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1 Beaverton Horror- General

The Ruins

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The Ruins Cover

ISBN13: 9780307278289
ISBN10: 030727828x
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Staff Pick

Twelve years after his staggering debut, Scott Smith returns with The Ruins
Recommended by Chris Bolton, Powells.com

Review-A-Day

"There are not a lot of novels suspenseful enough to induce true movie-style nail biting, that demand to be read down to every last word. There are even fewer that feature real people, fully and intelligently drawn. Scott Smith's The Ruins, cinematic and possessed of a firm grip, is such a novel....Smith is a thorough, unfussy writer. Even when the action is heavy he shifts point of view, looks into the thoughts and memories and resentments of every character." Anna Godbersen, Esquire (read the entire Esquire review)

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Eerie, terrifying, unputdownable — Scott Smith's first novel since his best-selling A Simple Plan ("Simply the best suspense novel of this year — hell, of the 1990s." — Stephen King). The Ruins follows two American couples, just out of college, enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico as, 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...

Review:

"At long last, Smith follows up his bestselling first novel, A Simple Plan (1993), the film of which received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay, with a stunning horror thriller. Four American friends on vacation in Cancn, Mexico — Jeff, Amy, Eric and Stacy — meet a German tourist, Mathias, who persuades them to join his hunt for his younger brother, Henrich, last seen headed off with a new girlfriend toward some ruins. The four soon regret their impulsive decision after they find themselves lost in the jungle and freaked out by signs that they're headed for danger. Smith builds suspense through the slow accretion of telling details, until a deadly menace starts taking its toll, leaving the survivors increasingly at each other's throats. While admirers of such classic genre writers as John Wyndham or Algernon Blackwood may find the horror less suggestive than they might wish, the eerie atmosphere and compelling plot should appeal to fans of ABC's hit TV series Lost, who will help propel this page-turner up bestseller lists. Ben Stiller's production company has bought film rights. 100,000 first printing. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"The book of the summer....There are no chapters and no cutaways — The Ruins is your basic long scream of horror. It does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975." Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"It has been 13 years since...A Simple Plan rocked best-seller lists. Now he's back with a story so scary you may never want to go on vacation, or dig around in your garden, again....If you love ABC's Lost and the novels of King and Thomas Harris, you'll love this book." Carol Memmott, USA Today

Review:

"Once again, Smith deftly explores psychological tension and insidious fears. Fans of Alex Garland's The Beach and Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park won't put be able to put this one down. A perfect beach read; just don't stray too far from the lifeguard." Library Journal

Review:

"The Ruins is an old-fashioned horror story...and it's the invasive, intuitive killer that provides the ice-water dread....It's Thomas Harris meets Poe in a decidedly timely story: Smith has...given us a decidedly organic nightmare. (Grade: A-)" Gillian Flynn, Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"The Ruins is like all great genre fiction in its irresistible storytelling momentum, but in its lack of mercy, it's more like real life....Scott Smith shows us an aspect of ourselves and of human nature we'd rather not acknowledge. He's such a master, though, that it's impossible to look away." Laura Miller, Salon.com

Review:

"[A] mesmerizing but unnerving read, a book hard to shake from your mind....[It] should solidify Smith's reputation as a brilliant practitioner of suspense fiction deepened by unsparing portraits of the psyche under stress." Houston Chronicle

Review:

"Smith writes in clear, vivid language with elegant sentences. His style appears straightforward enough, until he throws a curve ball. A subtle threat, an implication, it doesn't have to mean anything, but it could, and it's enough to start you worrying." Baltimore Sun

Review:

"If character is destiny, the major suspense lies with which one of them, if any, will survive. A compelling set-up and provocative premise, but what should be a page-turner succumbs to a plodding pace." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The Ruins is a shoe-in for best-selling oddity of 2006: a book that makes readers simultaneously shiver with fright and grin delightfully at the entertaining madness of Smith's weird concoction." Denver Post

Review:

"Although the basic premise of this highly literate freak-out may be preposterous, Smith's storytelling is rendered in such forceful, evocative prose that the reader will remain by the campfire until the flames die out." Charlotte Observer

Synopsis:

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything theyve ever known in this national bestseller. A long scream of horror. It does for Mexican vacations what "Jaws" did for New England beaches.--Stephen King.
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About the Author

