The Absolutist: A Novel by the Author of The Heart's Invisible Furies Paperback – July 10, 2012

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: An unforgettable, beautifully written and heart-wrenching story about choices we make and the regrets that sometimes follow.BRIEF REVIEW: When this book was first published in 2012, I just didn't think it was a story for me but, was I ever wrong.What is an "absolutist?" We are told that when it comes to war, it is worse than being a conscientious objector. Not only does an "absolutist" refuse to fight in a war they also refuse to perform ANY duties to help in the war effort like helping out on the sidelines or in a hospital for example.The story begins in 1919 on a train with Tristan Sadler traveling to visit Marian, the sister of Will Bancroft, a very close friend of Tristans and fallen soldier. The purpose of the visit is to return a stack of letters that Marion wrote Will during the war. The two young men were briefly, intimately involved while serving in France. While Will preferred to forget the incidents and made light of them, Tristan could not forget the encounters as he cared deeply for Will.Many issues are covered in this beautiful story: family, courage, cowardice, friendships, pressures to conform, homophobia and more. Never do the issues overwhelm the storyline. It's actually a simple story, yet masterfully written. Through flashbacks from 1919 to 1916 the reader gets a clear picture of what happened but, it isn't until you get closer to the ending that the real shock and impact of the story hits you. The story ends with Tristan as an old man in 1979. This is a story I'll never forget. I'm more determined than ever to read everything that John Boyne has written; his book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, was another book of his that has never left me. If you decide to read this book (please do) go into it blind, like I did and don't read too many reviews. The story is written in such a way that it does not give anything away too soon at least, you get just small pieces in just the right doses. This would make an excellent book club discussion choice. HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDNOTE: Thanks go to Other Press for sending this book my way in exchange for my unbiased review.MEMORABLE QUOTES:"Astonishing how everyone is willing to go abroad to fight for the foreigners while having such little concern for those of their own countrymen at home."" I think perhaps the adults we become are formed in childhood and there's no way around it.""I felt that this is what it must be like to be married to someone, a constant back and forth of bickering, watching out for any stray comment in a conversation that might be corrected, anything to keep gaining the upper hand, the advantage, bringing one closer to taking the game, the set, the whole blasted match without ever conceding a point."

Every book he writes is so well written. One of my favorite authors, although some books I like more than others. I love it when he includes his quick wit in his writing.

Disowned by his family at 16 for a small indiscretion with his boyhood friend, Tristan Sadler spends a year and a half on his own before lying about his age and enlisting in the army to defend England in World War I. At training camp, he quickly becomes friends with Will Bancroft. Tristan is attracted to Will, but he has learned his lesson and keeps his emotions in check. It isn’t until the night before they are shipping out to France that they find comfort in each other’s arms. However, once they arrive in France, Will avoids Tristan, for the most part.Yet, as brothers in arms in the same regiment, there is no avoiding each other, or the horrific scenes they both come to witness. Such scenes, as well as events in training camp, cause Will to question his part in the war, and ultimately make a decision that changes everything. Tristan miraculously survives the war, at least in body. His spirit is broken by what he has seen, and especially by his part in Will’s fate. As “The Absolutist” opens, it’s two years after the war, and Tristan is on his way to Norwich to meet with Will’s sister, in the hope that he might be able to unburden himself of some of the pain he feels over Will’s death.This book is, in many ways, a classic war novel. While there is a strong gay theme to it, the story is more about the nature of bravery, cowardice, and principals. This is one of those rare books where each reader is likely to interpret the events and their meanings a little differently. It asks all sorts of questions that can make for interesting discussions if you read it as part of a group.Another unusual aspect of this story is the way it unfolds. It becomes fairly clear by the end of the first chapter where things will go and what happened, and yet you will want to keep reading anyway, as the story drifts back and forth in time, from Tristan’s post-war meeting with Will’s sister back to the events of training camp and the war.While “The Absolutist” is definitely a great book, and one I would highly recommend, I did have a few minor issues with it that kept me from giving it five stars. First was the ending, which as you can probably guess is far from happily ever after. While there was a short chapter that tied a lot of things up, it still left a few questions which I would have liked answered. There was also the historical background, which in broad strokes painted what seems like a very accurate picture of the times, but some details felt off. The picture of the times, as well as the language, seemed a little anachronistic. It’s in very little things, like Tristan’s exploration of Norwich, or the description of aerial bombing during the war, where it seemed things were viewed too much from a contemporary point of view. It’s not enough to really detract from the story, but there were a few things that made me pause and wonder if that’s the way things really would have been.

