Beautiful Ruins

By: Jess Walter

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Fiction and Best Solo Narration, 2013

The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.

And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot - searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.

What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning 50 years and nearly as many lives. From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and his long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and his idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist, and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion - along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow.

Gloriously inventive, constantly surprising, Beautiful Ruins is a story of flawed yet fascinating people, navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams.

©2012 Jess Walter (P)2012 HarperCollins Publisher

Beautiful indeed

Would you listen to Beautiful Ruins again? Why?

I will absolutely listen to Beautiful Ruins again and recommend it to others because it is a sad and funny and heartwrenching story narrated in spectacular fashion. Even though the story bounces between time and place, you always feel connected with the character and context.This was my first Ballerini-narrated book and I will actively seek out more of his work. He is brilliant and emphathetic and simply an excellent storyteller.

Loved reading this book with Audible :-)

I have to say this is the very first novel that I have read to the end 😊only because of audible.com :-) this was a wonderfully written and narrated book! I highly recommend Beautiful rRuins. Loved it!!💕

Great narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes-the story takes you away

What did you like best about this story?

the narrorator and Italian that I would have skipped over if I were reading the book

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

his accents and smooth Italian as well as the way he changed the way he spoke for different characters-sometimes this is annoying but, with him it was great!

Wonderful Story; Incredible Performance

What made the experience of listening to Beautiful Ruins the most enjoyable?

The story is very moving and poignant and spans several decades. The author created indelible characters and sprinkled enough humor through the story to balance out the sad or bittersweet parts. He gets at the essence of every kind of love: romantic, friendship, familial, egotistical self-love.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters and the look into ways certain events play out completely differently for those involved. I loved the characters and the dialog was excellent. The author created rich landscapes.

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

I loved everything about the narrator's performance. This was one of the best audiobook performances I've ever heard. He made every character come to life. His Italian and Italian-accented English for certain characters was fantastic. And he was able to do all the voices -- male and female -- without sounding absurd or cheesy.

Any additional comments?

The only downside to the book is that the author juggled a few too many storylines and eras. I think it is important to listen to this consistently, or you might get lost as to what is happening and when/where.

Good, solid story

Would you consider the audio edition of Beautiful Ruins to be better than the print version?

I would consider the audio edition of Beautiful Ruins to be better than the print because of Edoardo Ballerini's beautiful narration. He made it possible to accept the storyline, especially with respect to Richard Burton's role. I don't think I would have made it through this book if I had read it on my own.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pasquale, our main character, was my favorite. From start to finish, he displays a human decency that we wish we could see in everyone.

Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?

Edoardo Ballerini's Italian is another reason why I was able to get through his book. Having to make these pronunciations on my own would have slowed me down. I was also greatful that the author included definitions/explanations of Italian terms. Some authors don't do that for the reader which causes a disconnect.

If you could take any character from Beautiful Ruins out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Pasquale is the type of person I would enjoy spending time with ... a very trustworthy and surprising character, only to the point that it's believable.

Any additional comments?

I'm glad that I spent time with this book. Normally, it is not one I would have spent my money on, and it's not one that I would listen to again. It did, however, leave me with a lot to think about with respect to character. I have caught myself repeating the line "We want what we want" a number of times since finishing. It's so appropriate.

Beautifully told story

What did you love best about Beautiful Ruins?

This was a rich story beautifully told.

What does Edoardo Ballerini bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reading of the book is sensational. One of my favourite listening experiences to date. Edoardo Ballerini seamlessly moved in and out of the characters as he wove the story. Very entertaining - every free moment I was going back to my iPad to listen to what would happen next.

Highest Recommend

I loved everything about this book. I love the way the author weaves the details of the character's lives in so many setting and decades together so meaningfully. I love that this beautifully written book makes a strong point about the nature of being human. I love the author's subtle use of description to evoke the focal setting, coastal Italy.
In addition to the novel itself, I particularly enjoyed the narrator's voice. He doesn't butcher the lovely language of Italian. He puts just enough expression into the reading. I found myself tearing up repeatedly throughout listening the book, yet it doesn't leave me sad in the end.

Not at all what I expected.

What did you like best about Beautiful Ruins? What did you like least?

Somewhat interesting story but did drag at times. Not at all what I expected it to be.

Would you recommend Beautiful Ruins to your friends? Why or why not?

Not really sure. Wasn't hooked on it but got all the way through it.

What does Edoardo Ballerini bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was amazed at how he was able to make you feel all these different people and the different voices he did. Very talented.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes!

Incredible narration

This is a clever and very intertaining bit of slightly historical fiction. Edoardo Ballerini's brilliant voice interpretation of the full range of characters is as entertaining as the book.

A Masterpiece

If you could sum up Beautiful Ruins in three words, what would they be?

I rarely write a review. This book is a great summer listen. Quite a few stories woven into one novel. I highly recommend it.