Лестница в небо

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Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and determined to achieve fame, despite lacking talent. Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, he seizes the opportunity to meet celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. Maurice ingratiates himself with the lonely older man and extracts a long-held secret about his wartime activities, which becomes the basis for his first novel. Once he tastes literary fame, Maurice becomes relentless in his pursuit, moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he engages with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London. He hones his skills in deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable as he climbs the literary ladder. However, the higher he ascends, the greater the risk of falling. Spanning the late twentieth century, this narrative offers a captivating portrayal of a deeply immoral man and showcases masterful storytelling. Critics describe it as an "addictive Rubik's Cube of vice," blending satire of literary ambition with psychological thriller elements. The work is likened to the styles of Patricia Highsmith, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allan Poe, yet maintains its own unique execution.