch in Worte zu fassen. Ich brauchte deshalb erst auch etwas Zeit um das Buch zu "verdauen". Dies liegt allerdings nicht daran, dass mir das Buch nicht gefallen hat, ganz im Gegenteil.
John Boynes Schreibstil gefällt mir sehr gut. Er fesselt einen und so fällt es nicht schwer, die Seiten wie im Flug umzublättern. Dies liegt auch daran, dass man sofort mitten ins Geschehen geworfen wird und sich sogleich einige Fragen stellten, die man beantwortet haben will. Einige Zusammenhänge kann man sich zwar schon im Voraus zusammen reimen, aber vor allem gegen Ende wird man sehr überrascht. Da das Buch immer abwechselnd Einsicht in Tristans Gegenwart und in seine Vergangenheit gibt, erfährt man nicht nur über sein Zusammentreffen mit Marian. Man erfährt oft schon vor Marian Dinge über Tristans Zeit während des Ersten Weltkrieges. Diese ist oft sehr erschreckend, da John Boyne diese Zeit an der Front eindrucksvoll beschreibt und man sich so der Gewalt und des Schreckens wirklich bewusst wird. Tristan ist als Hauptcharakter sehr facettenreich und auf seine Art und Weise außergewöhnlich. Ich litt oft mit ihm mit, konnte manchmal aber auch nur den Kopf schütteln. Aber obwohl Tristan eigentlich die wichtigste Person im Roman ist, vernachlässigt John Boyne auch die anderen Charaktere nicht. So kann man sich selbst von Tristans Vater ein genaues Bild machen, auch wenn der nur wenig zur Handlung beiträgt. Insgesamt ist die Geschichte auf eine gute Idee aufgebaut und sorgt für Spannung. Man kommt selbst ins Nachdenken und erfährt auch einiges über den Ersten Weltkrieg.

Fazit:
Ein Buch, das mich selbst sehr zum Nachdenken anregte. Meine Gedanken beschäftigten sich noch über die letzte Seite hinaus mit Tristan und seiner Welt. Daher ist es sicher kein Buch, das man mal eben so liest und einen mit lustigen Szenen unterhält. Wer allerdings auf tiefgründigeres, einen wunderbaren Schreibstil, starke Charakteren und eine nachhaltige Geschichte in der Zeit nach/und während des Ersten Weltkriegs setzt, der liegt hier genau richtig. Leider war die Handlung an der ein oder anderen Stelle etwas absehbar, zum Ende wurde ich dann aber doch noch mal sehr überrascht.(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Dorien rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

De Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) was een ongekend wrede oorlog met miljoenen slachtoffers. Na anderhalve maand lagen de fronten al min of meer vast, en wat volgde was een vierjarige loopgravenstrijd. Voor soldaten was het leven in een loopgraaf een regelrechte hel, met name in de herfst, winter en voorjaar waren de omstandigheden erbarmelijk. Je zakte tot je knieën in de modder, alles werd vochtig en vies, met als meest voorkomend gevolg 'loopgravenvoeten': opgezwollen, geïnfecteerde en afster...more De Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) was een ongekend wrede oorlog met miljoenen slachtoffers. Na anderhalve maand lagen de fronten al min of meer vast, en wat volgde was een vierjarige loopgravenstrijd. Voor soldaten was het leven in een loopgraaf een regelrechte hel, met name in de herfst, winter en voorjaar waren de omstandigheden erbarmelijk. Je zakte tot je knieën in de modder, alles werd vochtig en vies, met als meest voorkomend gevolg 'loopgravenvoeten': opgezwollen, geïnfecteerde en afstervende voeten. Loopgraven stortten regelmatig in en het ongedierte – met name ratten - tierde welig en bracht ook de nodige ziektes met zich mee.

Maar het ergste waren de doodsangst en eenzaamheid waar de soldaten aan werden blootgesteld. Iedere minuut kon je laatste zijn, of die van je vriend. Complete lichtingen vonden de dood. Degenen die het overleefden leden vaak aan waanvoorstellingen, praatten tegen zichzelf en draaiden volledig door.
Ook waren er soldaten die zich gewetensbezwaarde verklaarden, zo genaamde ‘witte veren’. Op deze mannen werd neergekeken, ze werden gezien als lafaards. Een witte veer werd soms ingezet als ziekenbroeder in het veldhospitaal, maar meestal moesten ze als brancarddrager gewonden en doden van het slagveld halen. Daar waren ze makkelijke doelwitten voor de Duitse sluipschutters.

