Thursday, August 03, 2006

THE RUINS by Scott Smith


Upon the recommendation of my roomie, Filmdom, I started reading Scott Smith's "The Ruins" on Saturday. I got about 5 or 6 pages in, but couldn't really concentrate during closing weekend. I liked it from the start, but too much was going on. I figured that I would leave it until Monday.
Monday, after the dog-walkin' day was done, I took up my usual place in "my chair" in the back patio. As the heat filtered through my canopy, I drank ice water and smoked cigarettes. I started to pour through the book by page 10.
I finished the book last night, and I have to say, it is terrifying.
It is about 4 American kids, say about 22ish, who are on vacation in Cancun. While there, they meet a trio of Greek men who speak not one lick of English, but make for amusing drinking company nonetheless, and they also meet a man named Mathias, a German, who does speak English.
As they are there for a few days, Mathias tells them that he is starting to worry about his brother, who was on vacation with him, but left to go off to this archaeological site with a girl that he met and was smitten with.
He has left a map of where he will be. He has not returned yet, and they are supposed to leave the next day.
The Americans agree to go with him to find his brother, some more reluctantly than others.
This is the story of what happens to them when they reach the site, and discover an insidious "other" in their presence.
The last book that I poured through so quickly was Stephen King's "Cell". Stephen King himself called this book "The book of the summer".
I yearn to tell you more about this book, but hesitate to spoil the ride, and let me tell you, I didn't expect ANYTHING to happen like it did.
If you like to be scared, this is the best book this summer to do it.
To read the first few pages, click here.
Luv,
SGS

No comments: