Beautiful Ruins Q&A

Thank you for my copy, looking forward to starting it this week.

Thanks for book: just finished it. Definitely a book to be read over a short period, if, like me, you need to concentrate. But I did read it quickly and loved it - especially the quirky idea of having Richard Burton in it! I don't often read books by men, but this doesn't come across as over macho. Clever use of different styles of print.

I just wondered if Richard Burton's family could sue the author for libel!!!!!?

Belated thanks for my copy of Beautiful Ruins. I will be taking it on holiday so haven't started it yet. Looking forward to reading it.

I'm only half way through so far, but am really enjoying the "stories within stories" theme. The characters are interesting - I want to find out more about them so am snatching a read when ever I can. More depth than a lot of books around.
I like the cover - it has a 60s look to it

Just finished it last night. What a great book with quite an insight into the Hollywood film world. Loved all the wee stories within the main one. It is well written with an intelligent use of language without being convoluted or tortuous. I will highly recommend it.

Just got back from holiday and my copy of 'Beautiful Ruins' was brought to my door by nice neighbour. Im looking forward to starting reading it. Many thanks gransnet.

After finishing this book it took me some time to come back to "real life".
it was so gripping and so many emotions - Sadness for Dee, admiration for Dee, pity for Pasquale, concern for young Pasquale and his future etc.
etc.
But I was also concerned that a real person Richard Burton had been
portrayed in a fictitious manner. Is this "allowed" will the author be
sued by his family?
Others have mentioned the cover, when the assistant brought the book
to me I thought Oh no I wont like this, but its the July Gransnet book
so I will give it a go, how glad I am that I did. Would the author agree
that covers are very important in selling a book.
Another silly thing was that all through the book I thought Yes this is
written by a woman, and then at the end found the photo! How wrong
I was!

Thank you so much for my copy of Beautiful Ruins. Have just finished reading it, and was very impressed with the storyline which realistically brought to life a small Italian fishing village of the 1960's. Does Jess have Italian relatives or was the excellent portrayal down to detailed research?

I was going to save this until next month when we'll be on holiday but I'm half way through it.

Echoes of David Niven's 'Bring On The Empty Horses' in some parts. I love the humour.

I'm pretty much in agreement with treebee about this book so far (received my copy on return from holiday - thank you - and am about halfway through).

I'm enjoying it especially on the back of having watched 'Richard and Elizabeth' on telly recently, also my mother was completely immersed in Hollywood and all the glamour when I was little, and it is bringing back so many memories of sitting with her and going through all the studio glamour pics of the great stars of the day (she used to send away for them), I can still picture them and sense the enchantment she felt with the "stars of the silver screen". I wish I had kept those posters, they'd be worth something today!

I don't have a question - sorry!

I found the book quite difficult to get into at first, probably not the fault of the author more down to me. I became more interested in the characters as I read further into the story.
I wasn't sure about the cover to begin with but now I think that it does fit in with the style of story well.

Thank you for my copy. I finished it this morning. I had trouble getting into the story until Pasquale turned up in US looking for Dee and then I had to know how the story panned out - urgently!

The questions that I could come up with are all answered in the notes at the back of the book. However, has Jess got a connection with Italy and does he speak Italian?

I'm loving this book - am I the only one?

I think everybody is goose except me !

Thank you, Gransnet, and of course, Jess, for a great read! I quickly became engrossed with the wonderful story, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the device of switching between times and characters' lives a little frustrating at first - I would be fully engaged with the story, and it would suddenly switch - but once I settled in, I thought it a very clever way of filling in the back (or forward) story. Your Italy is gorgeous! I loved the update at the end of the book - it was brilliant finding out what happened to the characters. I'm now going to read your back catalogue, Jess! Thank you again x

Thank you so much for the book which arrived last week...not had the chance to start it yet.I will take it on holiday next week.
It would seem most readers are having difficulty getting into the book.
And the print is VERY small ... Oh dear that makes me sound so OLD !!!

Thank you for my free copy. I wanted to ask how Jess managed to overcome feeling a might 'Scared' of writing about such legends as Burton and Taylor and wasn't he worried that the families , particularly of Burton might object ?The book was very different to the kind of thing I usually read but I found it really painted pictures in my head of the people and places!

Interesting book...do you think it may be made into a television play/film?

What does the author think of the cover ?
Do authors get to help in choosing a cover ?

Thank you for the free copy of the book.
I read it whilst in Italy, a bit further down the coast in Tuscany, but in a very small non touristy area. It was very appropriate that I read it there, and really got caught up in the story. My question is whether Jess has stayed in the area to capture the feel of the place so well? The Italians really do have a community spirit which was so well portrayed in the book in the fishing village.
Hollywood is such a contrast and of course the "movie" world is very unreal compared with a small fishing village. A great and enjoyable read. Thank you.

Fascinating book, Jess.

I was impressed by the way you created so many characters and yet they were all so distinct from each other.

You said that eventually, Dee and Pasquale took over and finished the book themselves. Were the other characters more biddable, or were there also moments when Clare or Pat, for instance, struggled for control?

Hello Jess

I loved your book, and don't think I've ever read one quite like it.

If you were to compare yourself to another author, who would it be?

Thank you.

While I think Beautiful Ruins thoroughly deserves to be filmed, I do wonder if it's actually filmable when so much of it is introspective?

I'd like to know who you'd have in mind to play Dee and Pasquale?

Jess, How long did it take you to write Beautiful Ruins? Did you need to do a lot of research given there are so many characters, locations and time changes?

I had images for some of the characters that wouldn't shift throughout the book - David Gest for Michael Deane, Al Pacino for Pasquale but I struggled with Dee Moray. Did you base her on a real life character?

And did you wait until after Elizabeth Taylor's death before writing it?

Thank you very much for the book. However, I have struggled with it and found it difficult to get into. The characters seemed unrealistic and the various storylines disjointed. I'm afraid I've given up about halfway through.