The Absolutist

September 1919: Twenty-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a clutch of letters to Marian Bancroft.

Extraordinary... The narrative is by turns surprising and tragic in equal measure while its troubling conclusion will stay with readers long after they've closed the book

Powerful, poignant and beautifully written. This will become a classic war novel

Compulsive, stylish and gripping

A wonderful, sad, tender book

John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories. He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant and real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature

A superb evocation of the Great War and its very human effects

A fiercely interrogative novel that asks not just what it means to be a man but also what it means to be a human being in the extreme circumstances of war

Boyne's fluid writing and strong characterisation brings the story to life and delivers a strong, unexpected emotional punch at the end

There is an old-fashioned feeling to this readable and well-written novel

Boyne's twinning of the subjects of homosexuality and conscientious objection is inspired

John Boyne is the author of sixteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, a picture book and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera. His many international bestsellers include The Heart’s Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky . He has won four Irish Book Awards, including Author of the Year in 2022, along with a host of other international literary prizes, including most recently both the 2025 Prix Femina Étranger and
the Prix du Roman FNAC in France for The Elements . His novels are published in sixty languages.

Twitter: @JohnBoyne
Instagram: @JohnBoyneAuthor