"Beautiful Ruins" must have been liked and enjoyed by a number of people because it was in many notable books of the year lists for 2012 as well as receiving several awards. However, I was not one of those who thought this was a great read. There is plenty of action, yet I was bored. It is somewhat comical, but I could not get into the spirit of the book.
The story opens in a speck of a town on the coast of Italy, an impoverished cousin to the beautiful Cinque Terra. It is 1962. An American actress, Dee Moray, who believes she is dying of cancer mysteriously arrives by boat supposedly to meet her lover. She has a bit part in the famous movie, "Cleopatra" which was being filmed in Rome. The owner of the town's only pension called the Adequate View, falls for her. One of the few characters I enjoyed is an old crone of an aunt who stirs the pot up a bit with her mumbling curses.
From here the book jumps around in time from 1962 to present day Hollywood. Other settings include Florence, Seattle, Idaho, Oregon, Edinburgh, et al. Characters appear and disappear. Richard Burton plays a part in moving the plot along. He may have meant to be funny, but only seems a buffoon. Elizabeth Taylor is also lurking in the background. After the passage of 50 years Pasquale (the owner of the inn) and the lovely Dee enter each others orbits.
At any rate, perhaps if it were summer and I was reading on the beach in the warm sunshine, I might find more positives to say about this novel. I soldiered on to the end, but was happy to move on to the next book waiting by my easy chair.
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