Het dragende verhaal van De witte veer is deze oorlog. De zeventienjarige, Engelse Tristan Sadler doet zich in 1916 voor als een jaar ouder, om zo naar het front te kunnen gaan. Hij is jong en naïef, en weet helemaal niet waar hij aan begint. Tijdens zijn opleiding aan de militaire academie Aldershot leert hij Will Bancroft kennen en er ontwikkelt zich een vriendschap tussen de twee jongens.
Al gauw wordt duidelijk dat Tristan romantische gevoelens koestert voor mannen, en in het bijzonder voor Will. De ene keer beantwoordt Will deze gevoelens, om zich het volgende moment van Tristan af te keren en hem wekenlang te negeren. Zo ook op het slagveld waar ze naartoe gestuurd worden.

In september 1919, de oorlog is al een jaar voorbij, bezoekt Tristan de zus van Will, Marian. Hij wil haar de brieven teruggeven die zij tijdens de oorlog aan Will heeft gestuurd. Maar Tristan wil meer, hij wil haar ook vertellen over de dood van Will, en zijn eigen rol. Will legde in 1917 in Frankrijk zijn wapen neer, hij wilde niet meer vechten. Hij was echter geen gewone witte veer, hij bleek een absolutist, hij wilde helemaal niets meer met de oorlog te maken hebben. En daarop stond de doodstraf, Will werd standrechtelijk gefusilleerd.

John Boyne heeft het verhaal bijzonder goed opgebouwd. Het springt heen en weer tussen 1916 en 1919, kijkt terloops terug op de jeugd van Tristan, Will en Marian, en sluit af met de laatste woorden en gedachten van Tristan als tachtigjarige. Het verhaal gaat echter niet alleen over de Eerste Wereldoorlog, het gaat ook over homoseksualiteit, vriendschap, angst, afkeur, schuldgevoel, schande en wanhoop. Boyne beschrijft dit alles zeer integer en dwingt je tot nadenken. Bijvoorbeeld over de vraag of een witte veer echt wel zo’n lafaard was, zijn weigering betekende namelijk een zekere dood en riep schande af over zijn familie. Witte veren werden (en worden!) niet genoemd op oorlogsmonumenten, alsof ze niet hebben bestaan.
Boyne beschikt over een vlotte pen en nergens laat hij losse eindjes slingeren. De dialogen zijn goed en personages komen tot leven. Kortom: een fenomenaal boek.

Tot slot krijgt Tristan nog even het woord:
In Aldershot leerden ze ons niet vechten, maar zo lang mogelijk in leven blijven. Alsof we al dood waren, maar het nog een paar dagen of weken konden rekken als we goed konden schieten […] De kazerne zat vol met geesten, Marian, begrijp je dat? We leken al dood te zijn voor we uit Engeland vertrokken.(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Ainul Shakirah Shafie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

I nearly put down this book, and stowed it away never to be read again. No, not because it was not a good read, because it was a fine read, and more. It was because the story brought up emotions in me that would have been acceptable, had it been based on a true story. Like all other novels by John Boyne, this book particularly, by the end of it, my emotions were pretty much run to the ground.

Having said that, the artful way John Boyne writes never fail to make me surrender hours of my time, comp...more I nearly put down this book, and stowed it away never to be read again. No, not because it was not a good read, because it was a fine read, and more. It was because the story brought up emotions in me that would have been acceptable, had it been based on a true story. Like all other novels by John Boyne, this book particularly, by the end of it, my emotions were pretty much run to the ground.

Having said that, the artful way John Boyne writes never fail to make me surrender hours of my time, completely submerged as the story unravel. He always employ a sort of flashback technique so that you know how the ending comes first, yet still don't know how it got to that part. It pulls you in really, like getting to know a stranger and how they have lived their life.

