Ruines

by Brian W. Aldiss

For years Hugh Billing has been drifting after making his fortune in the music industry. As his mother's death returns him to London, he draws hope and courage enough to travel on a different journey and transform himself.

Genres: Fiction

87 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Pseudonyms: Jael Cracken, Peter Pica, John Runciman, C.C. Shackleton, Arch Mendicant, & "Doc" Peristyle.

Brian Wilson Aldiss was one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary techniques, evocative plots and irresistible characters, he became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1999.
Brian Aldiss died on August 19, 2017, just after celebrating his 92nd birthday with his family and closest friends.

Brian W. Aldiss Group on Good Reads

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nas minhas deambulações pelas ruas de Lisboa, entrei numa loja onde podia tomar um café, comer um donuts e escolher livros. Tomei o café, não comi o donuts e trouxe um livro; dias depois, deixei lá dois que espero serem lidos e mais apreciados do que o que escolhi: a história de um homem que deambula pela vida.

Ou ando a falhar na escolha dos livros ou o meu gosto pela leitura está em ruínas. Talvez seja melhor ver telenovelas ou "casar com um agricultor"...

[John Mccullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Billing’s life is like a pachinko ball – bouncing around from one station to another, whether it is his love life, his profession, or residence – London, New York, California, Iowa, back to London in time for his mother’s funeral. At age 4 he witnessed his father’s fall from a ladder and death which scarred him for life. He was raised by his mother who seemed emotionally distant to him. Early in adulthood he wrote a pop tune that reached #1 in “The Charts,” then two others that went high but not #1, then nothing, but it gave him enough money to bob around life for a few years.

Now, back to England, it is bounce around again, but on a more limited scale. Listlessly wandering through life and people and jobs he befriends an elderly caretaker for his mother who he met at his mother’s funeral. Will this be a foundation to build upon? Will Hugh ever settle down? He has had a consistent dream since childhood of a ruined abbey inside of which is built a small house. A man and woman in antique clothing beckon him to enter, but he always awakens before he reaches through the door. Will he ever enter this dream home?

This is not a story, per se, but a long metaphor for the internal searching most of us do to fix in our own minds who exactly we are and where in the scheme of things we belong. For Hugh will this ever be accomplished? If so, how will it be done? What, or who, will it take for Hugh to get inside that small, warm house or will he forever just reach the door, see inside, and never enter? These were pertinent questions for those growing into adulthood in the 1980’s when the book was published and for many people this remains pertinent today.

Aldiss is an accomplished author as clearly seen from page 1. He is best known as a science fiction writer, so this book is off-genre for him, but still a provocative subject worth reading.

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aldiss is a favourite of mine but there are still many works of his I haven't read. Ruins is a novella, and at first I couldn't engage with it. I was on the point of abandoning it, despite the fact it's a short work (and abandoning books by authors I respect highly isn't something I often do: but I did this with an Aldiss book once before, namely The Brightfount Diaries). But the work improved quickly and ended up as a rather profound, if slightly too melancholy, meditation on existence.

The novella is centred around an image, a picture by Piranesi entitled 'View of the remains of the mausoleum of Saint Helena'. Aldiss does something remarkable here, and converts the mysterious and gloomy image into an extended metaphor of authentic relevance to all our lives, illustrating a truth about time and heritage, decay and growth, and the connections between the generations.

I have read several prose works inspired by paintings. Aldiss seems particularly good at this form. I recall the powerful effect his short story, 'That Uncomfortable Pause Between Life and Art', had on me when I first read it. Despite a somewhat weak and confusing beginning, Ruins can be regarded as wholly successful.

[Catherine Petrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow, but well written, with a protagonist who is unappealing at first, but who grew into a better person by the end, as a result of his experiences and his friendship with an elderly woman. I admit that I was tempted to put it down a few times, but I'm glad I persevered. In the end, I felt this book was well worth reading.

[Guy Salvidge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a fair bit of Aldiss’ SF in my youth, so when I saw this novella for sale for $2 in a thrift shop I didn’t hesitate. The first 30 pages are infuriatingly diffuse, although that later proves to have been intentional. The latter part is very moving. I think I’m ready to return to Brian Aldiss after two decades of estrangement.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable novella. Fast paced and complicated but still quickly digestible. A great deal of British slang that I often had to look up but it's a UK publication so I dealt with it. :D

It should be noted that, while Aldiss is a well known science fiction writer this is NOT science fiction. Not at all.

[Mancman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled through this, it’s brevity was the only thing that got me through. It’s plodding, despite the multitude of locations, people and events. No really likeable characters inhabit this story, and I was left not caring what happened.

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novella about one mans search for connection...the adventure of real life, no plot required.

Recommend reading it? Yes, it's short and conveys quite a lot of insight in 80 pages or so.

[Benjamin Ettinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

One-day read from later in Aldiss' career when he was expanding beyond the borders of sci-fi. The rather jumbled story about a man settling discontentedly into his sunset years feels like an esquisse rather than a novel and lacks the punch of what I've read of his sci-fi.