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The Absolutist

John Boyne (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 9,956 ratings · 1,468 reviews

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 rec ...more

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Paperback, 309 pages

Published July 10th 2012 by Other Press (first published May 12th 2011)

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Best Gay Fiction

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WWI - The Great War (Historical Fiction)

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4.04 ·

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· 9,956 ratings · 1,468 reviews

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Jul 14, 2017 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Phenomenal!!!!! The nitty-gritty-reality..of what frickin war can can do - and not do--
oh how I LOVE JOHN BOYNE!!! My God... I had NO IDEA what I would discover when I started reading this AMAZING NOVEL...storytelling that is sooooo good!!!-- - so much I wish to say. I'm completely SPENT....EVERY EMOTION triggered!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

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Aug 15, 2015 B the BookAddict rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hist-fiction

In his usual understated and deft manner, John Boyne has written a WWI story that is very different from all the others in this genre.

Two young men, Sadler and Bancroft, train in the army together in England and are dispatched to the fields of Flanders in the same squad. They share a secret and taboo friendship that must remain hidden. But then a shocking case of barbarity by one of their squad finds the two friends on opposing sides of belief. One will find himself with an unthinkable task. One ...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Larry H rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-books

Tristan Sadler, newly 21, travels to Norwich from his London home to take care of an errand he is dreading. He has promised to deliver a sheaf of letters his friend Will Bancroft received while they fought together during World War I to Will's sister. And while this errand dredges up memories of the fighting and the deaths that Tristan would rather not remember, it also forces him to confront his feelings, his actions, and the direction the rest of his life is going to take.

Spending the day with ...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Marialyce rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Dem rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, recommended, war, 5-star

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 05, 2018 BlackOxford rated it it was ok

Shelves: british, war

Self-spoliation

A touching story, well told. Unfortunately it’s trajectory is clear, at least to me, from very early on. It’s always a literary dilemma about how much to reveal and when in order to keep the reader’s interest. Boyne gives too much away too early. The consequence is that the I ended up mainly looking for confirming clues. It was simply impossible for me to suspend the urge to make premature sense of the whole thing. This distracts from appreciating the merits of technique and stru ...more

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Sep 30, 2018 Felicia rated it it was amazing

"...there's a difference between breathing and being alive."

I've been working my way through all of Boyne's books, and each time I start a new one I think to myself that there is no way this one can top the previous one. And each and every time, not only have I found myself mistaken, I am left astonished by his blinding literary brilliance.
There is no way to rate his books in order of best to worst.
There simply is no worst.
There isn't even a mediocre.

This story has left me shattered.

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Apr 23, 2018 Phrynne rated it really liked it

Shelves: 5000-books

My third book by this author and each one has been so beautifully written. The kind of books you walk around with in your head for days after finishing them.

The Absolutist tells of the horrors of war and through Tristan, the main character, we learn how difficult it was to live as a homosexual in 1916. His relationship with Will, who is struggling with his beliefs and values in every area of his life, is tumultuous and ends in disaster.

And then after all the drama and death life just goes on. I ...more

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May 27, 2012 Erastes rated it liked it · review of another edition

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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Feb 04, 2019 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

As the story opens we meet Tristan Sadler. The year is 1919 and he’s travelling to Norwich to look up the sister of a friend who was killed in the First World War. He’s very nervous about meeting her, that much is clear, but there is less evidence – yet – as to the reason for his obvious trepidation. All will be come clear, but not for some time. We start to learn of Tristan’s friendship with Will Bancroft in episodes that alternate with more detail of his stay in Norwich. It seems that they met As the story opens we meet Tristan Sadler. The year is 1919 and he’s travelling to Norwich to look up the sister of a friend who was killed in the First World War. He’s very nervous about meeting her, that much is clear, but there is less evidence – yet – as to the reason for his obvious trepidation. All will be come clear, but not for some time. We start to learn of Tristan’s friendship with Will Bancroft in episodes that alternate with more detail of his stay in Norwich. It seems that they met during training at Aldershot and became close before being shipped off together to experience the horrors of trench warfare in France. But it’s all a bit more complicated than that.

