Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter...

How I Heard About It:  This book has been on my TBR list for probably a year or more.  Everything I saw written or said about his book was top-notch, top-rated, and so completely positive.  I decided I would read it on my summer vacation while my family and I cruised the Caribbean Sea.  It was the perfect book to read while sailing the open seas.  If you are going to read it, don't wait as long as I did to start it.  It is wonderful!   

What It Is About:  It is not a easy task to describe the plot of this intricate and complex novel.  I will keep to the basics.  The structure of the book alternates between the early 1960's and present day.  An American actress shows up in a small Italian village after being whisked away from a movie set where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are filming a movie.  She meets a local Italian hotel owner that will help her through this difficult time.  The "players" involved in this Italian scandal will take this actress and the hotel owner all the way to present day with many "twists" and "turns" along the way.  In the middle of all this action, is a Hollywood pitch man that has his hand in the events of 1962 and the spell-binding conclusion in present day.      

What I Thought Of It:  This is one of the best adult novels I've read in a long time.  I loved the story, the characters, and everything that unfolded from page one.  There is so much to this story that made it difficult to describe in the section above.  I liked how there was so much going on with the characters and how the author went back and forth with time periods.  The fact that many different characters had such focus in the novel, also made the book very appealing.  I really loved everything about this story and enjoyed reading it while on vacation.  This book does not disappoint.

Who Should Read It:  This is the perfect novel for any adult reader.  The story has it all.  There is a complex plot that keeps the reader interested and predicting what will happen next.  The cast of characters are solid and each and every person plays a major role in the book.  Once you start this book it draws you in until the very end.  I highly recommend it.  Happy Reading!

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars 






No comments:

Post a Comment