La ruina

by Lizzy Stewart, Regina López Muñoz (Translator)

'Satisfyingly detailed and juicy... an utter treat' Amy Liptrot

'A tender and wise portrait of love and friendship that ponders with an astonishingly light touch big questions to do with who we are and how we live. She’s done it again!' Chloë Ashby

Two couples pursue their dream of communal living in the English countryside – and then it all comes tumbling down, in this stunning new illustrated novel from the prize-winning author of Alison

Charlotte and Francesca were best friends at university in the mid-1970s. But tensions coursed beneath their natural affection, deepening when Fran got together with Charlotte’s friend Adrian, and the two women drifted apart.

When Fran contacts Charlotte out of the blue with an unusual proposal – an invitation to live with her and Adrian in the rambling house they’ve bought in the countryside – Charlotte impulsively persuades her partner, Bill, to accept this tantalising promise of a new kind of community.

At first their new life feels utopian; life and space are shared joyfully. But it doesn’t take long for old tensions to rise to the surface, shattering their illusions and showing each of them in a new light.

The Wreck is a glorious genre-defying illustrated novel about the messy tangle of love, envy and desire that underpins our most precious relationships, and the difficult paths we must take to discover our true selves.

'No other writer or artist can pinpoint the queasy interdependence of class and the arts in England with such nauseous accuracy, only to pull the rug out from under us with tenderness' Joanna Walsh

'I fell hopelessly in love with The Wreck... A beautiful, funny, clever, insightful book' Lisa Owens

'A one-of-a-kind novel. I adored every page of it' Ana Kinsella

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, British Literature, Marriage

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2026

About the author

Lizzy Stewart is a British illustrator and author currently based in London. She has written and illustrated various books for children and adults. Her debut full-length illustrated novel Alison was published in 2022. She teaches illustration at Goldsmiths University and has also taught courses on behalf of the National Portrait Gallery.

Reviews

[Juan Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voy a darme unos días de barbecho para decidirlo formalmente, pero ahora mismo juraría que este ha sido mi libro del año.

[Claire Fuller]

Just the perfect combination of words and pictures - a graphic novel but also with lots of text which I delighted in lingering over. Lizzy Stewart is so good at capturing human emotion through both drawing and writing.
The Wreck is about two couples: Charlotte and Bill, and Fran and Adrian who in the 1980s decide to test the idyllic dream of living communally in a big house in the English countryside. For a summer their lives are perfect, until they aren't.
Another contender for my books of the year!

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twee stellen jagen hun droom na om samen op het Engelse platteland in een groot landhuis te wonen – en dan valt alles uit elkaar.

Graag gelezen, deze graphic novel die net zoveel een tekstgeschreven roman als een graphic novel is. Er gebeurt niet veel in, niet in de zin van grootste dingen of een plot en dat vond ik heerlijk. Het was slow reading op zijn best, zo fijn om telkens als ik uit mijn werk kwam een kop thee te zetten, op de bank te kruipen en de wereld van deze vier vrienden weer binnen te stappen en een stukje verder te kunnen lezen.

Ik hou van Lizzy Stewarts werk, haar rustige manier van bewegen door de wereld van de door haar gecreëerde personages en hoe ze dat in beeld weet te vangen. Haar tekeningen, een beetje schetsachtig, zachte lijnen en kleuren in aquarel, zonder toeters of bellen, gewoon heel fijn.

'There were endings everywhere. Is this the bind of great good fortune? Does joy come parcelled up with the knowledge of the end of joy?'

Voor een inkijkje: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcnQJ_fiO...

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this the perfect coffee table book? I don't know.
(No trendy interiors, no luxurious handbags, no artworks or stylish coffee brands.)
But I want it to stay on my coffee table.

Is this an ideal present? Probably not.
(What a message are you giving with a story about two couples messing everything up.)
But I want to give it to everyone.

Is this my little treasure? It is.
(Like a hot chocolate you treat yourself to on a rainy day.)
And I want it to be yours as well.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's felt like a while since I've really loved a new (or soon to be published) book, so The Wreck felt like a complete breath of fresh air. I can't remember the last time a book had me so excited to get back to it, and I will be amazed if this isn't one of my books of the year by the end of 2026!

Part novel and part graphic novel, The Wreck is the story of four friends, two couples, who in the 1980s decide to try living together in their forties in a big countryside house - a utopia of sorts. As they each find a way to live together, some easier than others, they create a wonderful existence together that makes you wonder why more people don't do this. But of course, tensions and feelings soon erupt and the bubble bursts.

