claushetzer’s #CBR4 review #14: The Ruins by Scott Smith
Consider this a palate-cleanser, a bit of throwaway fiction between the heavy doses of Miéville and Peake. And it is throwaway fiction; I picked it up at a Goodwill, and I doubt it will remain even on my paperback shelf for long. I’m not saying The Ruins is a bad book, because it isn’t, but…well… OK, look: I’m not nearly the horror junkie that I once was. Parenthood can do that to you, as your children get older and you start to see characters as somebody else’s children themselves. Increasing mindfulness can do that to you as well; as you start to realize your oneness with everyone else, your monkeysphere expands and seeing or reading about horrible things happening to people becomes so emotionally draining that you can’t put yourself through it unless something else about the experience makes it worthwhile. The Ruins is juuuust that close to making a re-read worthwhile, but not quite.
Read the rest of the review here.
