Beautiful Ruins

Walter's account of the filming of the Burton/Taylor classic Cleopatra is a playful imagining of emotional history and hidden lives just out of view. Be warned, this is a novel that may make any festive guests somewhat anti-social as I read it in two days flat -- Olivia Cole * GQ 'Books of the Year' * A bravura feat -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times 'Books of the Year' * My absolute favourite read this year -- Nick Curtis * Evening Standard 'Books of the Year' * Cinematic and utterly romantic . . . the big beach read for summer * Sunday Times * Larger-than-life characters, billowy romance and crafty satire ... Any book that includes Richard Burton as a character is fine by us * Esquire * Poignant, comical and marvellous * San Francisco Chronicle * Magic. Walter is a believer in capricious destiny with a fine, freewheeling sense of humour . . . A monument to crazy love with a deeply romantic heart * New York Times * Hilarious and compelling * Esquire * The beach read of the summer * Vogue * A novel shot in sparkly Technicolor * Booklist * A brilliant, madcap meditation on fate * Kirkus Reviews * You're going to love this book * New York Times Book Review * Thoroughly enjoyable, a tender, funny, ridiculous tale which has love at its core and a keen satirical edge to cut through the lovely, lush romanticism * Sunday Express * A sparkling summer read * Telegraph * Walter creates an epic here - one that took him 15 years to write. The end result, however, is well worth the wait * Observer * Romantic, very funny...Turbo-charged satire meets a Garcia Marquezesque love story. What's not to like? * Daily Mail * Beautiful Ruins is a novel unlike any other you're likely to read this year -- Nick Hornby Ambitious, large-hearted, exhilarating novel that leaves you wanting more . . . Very, very funny * The Times * Just about the perfect summer read. It is intelligent and thought-provoking, but also a lot of fun. Reading hours fly by and reaching the final page feels like a genuine wrench * Sunday Times *