I felt just that with Tristan Sadler, the narrator in this story. Sometimes seeing things from the point of view of a first person makes you empathize with them, justifying their actions and words, because you feel like your experiencing their lives with them. However, the beauty of this book is that it brings out a whole range of emotions you thought you were never capable of feeling towards a fictitious character. At one point, I felt anger, disgust, pity, affection and love all rolled in one for this man, who seemed to be the victim of everything yet has the biggest blame of it all.

This book relates the story of how Tristan lives with the pain of losing his best friend, William Bancroft. It is separated into four chronological period where Tristan deals with the pain in the present, what happened during his early life, what really happened during the war, and how he eventually ends up in the future with the shame within him. A book about a whole life lived.

It really puts you in perspective. Sometimes we judged people harshly for their actions, at times we sympathize unnecessarily for them, but if we hear the whole truth in their words, those feelings can change drastically in just a matter of moments.

The absolutist has taught me many important things; John Boyne's books always have. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a deeper read and something that has intrinsic values that are different for each reader.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-audio

This is a book that has left me almost speechless. The bulk of the book takes place in WWI with the climax occurring in the trenches of France. Two boys, still teenagers, Tristam Sadler, pretending to be over 18 when he is 17, and Will Bancroft, who meet on their first day in the army and become bunk mates and friends. There is a third soldier who makes a profound impression on both of them, Wolf. It turns out that he is a conscientious objector who is being sent to the front even though he has...more This is a book that has left me almost speechless. The bulk of the book takes place in WWI with the climax occurring in the trenches of France. Two boys, still teenagers, Tristam Sadler, pretending to be over 18 when he is 17, and Will Bancroft, who meet on their first day in the army and become bunk mates and friends. There is a third soldier who makes a profound impression on both of them, Wolf. It turns out that he is a conscientious objector who is being sent to the front even though he has applied for conscientious objector status. Will is profoundly affected when Wolf first turns up missing and then is found dead, murdered by the sergeant who considers a CO the same as a coward. Tristam is affected as well but also is attracted to Will so, despite his better self, feels some relief when Wolf is gone. But this is the beginning of the end for Will. Finally, because of some other things that occur, Will declares himself, not only a conscientious objector, but an absolutist. This means that he will do nothing to help any part of the war, not on the front, not off the field, etc. There is a dialogue between Tristam and Will, when Tristam is trying to get him to pull back from this stance so he won’t be killed, that equals in passion, pain and bleakness anything I’ve ever read in literature, coming close to “A Man for All Seasons” and the dialogue between Sir Thomas Moore, and, I think Thomas Cromwell, or was it Henry VIII? Tristam agrees with Will that the war is senseless, but he believes that the cruelty inflicted even on a prisoner of war is nothing better or worse than anything else that happens in war and is not worth dying for. Will wants Tristam to stand with him against the killing of a prisoner of war, but is totally unwilling to admit that he is gay or had gay feelings for Tristam, whom he claims to have used only because he was lonely. Both boys are completely rigid in their beliefs that they are right and that the other one is a coward for not accepting his view. This is one of the most painful books I’ve read lately. It’s one that I might go back and read in a few years again. The ending is somewhat surprising. The audio narration was wonderful, particularly the dialogue I spoke of earlier, the last conversation between Will and Tristam. (less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a powerful book with powerful thoughts. The story is written in first person by the protagonist, Tristan Sadler, and it is written in four different time frames: prior to World War I, during World War I, shortly after World War I and then 60 years later. But the "Absolutist" referred to by the title is Tristan's companion during training for the war and during the war and his name is Will Bancroft. The plot is written in such a way that we are given a series of incidents, piece meal, th...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Felice Picano rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The writing here is so wonderfully smooth and intelligent and lovely that I wanted to like this book a great deal. And in fact, I did like those sections that didn't take place during World War 1, and I loved Marian Bancroft as a character. Every scene she was in came alive, glowing, and lambent. However the way the book is shaped, scenes during 1916 in British army training at Aldershot and then in the trenches alternate with those Post War 1919 Norwich scenes with Marian and are supposed to il...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Levi Herren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-and-lesbian, fiction, war

This is a beautiful story, but it’s also tragic. It broke my heart. It’s about a young man named Tristan that served for England during world war one. A few months after its conclusion he travels to a small town to meet the sister of one of his fallen comrades, Will. Only he was more than another soldier in his regiment, Will was his lover. The characters are conflicted as you can probably imagine but not just concerning their sexuality. There are bigger surprises in this book than finding a gay...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jo by: Goodreads First Reads

Shelves: first-reads

Absolutely LOVED this book!! I received my copy for free, curtesy of Goodreads First Reads. It arrived on the 16th November 2012 and I saved it for my holidays so I could sit down and relax whilst reading it.

