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

Takes a whilst to warm up too

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

The narrator was excellent!!! The story was good but really took a whilst to get into, the last third of the book was just beautiful.

If you’ve listened to books by Jess Walter before, how does this one compare?

No I haven't

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where the characters meet again after 60 years.

A must read!!!! Fantastic.

It was one of the top 5 listens for me.
Funny, heart wrenching and beautiful. It felt like I was there.

*sigh*

I've read the book and listened to it performance and fell in love both times! Grazie!

A really good story about the Liz and Dick era

The narrator was so believable and I really came to respect the lead character and how he grew throughout the story. A really great listen!

Perfect

I would never have bought this book had it not been for the Audible recommendation and the great reviews. Best decision ever. Absolutely perfect in every way. Narration was stellar and the story was beautifully written.

The story and characters not convincing

Even though it seems like the story had all the right materials: Italy, family secrets, bit of war story, old love story - it just does not convince you. for some reason the reader stay as a spectator. maybe the writer is trying too much and overdid it? or maybe the characters are too flat, but i could not feel empathy for almost anyone in the story...

Wonderful Ruins

What did you love best about Beautiful Ruins?

I thoroughly enjoyed how the author wove the different characters and their stories together through out the the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beautiful Ruins?

The ending of the story. Weaving together all the various characters and their stories was very well done, and an excellent way to conclude Beautiful Ruins.

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

A better way to word this question would be...What about Edoardo Ballerini's performance DIDN'T I like? Ballerini did a fantastic job.

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

An evening with Dee and Pascalli would be delightful.

Any additional comments?

Beautiful Ruins was a wonderful book to listen to. Edoardo Ballerini did a fantastic job narrating the book. I was sorry to have the story end.

A ;LISTENING TREAT

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

yes, the narrator effortlessly moved from 1962 Italy to the present Hollywood, from the wwII years to the UK of the 80's

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beautiful Ruins?

Actually, the closing scene, when the two main characters, now old and sick return to the village

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

Pasquale

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was easy to stop, but nice to know it was waiting for you

Any additional comments?

A most original story, beautifully and simply written...most satisfying

A Beautiful Listen

Beautiful Ruins is an engaging story capturing ruined lives, ruined stories, and ruined possibilities. From the opening chapter where a beautiful blonde arrives at a small Italian fishing village, to the final chapter where stories are nicely resolved, the narration is beautiful and engaging. The characters are rich and interesting, including both fictional and historical characters. (RIchard Burton is hillarious.) The braided stories make for an interesting pathway through the novel and although some stories are less compelling than others (always a danger with this style), the author returns often enough to the story of Pasquale merit a high rating. Reading this book is a little like taking a vacation, first to Italy and then to Hollywood.

Great Story

I really enjoy books that are "stories". This one is way above average. The pictures painted in your mind through the words are so vivid.