Tristan had lied about his age to sign up for active duty, his father having disowned him and banished him from the family home following an episode at school. Training at Aldershot was brutal, overseen by a bullying sergeant and a couple of his henchmen. But if that was bad it was nothing compared to life in the trenches. The sections detailing the lives of the fighting soldiers are grim and the horror of war is very effectively brought to life. The feelings of fear and guilt are tangible and I still find it hard to get my head around the degree to which teenagers were routinely exposed to a level of atrocity that is simply hard to imagine. It seems that none of the new recruits expected to live more than a few weeks following deployment, and for quite a few this proved to be the case.

So it’s a story about war but it’s also the story of a difficult relationship between two young men. It’s a story of its time. The prose is superb and the whole thing unravels in a way that maintains the suspense to the end. We’re given clear clues as to how it will all play out, but enough is held back to enable a shocking finale to be delivered. So does it all add up to a resounding success? Well, almost. One thing that grated on me was the constant cruelty displayed by the authority figures here (Tristan’s father, the sergeant and even Will’s father). The older males in this book are one-dimensional and unsparing in their brutishness. In fact, the story totally lacks humour of any sort. I know that there’s not a lot of laughs to be had in a tale about the Great War, but it does tend to make this book a pretty bleak read.

But the end the sheer quality of the storytelling did win me over. Boyne is a master wordsmith and he’s expert at drawing characters that suck you into his story. I certainly don’t think this is his best book – but it’s still pretty damned good. ...more

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Sep 15, 2018 ☮Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, overdrive, read-in-2018, 5000-books, favorites, wwi, lgbtq

4.5 stars

There isn't a lot I can say about this beautiful book that hasn't already been said. A WW1 setting, a 17 yr old homosexual, Tristan, who joined up because his parents no longer wanted him in their lives, and from there the real drama begins as he falls for his bunkmate. Told in flashbacks a few years later, Tristan meets with his buddy's sister to discuss the truth about what happened, what happens, during wartime. What is said can apply to every war, as there are always going to be men ...more

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Nov 09, 2014 Darlene rated it it was amazing

I came across this book by chance. I picked it up and while reading the inside cover, I realized that the author, John Boyne, is also the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.... a book, which although seems controversial from reviewers' points of view, was one I really loved. This story takes place during the Great War and the time immediately after the war ends. War veteran Tristan Sadler, who is 20 years old in the fall of 1919, takes a train from his home in London to Norwich to deliver I came across this book by chance. I picked it up and while reading the inside cover, I realized that the author, John Boyne, is also the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.... a book, which although seems controversial from reviewers' points of view, was one I really loved. This story takes place during the Great War and the time immediately after the war ends. War veteran Tristan Sadler, who is 20 years old in the fall of 1919, takes a train from his home in London to Norwich to deliver a package to the sister of a soldier he fought beside in northern France. The package Tristan is delivering is a collection of letters written to Will Bancroft from his sister Marian during the war; but as we come to learn , this trip is much more than just a courtesy call. Tristan is burdened with a secret... a terrible secret he has been carrying along with tremendous guilt over the part he played in Will's death.

This story is told alternately through Tristan's recollections of the past and events occurring in present time. Through Tristan's memories, we learn that he met Will on the train to their basic training in Aldershot and the two immediately struck up a friendship. Although they were from different backgrounds and led very different lives, they developed an instant camaraderie ; but honestly, there was much more under the surface of their friendship.. much that was hinted at, even if not explicitly presented. There was an attraction between the two and the intensity of that attraction between Tristan and Will is ultimately at the heart of what happens to them.

On one level. The Absolutist is a war story.... complete with the elements found in every war story.... uncomfortable and even intolerable physical challenges and discomfort, inadequate supplies, demoralization of the men fighting and the inevitable struggle to maintain some sense of what they are actually fighting FOR. But on another level, this is simply the story of two young men and their very important struggle to come to terms with their identities on a very basic level. With Tristan, we get the sense that he has accepted his sexual identity but struggles with what it will mean for his life in the future. With Will... well, it is much less clear... on the one hand, Will seems to be in denial of his sexual identity and yet on the other hand, he seems, at times, eager to explore the feelings he has for Tristan. The conflict Will experiences, although perhaps not intentional, sends Tristan on an emotional roller coaster... happiness one second and in the depths of despair and confusion the next.