I loved the way Lizzy Stewart carefully crafted each character. All four of them felt distinct to me, and you could really grasp how and why each of them were feeling the way that they did. The way class, ambition, happiness, creativity mean something different to them all. I thought it explored friendship with such honesty - the way we compare ourselves, the need to impress, but also the drive they can create in you to fulfil your ambitions. Also just the sheer joy of having those few friends who know you almost inside out, the kind of friendships that are almost impossible to recreate as a fully fledged adult.

I loved Lizzy's beautiful drawings equally as much as the prose, and found The Wreck to be such a wonderful reading experience. I already have her previous graphic novel, Alison, lined up to read. I hope The Wreck gets all the praise it deserves in 2026!

[Amy Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

weeping, weeping

[Brendan Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living communally with your friends in adult life, in the english countryside. Sign me up.

Mostly graphic novel, but with some substantive text sections as well. The illustrations were great and the story I really see as a story of friendship between two women, with some other things thrown in.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tore through this. Can't remember the last time a graphic novel (or illustrated novel, I guess) brought me to tears. The last few pages are heart wrenching. Charlotte is so real to me that at first I thought this was a memoir. Lizzy Stewart is a powerhouse.

[Poppy September · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

A lovely book to accompany me through my sick leave this week. It was my first time reading a graphic/illustrated novel and I absolutely loved it!
The story is so wonderful apart from the major conflict - not sure if I should read into the fact it was gifted to me by someone who has always talks about us sharing a rural house near Bristol ???

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! A perfect mix of words and images that made the read so engaging, with characters that felt warm and human in every way and a story that was quietly compelling.

[Sarah Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Lizzy Stewart’s first graphic novel, Alison, soooo much and I was really looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed! The art and the prose complement each other perfectly, it is very cleverly done and I found it totally immersive. The story reads like memoir, it is so well drawn. I dont think the plot was as strong as Alison, the main crisis point happens roughly in the middle of the book, and I lost momentum a bit in the second half. The ending is perfect though.

[Eri · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I couldn't get enough of this book seriously. It was very Sally Rooney-esque but that's not to discredit Lizzy Stewart - the exploration of complex relationships between the characters was done so well, I initially thought it might be autobiographical. I loved how it was half novel, half graphic novel.. illustrated novel? Was so impressed I wanted to borrow her other book, Alison, immediately but turns out my library doesn't have it. Submitted a request for it to be bought so here's hoping 🤞🏼

[Leeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE STARS AMAZING

[Lauren Putt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautifully illustrated book and I loved the characters. The plot let it down slightly as I found myself losing interest as the story went on. But overall, I would still recommend it!

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seamless. Lizzie Stewart is a masterful storyteller, her talent is in telling the lives of her characters, making them real and knowing the small details that can expose a person. I knew from reading ‘Alison’ that this would stop me in my tracks. Thoroughly recommend.

[Jasmien D'hont · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

Slightly disappointed. Thought it was going to be sharp and witty, but the characters had no humour. The cover promised a messy and chaotic ending, but it felt tame overall. It's more of a peacefull read.

[Ca3nea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat of a book!
As gorgeous, thoughtful and entertaining as Alison, the two books also share themes (art, friendship, class) and that delightful mix of words and pictures that Stewart masters.
Perfect for reading in one sitting (bonus points if in the garden)

[diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

this reader will pick up whatever Lizzy Stewart puts out. except this time I made it our bookclub pick 🥳

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I would adore this book and indeed I did!

At first it seems to be a graphic novel but I would describe as more of an illustrated novel with the most atmospheric pen and ink drawings along with full page water colour illustrations that gleefully litter the slow-burn story of two co-habiting couples. Three of them friends from Bristol University in the 1970s and one a Canadian carpenter.

As a result of this unique style of presenting a narrative, the pacing is so different from either a novel or a comic strip and forces to pause and think about what they are reading and seeing. The illustrations all deserve far more than a fleeting glance. The text is a serious, slice of life, examination of putting friendships under the microscope as they live the lives we often imagine "What would it be like if we all lived in a house together?". There are moments of a bohemian nirvana and the reality of sharing space, working and living in such close proximity.

All four characters are observed and built to form such rounded characters whose decisions, successes, failures, self-knowledge wax and wane. Because we see each of them through the other characters' eyes, the book provides a truly intimate perspective.

How perfect!

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

The real genius here is that Lizzy Stewart doesn't give you easy answers in The Wreck; they force you to audit your own unexamined biases instead.