The first 40 or so pages are OK but then it goes downhill fast when the author fails to provide any proper historical setting for what follows. This is important, as the brutal Sergeant plays a central role to the plot, yet there's nobody between him and the distant General. No Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Lt. Colonels or Colonels to intervene. Madness. As a result we get a generic fuzzy identikit account of the trenches and an impossible denouement. OK, it's not a historical novel, but when you set a novel in a historical context there is a responsibility to get the basics right.An example? There's an important scene at a casualty station behind the lines. The doctor is bullied by the Sergeant and calls him "Sir". Er no, all doctors were officers. There are countless examples of this kind of mistake, which aren't trivial as they are essential to the dynamics of the plot.This is not just the fault of the author but of the editor and publisher. Why didn't they have a historian read the draft and suggest some simple corrections to get this up to at least par? This isn't really a book for adults, it's a coming-of-age novel for male teens who are thinking about their sexuality. Fair enough, but don't dress it up so incompetently.Would I read another book by this author? Maybe if it were a collection of short stories set in the modern world he might have had direct experience of.

John Boyne is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and every book I read of his is a delight to read.Set in 1919 at the time of WW1, 21 year old Tristan Sadler is back in England looking to deliver letters from his wartime friend, Will Bancroft to Will’s sister. Tristian is one of only two survivors of the Western Front where the majority of his friends died. Will Bancroft decided to become an ‘absolutist’ and wanted no more part in the war, a decision that was always going to have grave consequences. Tristian returns the letters to Will’s sister Marian and spends the day talking about her brother and ultimately to tell the secret he has held on to.As per usual with John Boyne books, it is so well written, he is an excellent storyteller and you can easy imagine every character and feel every emotion throughout the book.As per usual after reading a John Boyne novel I am already planning my next read from his works.

I really could not put this book down. I read voraciously but rarely write reviews as I find most novels i read have very little to say. This one however was gripping, had great context and a genuine message in the narrative. The descriptions of WW1 were graphic and quite horrifying. The underlying themes of 'the love that dare not speak its name' and conscientious objections to warfare are strongly, thoughtfully and carefully threaded through the book. I read it in one sitting and am now a total John Boyle groupie.

I am always drawn in by John Boyne's work and this book is no exception. All the usual ingredients are here, most notably the unerring way in which the author depicts the love of.a man for another. There is subtlety, there is tenderness , there is emotion and in this case also profound sadness. The story is compelling and I couldn't put it down. What prevented the fifth star was a sense that his depiction of army life in the First World War was not very accurate (e.g. there were no officers apart from the brief appearance of a general) and there is a risk that his non-sequential handling of the narrative may be a bit formulaic. However, it works . He is a fine author.

There are some mixed reviews about this book, especially in reference to the episodes about the training and fighting in the Gret War. Please don't let them put you off and make your own mind up by reading this wonderful story for yourself.It is a story from Tristan Sadler's perspective; he narrates the account and on reflection despite references to his own cowardise by others demonstrates that if nothing else he strove to tell the truth. He may at times have taken an easier path, but he was true to himself even if he thought he betrayed others.From that perspective it reflects upon how each of us choses to live and reveal ourselves to others. In Tristan's case his life is complicated by feeling homosexual at a time when he couldn't be truely open about his sexuality; a young life where he went to war and had to endure the death of others in his group and ultimately his best friend who confronted by war laid down his arms and refused to fight or assist the war effort.The book examines these issues of identity, sexuality and conscience in a thought provoking and moving way.I am so pleased I read it and feel it has the potential to influence others like most good fiction can. It reflects on the war but for realism perhaps one should seek out Goodbye to All That or Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man.