In addition to experiencing confusion over his sexual identity, Will also struggles with another moral dilemma... a dilemma over continuing to fight in the war. Will has come to the decision that he can no longer morally support the war and the killing of other human beings... he lays down his weapons and refuses to fight... knowing that this action will be viewed as treason and he will most likely be executed. There is one final scene which plays out between Tristan and Will and the events which unfold will lead not only to Will's death ... but also to the grief and guilt which leave Tristan unable to find peace.It is this story which is at the heart of Tristan's visit to Marian... he wishes to share his guilt with her. What is never really clear to me is what he expects to receive from Marian... is it her understanding? Compassion? Forgiveness?Perhaps her anger? Or is it that he hopes to gain a better understanding of Will from the sister who was so close to him? Perhaps in the end, it was all of those things and maybe a desire to reassure Marian that her brother , in the end, had not displayed cowardice ..... but instead courage.

To see how it all turns out, you will have to read the book. Of course, I found this story to be a profoundly sad one. It is tragic, indeed, when people are not accepted for or allowed to be who they are. And I find that the real irony in having Tristan and Will's story play out against the backdrop of war is that wars are so often proclaimed to be fought over freedom and yet.... the very individuals in this story engaged in battle are not, themselves, truly free.

To me, this was a coming-of-age story.. albeit one which played out against the backdrop of World War I. It raised some serious moral questions to be contemplated. This was a very compelling story and one which I highly recommend. ...more

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Feb 02, 2016 Vitor Martins rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq, read-in-2016, personal-library

4.5

Essa é uma história bonita e ao mesmo tempo muito triste. Na maior parte do tempo ela é só triste. Mas triste de um jeito bonito, entende?

Aqui a gente vai conhecer a história de Trista, um soldado na Primeira Guerra, que acaba se apaixonando por outro soldado e tem que lidar com o sofrimento de ser gay numa época em que nem existia isso de "ser gay". Você só era uma aberração e olhe lá. Daí junto com esse drama todo existe uma GUERRA acontecendo e muita gente morrendo e você tem uma história ...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Carol rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorites, ww1, read-2014

John Boyne brings the muddy trenches of WWI to life as twenty-one year old Tristan Sadler narrates the story of his young life and personal friendship with Will Bancroft. This unforgettable story has much sadness and heartbreak as Tristan unleashes his whopper of a secret, but OMGOSH, what a page-turner complete with vivid descriptions of the horrors of war and a horror of a father.

This is my third JB novel and definitely won't be my last. The powerful ending made it a 5 star read for me.

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May 21, 2012 Carol rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 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.
...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Ryan rated it it was amazing

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 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. ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Rob rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is a beautifully written, poignant love story. But not a love story in any conventional sense. A love so strongly felt by one and so strongly denied by the other.
The young couple involved are Tristan Sadler and Will Bancroft. Two young men who join up to fight in the trenches of France during WW1.
Out of the 20, or so, young men who train together for war only Tristan comes home. Tristan comes home whole in body but not mind, he carries a secret that will haunt him until his death.
The story ...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Chrissie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chrissie by: Sandy

Shelves: france, great-britain, hf, england, ww1, 2017-read, audible-uk, lgtb

The author draws the First World War’s trench warfare with a deft hand. We are in the trenches of Picardy, France.

The second theme is the taint of homosexuality as viewed by people of this time. Here the setting is Chiswick and Norwich, England.

The third theme is opposition to the war – pacifism versus staunch patriotism. To be labeled as a featherman, conscientious objector or absolutists was to be scorned by all. Absolutists were those who would in no way involve themselves with war, not eve ...more

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Nov 16, 2018 Krodì80 rated it liked it · review of another edition

John Boyne ha scritto un bel romanzo, ma non ha osato. Gli rimprovero la poca arditezza, perché quello che traspare da queste pagine, per quanto piacevoli, ben confezionate, non di rado toccanti, è un’implicita attitudine mainstream, il voler comunicare senza troppi rischi una storia ‘diversa’ ma incontrovertibilmente aperta alla moltitudine. Tristan porta con sé sui campi della Grande Guerra lo scandalo che lo ha fatto allontanare dalla famiglia, e trova nel commilitone Will, il quale diventerà ...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Miles rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

How does one begin to review “The Absolutist” by John Boyne? To say I am, forgive me while I use a World War one descriptive, shell shocked, would be an understatement. Sitting quietly in the corner of the living room merely an hour after finishing the book, subdued lighting my only company and a book jacket design I find hard to tear myself from, I gorge in its simplicity, its effectiveness, its evocativeness. Breath-taking.