I was on the edge of my seat reading it. I could not put this book down. It had the ability to transport me to where the action was taking place, with just a word, a description, and pause, even if the action was taking place in a WWII trench, or a quiet cafe in Norwich. The conditions of t...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really loved this book. I really hope John Boyne gets the credit he deserves for this book as it really intrigued me. After finishing it I had this strange shivery feeling because the ending was so sad.The things that upset me the most were that Tristan was rejected by his own father and also that he never managed to make things right with Will before Will was shot. There are a few minor improvements that could be made in my opinion (which I'll mention later) but overall I loved it!!

The emotio...more I really loved this book. I really hope John Boyne gets the credit he deserves for this book as it really intrigued me. After finishing it I had this strange shivery feeling because the ending was so sad.The things that upset me the most were that Tristan was rejected by his own father and also that he never managed to make things right with Will before Will was shot. There are a few minor improvements that could be made in my opinion (which I'll mention later) but overall I loved it!!

The emotions this book stimulates are incredible and I like the way that Tristans past and the events leading to him leaving home is very gradually revealed. I feel such pity for Tristan when his father beats him and casts him out for being a homosexual. When he returms to tell him he's going away to war the last words his father says to him is that he is no longer welcome and he hopes the Germans shoot him dead. Absolutely heartbreaking!
I thought the part with the German boy really captured the idea of a frightned young boy forced to fight. The image of the boy calling for his mother before he was killed left was disturbing. It really highlights the idea that the German soldiers have been forced to fight too, they are not the real enemy.
Oh! and the part near the end, I nearly cried!! Will was so mean to Tristan and I could really feel the sting of his words. I know that he probably said most of it in the heat of the argument but I found it heartbreaking that they ruined their friendship just hours before Will was shot. The characters never managed to make things right before parting ways. That is something that always upsets me- It is sad enough when a character dies but even sadder when they die after having a fight with a loved one. I thought it was effective how Will's death scene was quick as it conveys the idea that it was in the spur of the moment that Tristan volenteered to shoot him.

I felt a lot of anger as well as despair. I was angry at Tristan for not telling the truth about the German boy's death. Tristan is cowardly for this reason. Although Will is brave for standing up for human rights by refusing to kill, he is cowardly when it comes to his feelings for Tristan. He is cruel to him because he cannot admit his feelings, Will is confused about his sexuality and is too cowardly to face Tristan.

Another thing to praise about this book is the fact that the author doesn't go into indecent graphic detail during intimate moments. He manages to imply what has happened between Tristan and Will without writing crude paragraphs that leave nothing to the imagination as personally I think it can sometimes be enough to put me off a book when there is too much crude graphic detail of sexual moments between characters.

The only thing I think could have been improved is the development of Tristan and Will's relationship. Don't get me wrong, the developement of their affair was good but it could have been better. I feel there were gaps. I'd have liked a little more story set in the time they spent at Aldershot camp and a more slow gradual build of their friendship and love. I felt like the story jumped. They went very quickly from being aquaintences to being very passionate. One minute they are just meeting and arriving at camp and the next they are capering around, wrestling eachother on the floor and then gazing into eachothers eyes. I think there should have been more of a build up to this moment.

Another few things to criticise are a few minor unrealistic things in the speech. When Tristan visits Will's parents I found it odd why Will's father is quesioning Tristan as to why he does not plan to marry and have children. It just seems like an odd thing to ask in this situation but perhaps the author was trying to convey that Tristan can never have kids if he continues life as a homosexual.

I also found it strange when Will says that private Wolf had informed him that Tristan was gay. He also told Tristan that none of the other soldiers wanted to be his friend for this reason. What I don't understand is...How would Wolf or the other soliders know about Tristan's past? his homosexuality? AND if they did know about it then why wasn't there any hostility towards him at Aldershot camp? As being gay back then was a scandal.

