Beautiful Ruins is a great book, believable and touching characters, fiction that takes liberty with fact and makes a thoroughly fun read that I didn’t put down. One of those books you recommend to a friend then feel envious that they get to read it for the first time. Walter uses language so well, as he has in other novels of his I’ve recently read, The Cold Millions and The Financial Lives of the Poets, both romps of pure linguistic pleasure and so diverse in theme and voice, part of the enjoyment in reading Walter is the sheer marvel that I have that someone can write so well and tell such a compelling, believable, humane story, which seems to edify your whole life.

Great character development and descriptions of Italian life.

This book pushed me in many different directions. Too many side-stories and characters that pulled from the focus of the main subject matter.

The book writers wish they wrote.

The story started off a little slow & confusing, so I put the book down for awhile. But when I re-started it, it really picked up. Turned out to be a very moving, sad, touching story of lost love, mixed lives and missed chances. I very much enjoyed the ending & am glad I didn't give up on it! Enjoy!

This book was terrible!!!

I loved every twist and turn of this delicious book, and may reread it immediately to make sure I've captured every morsel!

This is a book that flows, a book that's about water and time and love and ruins. It's about shifting time and the timelessness of relationships and love. Jess Walter gently carries you across boundaries both geographical and metaphorical. His characters are all beautiful, true, honest, and flawed. Yes, the makings for a great foundation for a wonderful novel. Oh, it's good.

An enjoyable read from Walter with interesting characters and comical situations throughout. I am looking forward to reading more of his books...EAF

Based on the book synopsis this should have been a book I'd love. Unfortunately, I didn't like the writing style and so the book failed to lure me in and I couldn't wait to finish it. The writing style is a bit cheesy for me with all the predictable Hollywood mumbo jumbo and stereotypes. I did like the character Pasquale, and if this had been a story through his eyes, it might have been a worthwhile story.