Scott Smith's (A Simple Plan) new thriller: The Ruins
#1
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Scott Smith's (A Simple Plan) new thriller: The Ruins
Scott Smith is finally following-up his 1993 debut novel, A Simple Plan with a new thriller. The Ruins comes out on July 18th.
Here is word from Stephen King on Scott Smith and his new book:
Here is word from Stephen King on Scott Smith and his new book:
When I heard that Scott Smith was publishing a new novel this summer, I felt the way I did when my kids came in an hour or two late from their weekend dates: a combination of welcoming relief (thank God you're back) mingled with exasperation and anger (where the hell have you been?). Well, it's only a book, you say, and maybe that's true, but Scott Smith is a singularly gifted writer, and it seems to me that the twelve years between his debut--the cult smash A Simple Plan--and his return this summer with The Ruins is cause for exasperation, if not outright anger. Certainly Smith, who has been invisible save for his Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the film version of A Simple Plan, will have some 'splainin to do about how he spent his summer vacation. Make that his last twelve summer vacations.
But enough. The new book is here, and the question devotees of A Simple Plan will want answered is whether or not this book generates anything like Plan's harrowing suspense. The answer is yes. The Ruins is going to be America's literary shock-show this summer, doing for vacations in Mexico what Jaws did for beach weekends on Long Island. Is it as successful and fulfilling as a novel? The answer is not quite, but I can live with that, because it's riskier. There will be reviews of this book by critics who have little liking or understanding for popular fiction who'll dismiss it as nothing but a short story that has been bloated to novel length (I'm thinking of Michiko Kakutani, for instance, who microwaved Smith's first book). These critics, who steadfastly grant pop fiction no virtue but raw plot, will miss the dazzle of Smith's technique; The Ruins is the equivalent of a triple axel that just misses perfection because something's wrong with the final spin.
It's hard to say much about the book without giving away everything, because the thing is as simple and deadly as a leg-hold trap concealed in a drift of leaves…or, in this case, a mass of vines. You've got four young American tourists--Eric, Jeff, Amy, and Stacy--in Cancun. They make friends with a German named Mathias whose brother has gone off into the jungle with some archeologists. These five, plus a cheerful Greek with no English (but a plentiful supply of tequila), head up a jungle trail to find Mathias's brother…the archaeologists…and the ruins.
Well, two out of three ain't bad, according to the old saying, and in this case; what's waiting in the jungle isn't just bad, it's horrible. Most of The Ruins's 300-plus pages is one long, screaming close-up of that horror. There's no let-up, not so much as a chapter-break where you can catch your breath. I felt that The Ruins did draw on a trifle, but I found Scott Smith's refusal to look away heroic, just as I did in A Simple Plan. It's the trappings of horror and suspense that will make the book a best seller, but its claim to literature lies in its unflinching naturalism. It's no Heart of Darkness, but at its suffocating, terrifying, claustrophobic best, it made me think of Frank Norris. Not a bad comparison, at that.
One only hopes Mr. Smith won't stay away so long next time.--Stephen King
But enough. The new book is here, and the question devotees of A Simple Plan will want answered is whether or not this book generates anything like Plan's harrowing suspense. The answer is yes. The Ruins is going to be America's literary shock-show this summer, doing for vacations in Mexico what Jaws did for beach weekends on Long Island. Is it as successful and fulfilling as a novel? The answer is not quite, but I can live with that, because it's riskier. There will be reviews of this book by critics who have little liking or understanding for popular fiction who'll dismiss it as nothing but a short story that has been bloated to novel length (I'm thinking of Michiko Kakutani, for instance, who microwaved Smith's first book). These critics, who steadfastly grant pop fiction no virtue but raw plot, will miss the dazzle of Smith's technique; The Ruins is the equivalent of a triple axel that just misses perfection because something's wrong with the final spin.
It's hard to say much about the book without giving away everything, because the thing is as simple and deadly as a leg-hold trap concealed in a drift of leaves…or, in this case, a mass of vines. You've got four young American tourists--Eric, Jeff, Amy, and Stacy--in Cancun. They make friends with a German named Mathias whose brother has gone off into the jungle with some archeologists. These five, plus a cheerful Greek with no English (but a plentiful supply of tequila), head up a jungle trail to find Mathias's brother…the archaeologists…and the ruins.
Well, two out of three ain't bad, according to the old saying, and in this case; what's waiting in the jungle isn't just bad, it's horrible. Most of The Ruins's 300-plus pages is one long, screaming close-up of that horror. There's no let-up, not so much as a chapter-break where you can catch your breath. I felt that The Ruins did draw on a trifle, but I found Scott Smith's refusal to look away heroic, just as I did in A Simple Plan. It's the trappings of horror and suspense that will make the book a best seller, but its claim to literature lies in its unflinching naturalism. It's no Heart of Darkness, but at its suffocating, terrifying, claustrophobic best, it made me think of Frank Norris. Not a bad comparison, at that.
One only hopes Mr. Smith won't stay away so long next time.--Stephen King
Last edited by Geofferson; 06-06-06 at 03:43 PM.
#3
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
I loved A Simple Plan so much. Can't believe it's been twelve years since he did anything. I'll definately be checking this one out.
#4
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I finished this today. Not necessarily the most enjoyable read I've had recently, that's for sure. I did find it very well-written and all without a hint of relent.
Do I want to relive the experience and read it a second time ever? Probably not.
Do I want to relive the experience and read it a second time ever? Probably not.
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Just finished reading this. It's a real page-turner that doesn't let up for a second - in some ways, it's almost too intense. I would imagine that if it's ever filmed with the same intensity, it would be almost unwatchable. Definitely a satisfying but unnerving read!
#6
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally Posted by marty888
Just finished reading this. It's a real page-turner that doesn't let up for a second - in some ways, it's almost too intense. I would imagine that if it's ever filmed with the same intensity, it would be almost unwatchable. Definitely a satisfying but unnerving read!
#7
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Originally Posted by marty888
Just finished reading this. It's a real page-turner that doesn't let up for a second - in some ways, it's almost too intense. I would imagine that if it's ever filmed with the same intensity, it would be almost unwatchable. Definitely a satisfying but unnerving read!
#9
Senior Member
Got this as a gift, not really big horror fan but this was one of the most intense books that I have read. Probably the first book that I have read that I really truly couldn't put down. He did a great job with some of the visuals, I actually got chills while reading it.
bcd
bcd
#10
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I just finished this one, and I'm a bit conflicted. Loved the writing and the sustained tension, and I liked the shifting viewpoints, which really notched up the suspense somehow. But as much as I wanted it to work, the central "supernatural" plot point wasn't quite perfect for me. Maybe it was the characters' lack of a strong reaction to it, or maybe the very idea of it just didn't work for me...
All that being said, I loved the relentlessness of the book, and the ending especially.
All that being said, I loved the relentlessness of the book, and the ending especially.
#11
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Originally Posted by Decker
I loved A Simple Plan so much. Can't believe it's been twelve years since he did anything. I'll definitely be checking this one out.
I think the best part of the book is the slow reveal. It starts so mundane and ordinary and things just get worse and worse. When the movie comes out, everyone will be calling it a killer plant movie and that's a shame since it's so much more than just "Little Shop Of Horrors Goes To Mexico".
Reading it, you knew the movie was coming, and sure enough it's on its way. I'm heartened to see Smith is writing the adaptation, like he did with A Simple Plan (which netted him a well-deserved Oscar nod). It's disappointing that I've never heard of the director, Carter Smith. Apparently this is his first feature. I wonder if he's related to the author? The cast is full of unknowns as well. Jena Malone is Amy, Laura Ramsey is Stacy, Jonathan Tucker is Jeff, Shawn Ashmore is Eric and Joe Anderson is Mathias. Of those, the only one I'm familiar with is Shawn Ashmore since he played Bobby "Iceman" in the Xmen trilogy, though Joe Anderson apparently has a big part in Across The Universe (a Beatles musical coming out this winter). I guess whoever is cutting the checks figured this would be a horror film and they don't need stars to do well if they deliver the gore. That may be true, but I was at least hoping for some recognizable talent in the cast, marking it as a prestige horror film and not just another splatterfest. Oh well, I guess we'll see next April...
#12
I thought it was a really enjoyable read. It reminded me of a more fully-fleshed out Stephen King-esq short like The Raft. Maybe a little influence of The Mist. Hopefully the movie will be good.
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Jena Malone is good - from "Saved" and "Donnie Darko"
I just finished this book last night, after starting it on Tuesday. I'm still trying to figure out if the natives worship the plant in some way, or are just resigned to only being able to contain it and not actually kill it off.
I just finished this book last night, after starting it on Tuesday. I'm still trying to figure out if the natives worship the plant in some way, or are just resigned to only being able to contain it and not actually kill it off.