Apart from these minor things I say it is a fantastic book, a must read! I'd highly recomend it. A powerful book. I finished it 2 days ago yet I still keep thinking about it. The ending still gives me chills. Personally I'd quite like to see it made into a movie- I think it would be good. Excellent work from John Boyne(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Grady rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Weaving the vulnerabilities of men with the atrocities of war

John Boyne is already a highly regarded writer (perhaps his most famous story is that unforgettable THE BOY IN THE STRIPPED PAJAMAS that described war and its permutations as well as any novel written) and it should come as no surprise that once again he has come up with a story so profoundly moving and so elegantly written that it becomes an instant landmark. Boyne joins the ranks of writers who deal with love stories between men in t...more Weaving the vulnerabilities of men with the atrocities of war

John Boyne is already a highly regarded writer (perhaps his most famous story is that unforgettable THE BOY IN THE STRIPPED PAJAMAS that described war and its permutations as well as any novel written) and it should come as no surprise that once again he has come up with a story so profoundly moving and so elegantly written that it becomes an instant landmark. Boyne joins the ranks of writers who deal with love stories between men in the time of war and his novel could not be more timely.

The setting for this novel is during the time of and the time after the Great War, with the accompanying fractures and sounds and scars that accompanied that era. In September of 1919 the 20 year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver some letters to Marian Bancroft, the sister of Will, Tristan's closest comrade in battle. Tristan fought alongside Marian's brother during the Great War but in 1917, but Will laid down his guns on the battlefield, declared himself a conscientious objector refusing any role at all in the campaign (and `absolutist') and was shot as a traitor, an act which has brought shame and dishonor on the Bancroft family. The letters Tristan carries are not the real reason for Tristan's visit. He holds a secret deep in his soul, one that he is desperate to unburden himself of to Marian, if he can only find the courage. As they stroll through the streets of a city still coming to terms with the end of the war, he recalls his friendship with Will, from the training ground at Aldershot to the trenches of Northern France, and speaks of how the intensity of their friendship brought him from brief moments of happiness and self-discovery to long periods of despair and pain.

The manner in which Boyne unfolds this story, moving effortlessly back and forth between the war experience and the post war time, is steeped in atmosphere and in language that fearlessly describes the times and the thoughts and the incidents that build toward the rather surprising ending. Tristan is the son of a butcher, a handsome lad never quite accepted as he matures. In the early part of the book (after the war when Tristan is delivering the letters to Marion) Tristan sees himself as wasted physically, his once desirable body now masked by scars and loss of sensuousness. But at the same time he is sensitive to men he meets in the pubs or on the street - the first suggestion that this is a man we will discover has been in a same sex relationship with his beloved Will. It takes great sensitivity on the part of an author to gain the reader's attention and emotional involvement before the facts of the story - at times achingly real and strange - are evident. It is here and in many other areas, where Boyne excels. Writing of this sensitivity and simply verbal beauty is rare. Boyne is rapidly becoming one of the great writers of the century.

Grady Harp
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Sep 09, 2012 Jonathan Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was first attracted to this book because I read and enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by the same author. This book is a much more adult read and it blew me away.

The story follows a young man, Tristan Sadler, who spends a day in Norwich after the First World War's conclusion meeting a young lady, the sister of his best friend. The opening chapter draws the reader in to Tristan's world and the descriptive writing is excellent.

The book alternates Tristan's visit to Norwich with his time tra...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Robert Greenfield rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Absolutist is a powerfully poignant story recalling the horrors of the Great War as seen through the eyes of young Tristan Sadler. John Boyne's evocative, inclusive, and masterly-crafted novel portrays Tristan's (devastating) attraction to another soldier, Will Bancroft in the barracks at training camp in Aldershot; unfolding with tragic results in the muddy trenches on the killings fields of France. The author's evocative writing style VIVIDLY brings to life the sheer hell they both endure,...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Richda Mcnutt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Who is more courageous: the man who dives over the trench line and enters no-man's land, but becomes deadened to the carnage around him, or the man who refuses to take up arms against other human beings to the extent that he will not even aid his fellow soldiers as stretcher-bearer, courier, or other pacifistic duties (but then faces the consequences of this stance)?