The British Army, by the end of “The Great War”, had dealt with 80,000 How does one begin to review “The Absolutist” by John Boyne? To say I am, forgive me while I use a World War one descriptive, shell shocked, would be an understatement. Sitting quietly in the corner of the living room merely an hour after finishing the book, subdued lighting my only company and a book jacket design I find hard to tear myself from, I gorge in its simplicity, its effectiveness, its evocativeness. Breath-taking.

The British Army, by the end of “The Great War”, had dealt with 80,000 cases of shell shock – a severe and debilitating trauma by any measure.

September 1919: twenty-one-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 Bancroft family.

But the letters 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 he recalls his friendship with Will, from the training ground at Aldershot to the trenches of Northern France, he speaks of how the intensity of their friendship brought him both happiness and self-discovery as well as despair and pain.

The Absolutist is a novel that examines the events of the Great War from the perspective of two young soldiers, both struggling with the complexity of their emotions and the confusion of their friendship.
Set across six parts, the book looks back at two very short time periods - 1916 and 1919 - and it’s only in the concluding part do we gain closure in Thatcher’s memorable 1979. Each part weighs in at approximately 50 pages and it took me a while to realise the book was devoid of chapters. That said, I do wonder if the addition of breaks and chapters within each part would have had a detrimental effect on the rhythm – I rather believe it would have for –although unusual – I never felt the need for an interlude. Page after page would scurry on by and before I knew it I was half way through the book, eager as I was to find out what would happen to the protagonist.

Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/06/07...
...more

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Oct 20, 2014 Cher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical_fiction

4 stars - It was great. I loved it.

John Boyne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I found this novel to be evocative and thought-provoking. And while it is certainly a despondent read as well, never so much so that the reader hesitates to pick it back up. I found myself thinking of the characters while not reading it - always a great sign.

Coincidentally, it was a very fitting selection for a Memorial Day weekend. God bless our soldiers across the world, but especially those souls t ...more

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Aug 01, 2017 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: irish, lgbt, historical-fiction, own, 2017, war, i-actually-cried

The Absolutist is a tender and harrowing exploration of love, betrayal, bravery, and cowardice, set in the trenches in France during World War I. The story begins in 1919, with twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler making a trip to Norwich to deliver some letters to the sister of a man who had died in the war, Will Bancroft. Through a series of flashbacks, Boyne explores the relationship between Tristan and Will, and while it's clear from the beginning that there isn't going to be a happy ending, i ...more

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Mar 03, 2015 Sandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: intntl-europe, fiction-historical, intntl-britain, fiction-ww1, source-avrl-kv, fiction-lgbt, 2015-read, author-irish

I motored through this book much more quickly than I usually read a novel. The story was compelling; the dialogue moved me along quickly. Off the top of my head, I can say that the book was not "enjoyable" -- but considering the subject matter, it was probably not meant to be. I didn't "like" the characters. Liking or not liking them was not the point. They were all human beings, dealing with a variety of stresses. How could they be likeable? Life was a struggle. Life was hell. The point is that ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, favorites

The Absolutist is a beautifully written heart wrenching story set in the midst of World War 1. The story is Tristan Sandler's, a boy who at 17 1/2 years old lies about his age to enlist in the army to fight Germany and who's life is altered forever by his experiences. Tristan meets Will Bancroft in bootcamp and their relationship becomes Tristan's anchor and his torment throughout his time fighting in trenches in France. After the war and some years later, Tristan meets Will's sister and has the ...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Dianne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2015

Interesting World War I historical fiction narrated by a man carrying a tremendous burden. The narrator, Tristan, is pitch-perfect but some of the other characters seemed too broadly or inconsistently sketched and felt "unreal." Nevertheless, a real page turner and I liked it.

One observation - it wasn't really about the absolutist. Shouldn't it have been called "The Feather Man?"

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Jun 27, 2012 Cynthia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

Yes or No?

