Comments (80)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 80 items
Mar 06, 2024MichelleSkelton603 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 stars in the Italian night sky Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter is a literary voyage that shines for several reasons. This book takes its readers on an exploration of the theme of love, how love transcends time and place. The book…
Oct 28, 2023SFBookAddict rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this odd book. I loved parts of it and disliked others. My favorite characters are Dee and Pasquale: their connection and endearing friendship. I had little interest in and could have cared less about…
Oct 01, 2023ALHR rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
First half of the book was slow and rather confusing with all the characters and switching between time periods. I found it a struggle to keep going but was convinced from reviews the second half would be better and it was.
Sep 11, 2023kelseygood11 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I loved this story- I think that the way the novel jumps between perspectives is effective and keeps the plot moving. I loved the stand alone chapters that were excerpts of writings, pitches and plays that were written by some of the…
Aug 21, 2023CZL rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
It took a while to get used to the author jumping from place to place, but in the end I learned to appreciate the poetic beauty of this prose. I'm looking forward to more books from this author.
Jul 05, 2023LPL_SarahM rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous story telling.
May 04, 2023
"This novel weaves back and forth through time and in places from Hollywood to a tiny village in Italy in such a melodic way. It feels like you're watching an old film and also like you're on a European getaway." - Asia B.
Feb 10, 2023zhong_seattle rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great story. Tender at times. Funny at times. This got me into reading other books by the same author. So far 3 books, and I haven't disappointed.
Dec 15, 2021CAR101010 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A little slow in some sections but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. There was something lyrical about the writing. The old Hollywood parts kind of reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Jun 08, 2021soobivious rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great story! A fav!
Apr 27, 2021
like author. wrote Cold Millions
Apr 22, 2021herndon5 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I wanted to keep turning the pages to see how the parallel stories would all fit together and they did so very nicely in the end. The characters were enjoyable and the story had a very satisfying ending.
Apr 19, 2021dcreynolds2 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this book. I read it about 7-8 years ago and just finished reading it again. It was just as enjoyable the second time around ... if not even more so. It’s full of full and fascinating characters. Great plot/time…
Feb 20, 2021
Very much enjoyed this book. Takes you to Italy.
Feb 10, 2021
A wonderful book. One of the best I have read in a long time.
Jan 29, 2021Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This isn’t a book written by the formula, or written in any sort of traditional format. All the jumping around through time and place and a variety of characters’ point of view annoyed the hell out of me in the beginning. After jumping…
Jul 09, 2020St_James rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book started slowly for me. In fact I wasn’t sure I’d wanted to get through the whole thing but I am glad I did. The ending sort of puts everything into perspective and provides some interesting reflection on how different lives come…
May 25, 2020tecothran rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was intriguing, interesting, and sweet. It wasn't what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. I read it over two days. Personally, I enjoyed the back and forth timeline, spanning years,…
Nov 24, 2019
L. Hertzel
Feb 24, 2019kmobuckeye rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book was amazing. Not just for the story, but for the scenery. It made my husband and I stop in Cinque Terre on our honeymoon :)
Nov 14, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A tiny, crumbling Italian village. A dreamy young man. An American actress. A wily film producer. And Richard Burton. What’s not to love? It’s a sweeping, gorgeous narrative spanning decades and generations, and merging old Hollywood and…
Oct 30, 2018Pisinga rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
It feels that the author has paid a lot of attention to writing this book. And yes, if I am not mistaken, he was writing it during several years. Different epochs, different circumstances-but always surprisingly accurate language…
Aug 24, 2018Dream24 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
A love story that started in the 1960s, that went largely unnoticed until an elderly gentleman brought it back to the attention of those involved years ago. Throw in the mixes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's whirlwind love affair,…
Jul 12, 2018deenschu rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Ruins was a quick and enjoyable summer read. I adored the storyline's Italian Coastal setting and connected to the first few characters the most. The middle slogged through supporting characters I wasn't as captivated by, but the…
Jun 25, 2018
Interesting. appreciated the location descriptions of Italy's coast.