That is one form of courage. And that is only one theme of "The Absolutist." In contrast to courage, fear rides rampant. The fear...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Ryan G rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There aren't a lot of books that can break my heart. No matter how much I'm able to connect with the characters or find myself lost in the action, I don't make a habit of emotionally investing myself on such a visceral level. It's not something I make a conscience decision on, I just read so much that if I allowed myself to put my emotions into every book I read, I would be a basket case. But every once in a while, I can't help myself. I allow myself to fully invest in what I'm reading. I get so...more There aren't a lot of books that can break my heart. No matter how much I'm able to connect with the characters or find myself lost in the action, I don't make a habit of emotionally investing myself on such a visceral level. It's not something I make a conscience decision on, I just read so much that if I allowed myself to put my emotions into every book I read, I would be a basket case. But every once in a while, I can't help myself. I allow myself to fully invest in what I'm reading. I get so involved in the character's lives that I'm not able to keep those walls up. The Absolutist, is one of those cases.

I've been trying to figure out what I can say about this book, without giving way too much away, but get everyone who reads this to read the book for themselves. I know one of the central themes of this book is how war can change and solidify personal beliefs and what those beliefs can lead too. This book, in stark terms, examines what can happen when certain beliefs run in the face of what is expected of a soldier in battle. I may not be wording this right, but I think it's a pretty important idea to explore in the face of what's been going on over the last 11 years.

It's the more personal face of the story that moved me the most though. More than anything else, this is a story about Tristan and Will. Granted it's told through the eyes of Tristan, but I think he gives a pretty accurate account of the events that lead up to that unbearable pain mentioned in the synopsis. I don't think he pulls any punches or makes any excuses for his actions, though it may have been nice to have had Will's reasoning for his own behavior towards Tristan and for his final act that sets the course for the rest of the book.

I can pretty much tell you in one word the motivating factor for most of what happens, fear. Fear of the unknown, but more importantly, fear of self. It's the fear of allowing yourself to be who and what you are, that sets everything else into motion. Neither one of these men can fully accept or deal with what they are feeling or what they did as a result. It's the waste of life, both physical and emotional, that moved me in a way few books can manage. It's what happens to both these men as a result of fear that broke my heart and forced me to think of the what might have beens in my own life. It's not a reaction I want to have from every book I read, but when it does happen, I'm grateful for it.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Alice Meloy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know it's for adults, but early on in this new novel by Boyne (The Boy In The Striped Pajamas), I began to wonder if he was writing a novel for young adults.It's the story of Tristan Sadler, who enlists in the army in 1916 after being kicked out of his school and his home for kissing another boy, his best friend. Though homosexuality seems to be the main issue running through the novel, the story is expanded to include a lot of detail about Tristan's life as a soldier in the trenches, and it i...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bestselling author of Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne, returns to the theme of examining a period in history throu...gh the eyes of two boys. Conscripted into the army at eighteen years of age, Will Bancroft is the son of a vicar, raised in the genteel English countryside. Seventeen year old Londoner Tristan Sadler, having been kicked out of home early in life by his abusive family, lied about his age and illegally enlisted in the army. The two meet in bootcamp at Aldershot and quickly fo...more

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May 28, 2012 Erastes rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was immediately drawn to the book because it’s partly set in my stamping ground of Norfolk. The protagonist Tristan is on his way to Norwich at the beginning to meet a mysterious someone or other which is nicely protracted until it needs to be revealed. There’s a irritating and lengthy section in his boarding house which achieved nothing other than to tell the reader “oh no, homosexuality is verboten in England” as if they wouldn’t know and “people don’t like it” which of course they know too....more

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Susie It's funny you bring that up, about being surprised when you found out who wrote it--when I finished, I was under the impression that this was an earl...more
Aug 19, 2012 11:31am

Erastes Susie wrote: "It's funny you bring that up, about being surprised when you found out who wrote it--when I finished, I was under the impression that th...more
Aug 19, 2012 12:56pm

Chrissie Thank you for your nuanced review which Steelwhisper brought to my attention. I liked that you explained with examples your pov. You have convinced me...more
Sep 12, 2012 12:24am

May 21, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Carol by: Paul Kozlowski, Associate Publisher Other Press

Shelves: fiction

My enjoyment of The Absolutist took me by surprise. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. So much for preconceived notions.