[M · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Cuatro amigos que son personajes moralmente cuestionables, que se quieren de formas diferentes y complejas y a los que vemos evolucionar a lo largo de décadas. Mi tipo de libro!! Además los dibujos no pueden ser más cuquis.

[lucy black · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protagonist is unlikeable, self involved and has a massive chip on her shoulder. Lizzy Stewart follows her life through university, the friends she makes and is reunited with in their 40s. Somehow the bitter MC Charlotte makes a lovely best friend Fran and nabs a lovely boyfriend Bill. Successful Fran invites stagnant Charlotte and Bill to join her and her husband in their country house and try communal living, of course it all goes to shit. The Wreck has a fascinating premise but it slightly drags. Stewart tells the story with a mix of novel text and then pages of graphic novel panels, it defines should have been a straight graphic novel, we didn’t the extra text. Although it gave Stewart more room to explore the characters feelings in depth I think the she should have trusted the reader to intuit those from the images.

[Catherine Adams · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Yep yep yep I loved this

[Emmy · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

What a fascinating way to tell a story. 4.5 ⭐️

[Peony Gent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Such a good combination of comics/drawing/prose and full of complex beautifully written characters. Many deeply relatable sections that made me feel very SEEN!!

[Kit Nevile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly beautiful, a shimmering example of just how powerful the interlacing of prose and illustration can be.

A treasure of a novel.

[Sekaringtias · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I guess we've solved it, solved life," joked Bill one evening after a particularly delicious meal and an enjoyably wide-ranging conversation...
...It felt, in those months, that life could not be better, kinder or more beautiful than it was for us. Friendship and comfort, I realised, were all you needed."

A friend once told me her dream is to rent a place big enough so that she could live together with all of us. Wouldn't it be so nice, she said, we could cook together, chat whenever, not having to jump through hoops and loops to arrange a date to meet, and all?

On another occasion, after having friends stay with us for a couple of months during the holiday season, my husband and I thought, yeah it is actually quite nice. The ease of it all. The joy and laughter that just didn't seem to run out.

So when I stumbled upon The Wreck, a story about two couples who decide to live together in a massive house in the countryside as adults, it felt envious. I put off getting it for some time because, damn, twenty-five quid for a book whilst I still have tons at home felt too indulgent. But reading off its first few pages at my local bookstore, I knew I needed to go on, and the staff, polite as they were, would probably not let me sit down and read for another two hours or so.

So I got it. And I read it all in one go last night. And I woke up this morning still thinking about it.

This is one beautiful book. Yes, for the illustrations, but also for the prose and incisive characters. I hate that I can relate to Charles deeply. Her insecurities, even her way of thinking and reasoning. Her jealousy towards people who move around the world with such ease. Such confidence. Her snobbery, masked by indifference towards others. It is, perhaps, stuff made of a deprived childhood, as she argued with herself. But she met Adrian, and their backgrounds were similar. How did they turn out so different?

Yet somehow, despite how it all turned out, I also can understand Fran's attitude after. Her kindness, perhaps born out of compassion, perhaps understanding? To see that it must not have been easy, to be that self-destructive, or how seemingly unsatiated; what good is having the whole world at the tip of your finger, when you feel you couldn't be part of it?

"When I was thirteen years old my mother told me, with only the slightest hint of impatience in her voice that I was 'determined to burn every bridge offered to me.'"

At the risk of a (rather very relevant) tangent, I'm currently obsessively listening to Cameron Winter's Live at Carnegie Hall, and of course, there's this bit;

Try as I may
To love what fits in my hand
I don't

At one point, Charles pondered the fact that she and Fran wouldn't be as close as they were had they met in a different time. Just a year or two later, neither of them would have the capacity to give and receive so much in the friendship. Anyone ever trying to cultivate new friendships in adulthood would know. That's why true, beautiful friendship is so rare, and so special.

The Wreck is so, so tender; on what friendship, love, but also our search and sense of who we are, drive us to do. It's heartbreaking. What would you trade for one perfect year?

[Caroline Roseberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am, fittingly, a complete wreck after finishing ‘The Wreck’. Reading it felt like pushing on a bruise: it’s painful, but you keep returning to it, chasing the ache.

In ‘The Wreck’, Lizzy Stewart explores some really painful emotions, like jealousy, insecurity, and resentment, some of them justified — like the protagonist Charlotte’s experience of class difference and sexism — and some of them a bit uglier: Charlotte’s envy of her friends’ seemingly easy lives, her youthful and shame-filled confusion and longing towards her best friend’s husband, Adrian, and a growing resentment and bitterness that she notices but can’t stop. It’s uncomfortable, but completely compulsive, and I just couldn’t stop reading.

The emotions laid bare on the pages, in immaculate prose and hand drawn watercolor, are both recognizable and intensely familiar — perhaps that’s why this book feels so powerful. Stewart is unflinching, laying bare every ugly feeling stored inside her protagonist; and I felt myself split open and seen, too. Who hasn’t felt young and overlooked, wanting to be special, watching others have an easy time of it while you struggle to fit in? It’s vulnerable and nostalgic in equal measure, and I felt completely swallowed by the book.

Also, I know it’s a novel about an affair, but MY GOD can this woman write female friendships! I was deeply moved by the final section, which moves into Francesca’s perspective. After being carried through the affair narrative, you expect her section to be the portrait of a wronged woman; but I was shocked and delighted to find instead one of enduring warmth, respect and, yes, longing towards her once best friend, even long after the affair blew up their friendship. I don’t know why I expected anything less — the clues are in Stewart’s previous works, ‘Alison’ and ‘It’s Not What You Thought It Would Be’, both of which are *so* good on ambivalent and enduring female friendships; but I was impressed, all the same, by her generosity and the freshness of her portrayal of this gorgeous, messy friendship.

That final panel, in which the two women run into each other in the street after 20 years apart, had me in tears; whoever said that friendships can’t be as bruising and confusing and sustaining and frustrating and beautiful as romantic relationships has never read a Lizzy Stewart graphic novel.

What a gift.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading an illustrated novel is really unusual for me, in fact I think I’ve only read two graphic novels before (both by Audrey Niffenegger if you’re interested). What drew me to The Wreck is that it is a combination of written and graphic elements, the written being the story and the graphic the dialogue, which gave me a real sense of the characters.

Those characters are Charlotte and Bill, Francesca and Adrian. Charlotte, Fran and Adrian were friends at university in the 1970s but over the years had drifted apart, partly due to Fran and Adrian getting together, and later getting married, which kind of fractured the friendship with Charlotte. Twenty years later Fran gets in touch with Charlotte with an unexpected and surprising proposal: that Charlotte and Bill move into Fran and Adrian’s large house in the country, known as The Wreck, and embrace a kind of communal living.

I enjoyed The Wreck so much. It’s a large book so I have been reading a little every evening and I always very much looked forward to picking it up. The story itself is engrossing, told for the first three parts from Charlotte’s perspective and then in the last part from Fran’s. It takes the reader back to the university days, setting the scene for all that was to come, the old friendships and the new ones, and life at the Wreck. At first life is really good but there was a sort of inevitability to the outcome I think.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning. Lizzy Stewart is a brilliant artist and I got to truly know the characters through her art, each one so perfectly drawn and which put me right there with them at the Wreck. I took a bit of a chance on this book, it being something different for me, and I’m so glad that I did. In fact, I’ve now bought Stewart’s first illustrated novel, Alison. I highly recommend The Wreck; it’s a captivating and pleasing written and visual experience.

[Peter Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reminded a little of Posy Simmonds, though without her comic-melodramatic exuberance. The characters, with one exception, belong to the upwardly mobile middle classes, although their backgrounds and careers create significant differences between them.

I found the implied shifts between photography and drawn illustration an area deserving closer consideration. The distinctions between action and acting, seeing and telling, reporting and remembering create a complex set of relations that shapes both the characters and the narrative. Because the reader encounters these relationships at one remove, the process becomes doubly complex, with much to absorb and interpret. Do text and image necessarily tell us the same thing, backing one another up, or do they offer subtly different accounts? The latter, I think: the continual interplay of hiding and showing keeps the narrative unsettled.

The illustrations generally employ darker hues, but every so often a full page blazes into colour. They (the full page illustrations) partly reminded me of Raymond Briggs—I think it may be the hair—and once each of Francis Bacon’s bed paintings and Egon Schiele with the coloration of ‘Group of three girls’ (1911) albeit title wise ‘Two girls lying entwined’ (1915) would be more apt.

‘The Wreck’—and what is contained in that title?—would make for an unusually rewarding book-club discussion. It might be especially productive if four readers agreed beforehand to concentrate on one of the four principal characters, since each appears to inhabit a distinct version of the same emotional terrain.

“Ben Reads Good” has tipped it for the Booker longlist. Indeed—and why not?