Cover of The Absolutist

The Absolutist

  • 2011 first published
  • 320 pages
  • 17 editions

The Absolutist is a 2011 gay fiction and historical fiction novel by John Boyne. The story is set in Western Front and Western Front, World War (1914-1918). Readers will find themes of campaigns, friendship, soldiers and conscientious objectors.

31 Open Library readers have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 17 editions across 3 languages.

It runs to roughly 320 pages — 5–6 hours of reading at an average pace.

About The Absolutist

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 recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will—from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain. The Absolutist is a masterful tale of passion, jealousy, heroism, and betrayal set in one of the most gruesome trenches of France during World War I. This novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats until its most extraordinary and unexpected conclusion, and will stay with them long after they’ve turned the last page.
Description from Open Library

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Setting

  • Western Front
  • Western Front, World War (1914-1918)

Subjects

  • Campaigns
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • Friendship
  • Soldiers
  • Conscientious objectors
  • Gay men
  • Biography
  • American Authors
  • Gay authors
  • World war, 1914-1918
  • Historical
  • War & military
  • Military campaigns
  • LGBTQ historical fiction
  • Stonewall Book Awards

Quick answers

Who wrote The Absolutist?

The Absolutist was written by John Boyne and first published in 2011.

What genre is The Absolutist?

It is usually shelved as Gay Fiction and Historical Fiction.

How long is The Absolutist?

The median edition has 320 pages, about 5–6 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

What books are similar to The Absolutist?

Readers who like it often enjoy Tipping the Velvet, The Charioteer and Maurice.

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