The Absolutist is a war story, one that takes place during World War I, not one of my favorite subjects. But this one is so well written and poignant that it caught my attention immediately and kept me turning those pages, even when I couldn't bear the outcome. The opening scenes give us a glimpse of Tristan Sadler, a young war-weary soldier as he returns...more My enjoyment of The Absolutist took me by surprise. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. So much for preconceived notions.

The Absolutist is a war story, one that takes place during World War I, not one of my favorite subjects. But this one is so well written and poignant that it caught my attention immediately and kept me turning those pages, even when I couldn't bear the outcome. The opening scenes give us a glimpse of Tristan Sadler, a young war-weary soldier as he returns to London, trying to regain a normal life as he begins a job in publishing. Sadler has experienced some horrid things in his stint of duty in France. Many of his unit have not been as fortunate as he to make the journey home. One of these, his best friend Will Bancroft is a casualty, one that has a story quite different than others who share Sadler's muddy trenches. On arriving home, Sadler has letters that Will received from his sister Mary and Sadler feels compelled to return them to her. What at first seems a simple plan turns out to be so much more. The return of the letters is the vehicle in which we, the reader, learn the secrets and truth of Tristan and Will's friendship and leaves us with questions about this bound. Their story will stay with me. It's haunting, gut wrenching, tragic, and brought me to tears. I won't tell you more as I always feel it's better to allow you to discover for yourself.

There are some beautiful passages in this story of young men and war. I found myself highlighting many. In this scene Tristan is to be examined by a doctor in the medical tent. Tristan's description of the them is exquisite, packing a wallop and reminding us that these are just kids, plucked early from their carefree youth to fight this war.

"I look away embarrassed, but it doesn’t do much good, for everywhere I look the other members of my troop, those sitting on the beds at least, have also stripped down to the altogether, revealing a set of malformed, misshapen and startlingly unattractive bodies. These are young men of no less than eighteen and no more than twenty, and it surprises me that they are for the most part so undernourished and pale. Sparrow chests, thin bellies, loose buttocks are on display wherever I look, except for one or two chaps who are at the other end of the extreme, overweight and corpulent., thick flabs of fat hanging around their chests like breasts."

My sincere thanks go to Paul Kozlowski, Associate Publisher at Other Press for recommending this to me. I met Paul at The Books On the Nightstand Booktopia 2012 in Manchester, Vermont and asked him what he'd suggest I'd read from his house.

Absolutist, perfect title; not a word that I could define at the start, not a word I'll soon forget.
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Feb 02, 2012 C_ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, deutsch, historisch, lieblich, lies, alle-fertig-und-zu-hause

Die Schrecken des ersten Weltkrieges, jugendliche Blindheit, tiefe Gefühle, eine große Liebe, die Beziehungen zwischen jungen Männern in einer Extremsituation, Mut, Feigheit, Wut, Reue, Verzweiflung und Schuld - das sind die Hauptthemen dieses Romans, ineinander verwoben durch eine unheimlich poetische, das Innerste berührende Sprache.

Tristan ist eigentlich zu jung für den Krieg, schummelt aber, was sein Alter betrifft, da er es kaum erwarten kann, seine bösen Erinnerungen in London zurückzulass...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not a happy or an uplifting story. It is however beautifully written and heartbreakingly human.
The story in this book is narrated by Tristan Sadler.
In September 1919 he travels from London to Norwich to deliver letters to Marian Bancroft. During the First World War Tristan trained and fought alongside her brother, Will and during that time they became friends.
From the start it is clear that Tristan is troubled about meeting Marian and unsure how much he will end up tell her about what pr...more

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About John Boyne

John Boyne (born 30 April 1971 in Dublin) is an Irish novelist.

He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where he was awarded the Curtis Brown prize. But it was during his time at Trinity that he began to get published. To pay his way at that stage of his career, he worked at Waterstone's, typing up his drafts by night.

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Quotes from The Absolutist

“I think i'm just breathing, that's all. And there's a difference between breathing and being alive.” — 14 people liked it

“Do you see the irony at all, Tristan?’
I stare at him and shake my head. He seems determined not to speak again until I do. ‘What irony?’ I ask eventually, the words tumbling out in a hurried heap. ‘That I am to be shot as a coward while you get to live as one.” — 9 people liked it

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