John Boyne shares his favourite books
The bestselling novelist picks works by Tobias Wolff, Christos Tsiolkas, and Agatha Christie

The bestselling novelist will discuss his new book, "Air", at the Stratford Literary Festival on 10 May.
Old School
Tobias Wolff, 2003
I love novels that feature fictionalised versions of authors, and this one – set at an elite boarding school in 1960s America – is among the best. The teenage narrator longs to be a writer, encountering Robert Frost, Ayn Rand and Ernest Hemingway during his final year and making some questionable choices that he lives to regret.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Barracuda
Christos Tsiolkas, 2013
My favourite 21st century novel is Tsiolkas's "The Slap", but this is also in the top ten. The tale of a young Greek-Australian swimmer with aspirations towards the Sydney Olympics; he's good, but just not good enough. What does it mean to fail, especially when so young? Tsiolkas answers that in a novel that utterly succeeds.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Agatha Christie, 1920
Every year, I read at least two Christie novels; she's my comfort read. Privileged rich people killing other privileged rich people and being dashed upset about it all; what's not to love? This was her first novel. There was only greatness to come.
Night
Elie Wiesel, 1956
The first book to inform me of the Holocaust, it was the start of a lifelong education that continues to this day, inspiring some of my own most famous novels. It remains one of the most upsetting but important narratives ever committed to print. Essential reading.
My Uncle Oswald
Roald Dahl, 1979
I read this as a teenager and loved it because, quite frankly, it's absolutely filthy. Uncle Oswald cuts a swathe around the world's women, making Casanova look like a monk. As each of his adventures is more libidinous than the last, it's definitely not one for Dahl's younger readers.
Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Brightening Air: a 'gripping' family drama
The Week Recommends Connor McPherson's Chekhovian drama about a pair of siblings whose lives are upended by the arrival of their relations
-
Today's political cartoons - May 2, 2025
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - 60 Minutes, young Democrats, and more
-
The Week Junior celebrates its 10th anniversary
Feature The Week Junior launches a range of initiatives including dinner conversation chat starters as part of 10th anniversary celebrations
-
The Brightening Air: a 'gripping' family drama
The Week Recommends Connor McPherson's Chekhovian drama about a pair of siblings whose lives are upended by the arrival of their relations
-
6 isolated homes for hermits
Feature Featuring a secluded ranch on 560 acres in New Mexico and a home inspired by a 400-year-old Italian farmhouse in Colorado
-
Allies at War: a 'revelatory' account of the Second World War
The Week Recommends Tim Bouverie's 'old-fashioned diplomatic history' explores the often fraught relationship between world powers
-
The Friend: a 'graceful' but flawed dog movie
The Week Recommends Naomi Watts stars in 'intelligent' adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's book about a 'problematic pooch'
-
Louis Theroux returns to the West Bank for new documentary
In the spotlight The film-maker meets Jewish settlers with his signature 'faux naivety'
-
Critics' choice: Variations on family values
Feature French cuisine gets a Vietnamese twist, a one-man Turkish kitchen, and a family-run Italian restaurant
-
Music reviews: Julien Baker & Torres, Tunde Adebimpe, and Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson
Feature "Send a Prayer My Way," "Thee Black Boltz," "What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow"
-
Film reviews: The Accountant 2 and The Shrouds
Feature A number cruncher crushes a new set of bad guys and mourners buy a view into their loved ones' graves