Scott Smith was educated at Dartmouth College and Columbia University. He lives in New York City.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Bridget Colontonio, August 1, 2007 (view all comments by Bridget Colontonio)
The Ruins is a definite page turner! Scott Smith vividly describes this group of vacationers and their surroundings in such great detail that you feel as though you're right there with them, every frightening step of the way! This is one scary tale that keeps you asking, "How would I manage in such a situation? Would I be strong enough mentally and physically to endure such a tribulation?" You read how each character struggles and tries to find a solution to their predicament and all the while, slowly realizing that there really is no solution, just submission. The very human reactions of these people are no match for what has been awaiting them, and future guests. The chicanery and mockery this "monster" produces has learned from it's past victims and will seemingly keep doing so as long as there are vacationers out there willing to take the road less traveled.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780307278289
Author:
Smith, Scott
Publisher:
Vintage
Author:
Smith, Scott B.
Subject:
Horror - General
Subject:
Mayas
Subject:
Cancun (Mexico)
Subject:
Horror
Copyright:
2007
Edition Number:
Reprint ed.
Edition Description:
Mass market paperback
Series:
Vintage
Publication Date:
July 31, 2007
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
A-.<br>&amp;#8212;Gillian Flynn, <i>Entertainment
Language:
English
Pages:
528
Dimensions:
6.88x5.02x1.42 in. .57 lbs.
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Horror » General
Fiction and Poetry » Mystery » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Contemporary Thrillers
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Suspense

The Ruins Used Mass Market
0 stars - 0 reviews
$1.50 In Stock
Product details 528 pages Random House - English 9780307278289 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

Twelve years after his staggering debut, Scott Smith returns with The Ruins

by Chris Bolton
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "At long last, Smith follows up his bestselling first novel, A Simple Plan (1993), the film of which received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay, with a stunning horror thriller. Four American friends on vacation in Cancn, Mexico — Jeff, Amy, Eric and Stacy — meet a German tourist, Mathias, who persuades them to join his hunt for his younger brother, Henrich, last seen headed off with a new girlfriend toward some ruins. The four soon regret their impulsive decision after they find themselves lost in the jungle and freaked out by signs that they're headed for danger. Smith builds suspense through the slow accretion of telling details, until a deadly menace starts taking its toll, leaving the survivors increasingly at each other's throats. While admirers of such classic genre writers as John Wyndham or Algernon Blackwood may find the horror less suggestive than they might wish, the eerie atmosphere and compelling plot should appeal to fans of ABC's hit TV series Lost, who will help propel this page-turner up bestseller lists. Ben Stiller's production company has bought film rights. 100,000 first printing. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review A Day" by , "There are not a lot of novels suspenseful enough to induce true movie-style nail biting, that demand to be read down to every last word. There are even fewer that feature real people, fully and intelligently drawn. Scott Smith's The Ruins, cinematic and possessed of a firm grip, is such a novel....Smith is a thorough, unfussy writer. Even when the action is heavy he shifts point of view, looks into the thoughts and memories and resentments of every character." (read the entire Esquire review)
"Review" by , "The book of the summer....There are no chapters and no cutaways — The Ruins is your basic long scream of horror. It does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975."
"Review" by , "It has been 13 years since...A Simple Plan rocked best-seller lists. Now he's back with a story so scary you may never want to go on vacation, or dig around in your garden, again....If you love ABC's Lost and the novels of King and Thomas Harris, you'll love this book."
"Review" by , "Once again, Smith deftly explores psychological tension and insidious fears. Fans of Alex Garland's The Beach and Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park won't put be able to put this one down. A perfect beach read; just don't stray too far from the lifeguard."
"Review" by , "The Ruins is an old-fashioned horror story...and it's the invasive, intuitive killer that provides the ice-water dread....It's Thomas Harris meets Poe in a decidedly timely story: Smith has...given us a decidedly organic nightmare. (Grade: A-)"
"Review" by , "The Ruins is like all great genre fiction in its irresistible storytelling momentum, but in its lack of mercy, it's more like real life....Scott Smith shows us an aspect of ourselves and of human nature we'd rather not acknowledge. He's such a master, though, that it's impossible to look away."
"Review" by , "[A] mesmerizing but unnerving read, a book hard to shake from your mind....[It] should solidify Smith's reputation as a brilliant practitioner of suspense fiction deepened by unsparing portraits of the psyche under stress."
"Review" by , "Smith writes in clear, vivid language with elegant sentences. His style appears straightforward enough, until he throws a curve ball. A subtle threat, an implication, it doesn't have to mean anything, but it could, and it's enough to start you worrying."
"Review" by , "If character is destiny, the major suspense lies with which one of them, if any, will survive. A compelling set-up and provocative premise, but what should be a page-turner succumbs to a plodding pace."
"Review" by , "The Ruins is a shoe-in for best-selling oddity of 2006: a book that makes readers simultaneously shiver with fright and grin delightfully at the entertaining madness of Smith's weird concoction."
"Review" by , "Although the basic premise of this highly literate freak-out may be preposterous, Smith's storytelling is rendered in such forceful, evocative prose that the reader will remain by the campfire until the flames die out."
"Synopsis" by , Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything theyve ever known in this national bestseller. A long scream of horror. It does for Mexican vacations what "Jaws" did for New England beaches.--Stephen King.
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