The Ruins

By: Scott Smith

Narrated by: Patrick Wilson

HE EAGERLY AWAITED NEW THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF A SIMPLE PLAN

Eerie, terrifying, and unputdownable, The Ruins is Scott Smith's first novel since his acclaimed debut A Simple Plan earned rave reviews and stormed bestseller lists.

The Ruins follows two American couples enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico. On an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group -- the young German, who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for the remote Mayan ruins, site of a fabled archeological dig.

This is what happens from the moment the searchers -- moving into the wild interior -- begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific "other" among them....©2006 Scott Smith. All rights reserved; (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

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)

Only ok

I hate to say this and I have only said this about 2 other novels...the movie was actually better. Just too drawn out at times.

Captivating

The draw of this story is in how frighteningly fast ordinary circumstances can turn into dire ones and how small choices made without much thought can lead to escalating difficulties. The narrator is excellent, and he makes the listening experience is completely immersive.

The story also offers a subtle contrast between the things we take for granted (the bubble of conveniences that isolate us in our comfortable sub/urban lives) and the sheer difficulty of survival when one has to go without those conveniences for even limited periods of time.

I could not disagree more with the negative reviews of this book. Perhaps some felt misled by the title and were expecting some kind of benign Indiana Jones type adventure. After having experienced this enthralling story, I notice that the title itself makes the reader set the same kind of expectations that the protagonists had when they embarked into this harrowing story-line. Just another way in which this book draws you in and makes you feel like the story could have happened to you!

Great listen. Highly recommended.

good n gory

good read wasnt crazy about the narrator but the writing was well thought out weird sex scene haha

One Of My Top Favorites

loved it, the narration was amazing! story kept me on the edge of my seat. found the books after I had seen the movie.