Singularly Harsh

It cannot be understated how bleak this novel is. I see "user" reviews are generally more negative than industry reviews and I think that's a lot to do with how little hope there is to be found here. This is not a fun read, even less so on a second go. The characters are tragically human, in an impossible situation, made worse by the otherworldly element. There will be characters you outright hate but they are never unrealistic. I know people like each of them. You may be like one or more of them and that may not help you like the character more! But this is a story about being doomed, and if there's another piece of writing as good at that feeling, I haven't read it. Patrick Wilson does ~aight as a narrator but I swear he recorded this with a sinus infection. If you consider yourself brave, please give this one a chance.

20 people found this helpful

Shh.....

This book was about 8 hours too long. The author seemed to be stretching out every detail beyond capacity to attempt to make the book more memorable or iconic than it could ever hope to be. The conflict between characters was consistently forced and unrealistic and often started with a phrase such as: "He/she knew he/she shouldn't be reacting this way, but...." meaning it didn't even make sense to the author but happened anyway in a failed attempt to raise tension. In addition, as soon as the horror aspects finally kicked in, the author felt compelled to make details of normal activities as disgusting and crude as possible...."the semen squirted/sprayed....his shit came out like squeezing toothpaste from a tube...." seriously??? There's a time and a place for gross detail and bodily functions that are unrelated to plot is not one of them. It was all downhill from there. The author apparently also decided that saying "Shh" to someone was the ONLY way comfort them in any situation from relationship trouble, to facing their mortality with starvation....to being in mind and soul-splitting agony from a terrible injury. One star was generous. This was in the top 10 of the worst books I've heard on audible so far. Patrick Wilson narrated well, though. That's something.

8 people found this helpful

Survival Meets Supernatural

Where does The Ruins rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Oh, I can't really rank that. The book holds a special place for me.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Of course. Constant suspense plus the evolution of the antagonist is increasingly terrifying.

Which scene was your favorite?

No specific scene is my favorite. But if I had to choose anything I'd like to point out is that Mathias is a main character unlike the movie's interpretation of the novel. He is my favorite character, a touchstone for sanity.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book in two days since I can listen to them at work. So I followed the story very closely. In my opinion it felt too short. But I guess you could only survive on a hilltop for so long.

Any additional comments?

The whole execution of survival meeting supernatural is expertly done. I cannot imagine any other story that could pull off a similar setup without copying from this. Truly original in a dying genre. (Horror)

8 people found this helpful

Brutal

Like many reviewers of this book, this is the first book I've gotten from Audible in 4 years that was bad enough to compell me to write a review.

It could have been a short story, but through repetition and monotony it is a novel.

If I heard one more time the inner dialogue of one of the characters, as they do or say something stupid and unnecessary, describing how they knew they shouldn't but couldn't help themselves....

6 people found this helpful

I boringly read this book

I can't believe Stephen King's hearty endorsement of this tome. One of the few "don'ts" in King's book "On Writing" is the use of sloppy adverbs, adverbs that appear in abundance in the The Ruins, like 'wetly", clumsily", "sleepily" and horror of all horrors "sexily". Just lazy writing.

However I thought the anthropormorphic vine and all its parodies of the pathetic human conversations it was in on, was a touch of genius and several times I found myself laughing out loud at its wit. I am not familiar with this genre, so a natural monster with a sense of humor and irony was quite a trip. So I'll give this one a three out of five, just for concept. I think of it every time I water my ivy plants or wisrteria.

I also thought the cold, calculating narration was an added bonus.

5 people found this helpful

Strange Indeed

I had high hopes when I started this book, but soon realized that the author had devised such an impossible plot line that there was no way out. The characters were real and well written, but I soon found their problems increasingly difficult to listen to - particularly Eric and Pablo. When I got about halfway through I could see no way out and was correct. A long and very uncomfortable read.

4 people found this helpful

Turn Back Is RIGHT!!!!

This book is not only boring, but the author couldn't even come up with an out once he got his characters into deep dodo. I listened to the first 8 hours and then scanned the rest. The weakest audible book I've come across in 4 yeaers of listening to audible.com and probably the weakest in nearly 20 years of listening to novels on audio.

Please Stop, Turn Back Before It's Too Late.

You'll be sooorrrryyyyy.

8 people found this helpful

waste of a lot of time

This was the worst book I have ever downloaded. It had such promise - got off to a great start. I kept on listening to the very end, hoping that something might happen. No such luck! Don't waste your time.

6 people found this helpful

waste

If you want to throw your money away buy this book, otherwise keep looking. The names misleading-I thought the book would be fun from the discription but found the only thing in ruin was my time. Boring, drawn out and inane. I drive truck for a living and listen to alot of books on tape and this was one of the worst I have listened to. No ruined citys or temples, no ghosts demons or even monsters. I wont give away the storyline but buy this at your own risk.

9 people found this helpful

Why, Mr. King?

I purchased this audio book based primarily on the fact that Stephen King recommended it. Until now I have been happy to listen to almost any book while driving, but I'm now at approximately the half-way point and don't think I can keep on listening all the way to the end of this one. I find it particularly annoying that whereas the men portrayed in the book are courageous, inventive and intelligent; the women always think and act like three-year-old children.

16 people found this helpful