A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom is a unique and ambitious novel that spans over 2000 years, following a central character through different time periods and locations. The book is structured in short chapters, each acting as a standalone short story that weaves together to illustrate the story of humanity. Themes of interconnected events, historical settings, and the impact of real-life figures are skillfully blended into the narrative.

Characters:

Characters are portrayed as evolving through different incarnations while retaining their core personalities, representing universal experiences shared across time.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is characterized by beautiful, lyrical writing, with short chapters that facilitate an engaging reading experience, though it sometimes resembles a juvenile style.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a central character experiencing reincarnation throughout various historical periods and locations, which some find repetitive despite its initial intrigue.

Setting:

The setting traverses over 2000 years and numerous countries, blending historical contexts with speculative future scenarios.

Pacing:

Pacing fluctuates with short chapters that can feel repetitive; the abrupt ending and tonal shift in the final chapters are points of contention.

ON THE NIGHT THAT I WAS BORN, my father, Marinus, left our home while my mother was in labor and, over the eight hours that followed, slaughtered a dozen infant boys, the sons of our neighbors and fri...

Notes:

The main character experiences reincarnation throughout history.

The plot spans over 2000 years, covering various locations and epochs.

The book has references to contemporary culture, which some found distracting.

John Boyne included video game references by mistake, like ingredients from The Legend of Zelda.

Many critics felt the book had a repetitive structure with frequent time jumps.

The story is seen as an exploration of universal human experiences and emotions.

The ending diverges significantly in tone and content from the rest of the book.

The novel is a mix of historical fiction, commentary on current events, and speculative future scenarios.

Characters retain core identities while changing names and settings across time periods.

The author took creative risks, aiming for a unique narrative style.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains themes of violence, rape, trauma, and historical injustices, which may be triggering for some readers.

Has Romance?

There are elements of romance, including homosexual relationships in certain incarnations, but romance is not the central focus.

From The Publisher:

From the bestselling author of A Ladder to the Sky-"a darkly funny novel that races like a beating heart" (People)-comes a new novel that plays out across all of human history: a story as precise as it is unlimited.

This story starts with a family. For now, it is a father and a mother with two sons, one with his father's violence in his blood, one with his mother's artistry. One leaves. One stays. They will be joined by others whose deeds will determine their fate. It is a beginning.

Their stories will intertwine and evolve over the course of two thousand years. They will meet again and again at different times and in different places. From Palestine at the dawn of the first millennium and journeying across fifty countries to a life among the stars in the third, the world will change around them, but their destinies remain the same. It must play out as foretold.

From the award-winning author of The Heart's Invisible Furies comes A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom, an epic tale of humanity. The story of all of us, stretching across two millennia. Imaginative, unique, heartbreaking, this is John Boyne at his most creative and compelling.

Ratings (1)

Liked It (1)

Reader Stats (4):

Read It (1)
Want To Read (3)

What can you read after
A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom?

See the list (32 books)

About the Author:

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, five for younger readers and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy In the Striped Pajamas sold 9 million copies worldwide…

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom

John Boyne