It sounds over simplistic but much of life's choices do come down to a yes or a no. Some things are non-negotiable. Our hero, Tristan Sadler, knows who he is, he's always known. His problem is how others react to that. Though it's a gift that he's become clear about his values he still has to fit into the world and he has a sincere desire to connect with others. "The Absolutist" is a coming of age story set against the First World War. This might sound dated but Tristan's dilemmas are Yes or No?

It sounds over simplistic but much of life's choices do come down to a yes or a no. Some things are non-negotiable. Our hero, Tristan Sadler, knows who he is, he's always known. His problem is how others react to that. Though it's a gift that he's become clear about his values he still has to fit into the world and he has a sincere desire to connect with others. "The Absolutist" is a coming of age story set against the First World War. This might sound dated but Tristan's dilemmas are timeless. We're still wrestling with human dignity, respect for others, the morality or immorality of war, and who should fight both the wars and resolve social issues.

Tristan leaves home at 16 after he and his parents have a bitter argument. He does what he can to support himself that first year, then at 17 he lies about his age in order to enlist in the Army. During basic training he meets new people and becomes best friends with a Norwich man named Will Bancroft, a vicar's son who's only a year older than him. Will and Tristan both grapple with a fellow soldier's conscientious objector stance. This fellow is scorned by the officers and the other recruits and to a lesser extent even Tristan scorns him. Will is not so hasty. He befriends the objector and begins to be swayed by his doubts. Then all the boys head to France and the hell of war. They live with constant fear and grasp for shreds of humanity wherever they can find it.

Boyne's affecting book begins and ends with Tristan's meeting with Will's sister Marian. Together they attempt to thrash out their versions of morality and truth. They also help one another work through how to love and who to love. This is a melancholy tale but it's not morose. Boyne's world has hope if only in the form learning to cope, to survive. The title, "The Absolutist", is apt Boyne shine's light in dark places, he shows the grays as well as the blacks and whites. His characters are individuals but they're also representations of larger social issues. The story pivots between the recent past and present of the First World War with a short coda in the late 1970's. At the end of the lives both Tristan and Marian still have doubts about their choices. This period in our history was harsh. Boyne shows some poignant parallels with our present. I have no idea how I've overlooked this fine author for so long. With "The Absolutist" I'm a convert.

This review is based on an e-galley provided by the publisher.

4.5/5 stars ...more

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Aug 31, 2018 ❄️Nani❄️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, near-favourites

John Boyne this is the 9th time you’ve done this to me.
Have mercy!

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Aug 20, 2012 Patrice Hoffman rated it it was amazing

I try not to write reviews that consist of the phrases "a must read" or "it was an awesome book" only because people who read reviews want to know more. I initially did not write a review because I wanted to be lazy. Nor did I want to have to go into detail about all the themes that are presented in this novel. Themes such as true love, betrayal, cowardice, finding ones self, homosexuality, and basic human nature (good and bad).

I don't want to give anything away so I will say that this it was an ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Em Chainey (Bookowski) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tarihi-kurgu, lgbt

Dünyaya erkek olarak gelseydim, bu dünya görüşumle, şimdi olduğum gibi bir vicdani redci olurdum. Şimdi bir de 1. Dünya Savaşını düşünün. O gencecik erkekleri, militarist görüşe karşı vicdani redci olmayı... Ve bir askerin başka bir askere aşık olmasını. Diğerinin bunu kullanıp inkâr etmesini.
"Sanki hepimiz şiddete karşı bağışıklık kazanmışız"
Öyle olmasın diye çok üzülüyorum ama bazen şu hengamede, sadece susup oturduğum oluyor.
Savaş-Barış; Aşk-Nefret; Şiddet-Siddetsizlik... Dünya zıt kutuplar ...more

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Feb 18, 2018 Hans rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a very profound story about being a homosexual and WW1. It is very honest and written with a lot of insight. I was very impressed again by John Boyne. Very readable!

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About John Boyne

John Boyne

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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 won the Curtis Brown prize. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by UEA.

John Boyne is the author of ten novels for adults and five for young readers, as well as a collection of short stories.

His novel ...more

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Trivia About The Absolutist

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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.” — 67 likes

“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.” — 28 likes

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