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

Loved it! Don't pass this up

Would you listen to Beautiful Ruins again? Why?

Yes. First the story is so finely woven that surely I have missed important details. Second, the narrator really does an incredible job. His voice did not distract me from the story but brought me in.

What other book might you compare Beautiful Ruins to and why?

I don't know but I did love it as much as The Help

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

Absolutely! Excellent!

Any additional comments?

I am almost finished and I don't want it to end.

great story

I really enjoyed this book and the narrator was great. All the different voices were amazing. Highly recommend.

The Perfect Audio Book for A Long Autumn Car Ride

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

This is an intricate novel that melds several different genres and a host of characters to create a truly engrossing read.

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

I especially loved all the little side "genre" parts -- Pat's play, the Donner party pitch, the excerpts from Michael Dean's how to book -- all these added to the plot and really held my interest.

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

Pascale -- without a doubt. Loved the Italian accent and of course, the actual Italian!
Perfection!

My Favorite Audible Book

I re-listened to this book after having first listened to it many years ago and have confirmed this is my favorite all time Audible book. The combination of the excellent reader, the rich characters and the multi-faceted storyline combines for an absorbing escape into a literary world like no other.

A truly lovely book and a great performance

I rarely take time to write reviews but this book was so well written and so entertaining that I had to. I enjoyed this audiobook more than any other audiobook I've listened to. The story was captivating. The characters were compelling and the narrator did an absolutely amazing job with his performance. I could listen to his voice all day long!

Lovely

Great story, jumps around a lot, but easy to follow. It's a keeper, one I'll listen to again...

I wanted to love it

The story sounded great... we’re planning a trip to Italy, and the pic of the Cinque Terre on the cover drew me right in. I have listened to over half the book, but it has taken me a couple of weeks... I usually finish a book in a few days. The story just doesn’t grab me. It’s not bad...Others seem to love this book, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Several storylines in the book, but I really don’t care about any of them. Narrator was pretty good. I’m returning for my credit back :(

It was ok

This story wasn't particularly gripping but ends gracefully. Not something I would read a second time.

Interesting...but could be better

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

I lead a busy lifestyle and audio books allow me to listen and complete other tasks at the same time.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The last 30 minutes were unnecessary details about minor characters and events. They just didn't fit in with the main story. The real ending happens before that...so why the blah, blah, blah at the end?

These unconnected 'details' were like trying to understand the thought process of an ADD child...Can I have a cookie?...look butterfly!...Why is the sky blue?...There's a squirrel...I hate Social studies....Is it time for dinner?...

This garbage at the end takes away from the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Pasquali ends up being herding into the lines for 'extras' in the movie.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some humorous lines interspersed within the story.

Nice, easy listen

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

I would recommend it to a friend as a story that is enjoyable to listen to.