#14
DVD Talk Special Edition
i read The Ruins right after finishing Simple Plan and while i thought it didn't have the same emotional impact as Simple Plan, it was nevertheless a very good book.
i do hope the movie turns out well.
i do hope the movie turns out well.
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All of these positive comments has me thinking I may have missed the boat here. I came into The Ruins having read nothing but high praise from folks I respect, but it just didn't work for me.
There were just too many leaps of faith (in 2006 noone has a cell phone with range?!), and yet, I have to admit to enjoying some 'daydreaming' moments where I wonder what I would do if I was in that situation. That has to count for something.
There were just too many leaps of faith (in 2006 noone has a cell phone with range?!), and yet, I have to admit to enjoying some 'daydreaming' moments where I wonder what I would do if I was in that situation. That has to count for something.
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Hopefully the screenplay will make the characters more sympathetic. I found only Pablo (and the Greeks in general), and maybe Mathias, even remotely likeable. Still, Smith sure can paint a mental image, and even put you into a characters head somewhat.
#17
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
Hopefully the screenplay will make the characters more sympathetic. I found only Pablo (and the Greeks in general), and maybe Mathias, even remotely likeable. Still, Smith sure can paint a mental image, and even put you into a characters head somewhat.
And to the previous complaint about cell phones : I think it quite likely that most tourists who wander into a small village in rural Mexico would not bring a cell phone with them or might not be able to pick up a signal. Furthermore, you know that the plant must have heard at least one ring at some time...
You do have to wonder about what equipment the archaeology team would have brought with them, though.
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I just gave up on this one 350 pages in and they only thing I could think of was "Would you fools die already!". I didn't care about the book because I didn't like any of the characters, there wasn't even one that I hated. They were just juicy bits to be eaten. It was well written but cold.
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I finally finished this one this past weekend. I thought it was well written, and I liked most of the characters. The constant changing viewpoints also worked really well IMO. That being said... none of it seemed very believeable to me. I think the author really strechted trying to find something that not many people have come up with as a horror topic. Also, I predicted the ending well before the first quarter of the book was read. I too was also thinking about how this might look on film. Unfortunately... I see this as a cheesy, poorly written B movie more than a tense, scare fest like I was hoping it might be.
Overall, it's still a good real. Scott Smith is an excellent writer, and I still plan on reading his next novel. But.. I was a bit disappointed with The Ruins.
Overall, it's still a good real. Scott Smith is an excellent writer, and I still plan on reading his next novel. But.. I was a bit disappointed with The Ruins.
#20
I recently read this one too. Yeah, it was a page-turner though not entirely satisfying. I had trouble with the unlikeable characters too. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if the plotting was tighter, but the ending of the book seemed pre-ordained once you knew what was going on. And it was waaaay too long. And screw you Stephen King, for taking a pre-emptive pot shot at critics who have a problem with the length. Coming from a writer who hasn't had his own novels properly edited in over 20 years, those words don't mean much. "The Ruins" would've been much more effective IMO at a sleek 300 pages, instead of 500.
But it did move along, the concept for the "monster" was a good one, and there were some good nasty bits. In the right hands, this could be one of the rare cases of the movie being better than the book - making it an atmospheric intense shocker. Though the "monster" will have to be handled with care - if done poorly, it could easily come across as silly.
But it did move along, the concept for the "monster" was a good one, and there were some good nasty bits. In the right hands, this could be one of the rare cases of the movie being better than the book - making it an atmospheric intense shocker. Though the "monster" will have to be handled with care - if done poorly, it could easily come across as silly.
#22
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Well, not sure if this should go here or in Movie Talk, but since there was so much discussion of the upcoming movie, I thought I'd post it here
The Ruins movie trailer
Two big shocks from the trailer:
Obviously, there were liberties taken with the story, even though Smith wrote the screenplay himself. I wonder how it'll turn out...
The Ruins movie trailer
Two big shocks from the trailer:
Spoiler:
Obviously, there were liberties taken with the story, even though Smith wrote the screenplay himself. I wonder how it'll turn out...
#23
DVD Talk Special Edition
well he did change up A Simple Plan as well, which I still liked. Although I did miss the convenience store scene from the book. Kinda nice really so you don't know exactly what will happen.
#24
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Yeah my favorite sequence from A Simple Plan (the convenience store) was removed from the movie, which upset me, but I still liked it. I have not read The Ruins yet, but I will check it out.