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Ruin: A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy
Ruin is a thoroughly engrossing novel about a young couple’s struggle back from financial catastrophe that so many of us dread. Having fled their urban life, they begin to build a new life together in a rural setting, far from former friends and colleagues—only to have it fall apart all over again in ways that could never be predicted.
Frank Campbell, a thirty-something former founding owner of a high-flying New York City-based hedge fund, has gone bankrupt, losing not only all his own money but the entire inherited fortune of his artist wife, Francy. The couple take refuge in an abandoned Hudson Valley farm shared with a resident herd of congenial goats. Frank is deeply shaken by the life-changing loss that has so thoroughly ruined their life together.
Frank tries to build a new microbrewery business on a shoestring but is haunted by the memory of passages from literature he revered as an undergraduate at Yale before jumping into finance. For Francy, her altered circumstances, after a lifetime of privilege, have galvanized her work as an artist and she distances herself from her struggling husband.
In the midst of it all, Frank takes up fly fishing on the nearby river, aspiring to join the local fishing club. Tragedy ensues during a fishing contest, further framing Frank as a “loser loner” in life. Only when he turns to fly fishing in earnest, traveling the world in search of the ever more perfect and elusive trout (and one memorable carp), does he find his way forward in “the yowling madness” of the world.
Frank Campbell, a thirty-something former founding owner of a high-flying New York City-based hedge fund, has gone bankrupt, losing not only all his own money but the entire inherited fortune of his artist wife, Francy. The couple take refuge in an abandoned Hudson Valley farm shared with a resident herd of congenial goats. Frank is deeply shaken by the life-changing loss that has so thoroughly ruined their life together.
Frank tries to build a new microbrewery business on a shoestring but is haunted by the memory of passages from literature he revered as an undergraduate at Yale before jumping into finance. For Francy, her altered circumstances, after a lifetime of privilege, have galvanized her work as an artist and she distances herself from her struggling husband.
In the midst of it all, Frank takes up fly fishing on the nearby river, aspiring to join the local fishing club. Tragedy ensues during a fishing contest, further framing Frank as a “loser loner” in life. Only when he turns to fly fishing in earnest, traveling the world in search of the ever more perfect and elusive trout (and one memorable carp), does he find his way forward in “the yowling madness” of the world.
- GenresFiction
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2022
16 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 8, 2022
This book was a challenge for me. Lots of symbolism, analogies, fly fishing and use of literary quotes to write about an investment banker who lost his clients millions of dollars and had to file bankruptcy. He escapes to upstate NY with his wife. He becomes immersed in beer distilling and fly fishing while his wife paints. It is a story of finding oneself and the deeper meaning in things while fly fishing. Tragedy strikes and there is more inner soul searching. Tough book. There is decent story in here had it not been for so many long and boring parts. Not for the casual reader, not for many readers. I wavered between and 2 and 3 star rating of his literary fiction work. Finally bumped it to a 3*** due to the decent discussion about Anthony Trollope my favorite Victorian author!
November 7, 2022
“A novel of flyfishing in bankruptcy”
Oh, My Goodness! In my more than a decade of blogging, this will honestly and truly, have to be about one, if not the, most challenging book review I will have had to write!
So rather than have a post-mortem about all the whys and wherefores right at the top of the page, how about I tell you about the story as I see it… because it is really amazing!
...
In New York, Hyperion Castle Hedge Funds files for bankruptcy and whilst there is no question of fraud by Managing Director Frank Campbell and his partners, merely a naive over-confidence, leaving very large exposures, Frank and his wife Francesca (Francy) are personally bankrupted, as Frank unbeknown to Francy, had also sunk all of her money into the venture too. With nothing left to their names except their Lamborghini, the couple set off into the Hudson Valley, to claim what is left of Francy’s inheritance and hopefully a roof over their heads at least. By the time they get towards their destination, even Frank has to concede that Lamborghini has to go, as its unsuitability to handle the rough terrain is immediately obvious, with the dwelling being little more than a rundown shack, with a leaky roof, which has become home to a herd of goats. As they approach the property via a bridge over the river, they stop to observe and photograph, a man fishing in the river. He introduces himself as Jace, who lives in a renovated castle, with his current partner Joan, on the opposite bank of the river to Frank and Francy. He invites the couple over to join a gathering of his like-minded fishing friends, so that they can get to know people and hopefully be persuaded take up the sport themselves. Jace’s (AKA Felix and Kyle) friends are a very monied, eclectic, eccentric and superficial collection of humanity, and whilst Francy seems to be hanging onto every word they say, Frank was truly hoping that he had left those kinds of people behind him for good, as their very survival going forwards, depends on him being a hunter gatherer, not a dreamer.
Following a very permanent family disagreement with his brother, and almost as though it had been planned, one Mr Robert Taylor turns up at the property, with a strange business proposition for Frank. Robert offers his carpentry skills in bringing the homestead and outbuildings back to a habitable condition, in return for Frank making space available to him in which to establish his artisanal brewery, with living accommodation for himself. Robert is also willing to put up all the investment funds needed, if Frank and Francy will learn the basics of the trade and Frank will act as his sales agent. The couple readily agree to Robert’s plans, although rather than seeing them pull together to solve a problem as Frank had hoped, it seems that Francy has decided to distance herself from him as much as possible, and making one of the rooms her new studio, she has taken up painting again, something at which she had achieved moderate success back in the city. Frank and Robert form an instant friendship, so when Frank returns, successful and with orders, from one of his lengthier sales trips, Robert confides that he has witnessed Jace making several extended visits to Francy, and he doesn’t think that they are newly acquainted, as everyone had assumed. When Frank is finally able to engage in a meaningful conversation with Francy, she reveals that Jace has arranged for one of his acquaintances, who owns a very prestigious gallery in the city, to host an exhibition of her paintings, which she will display under her maiden name. Just to prove to his friend that Jace values her work, he has purchased one of the pieces for himself, for the amazing sum of $75,000 and a shiny new Mini, to give Francy back some independence from Frank, who has invested in a very second-hand pick-up truck for himself.
With Frank and Francy’s lives taking ever divergent paths and Robert very subtly taking control of the brewery, one of Jace’s group of friends, retired doctor Arthur, a devout fisherman and hunter, has taken a shine to Frank and wants to encourage him to pursue fly fishing as a means of therapy. He offers Frank everything he needs to get him started and sets him off at a suitable spot in the river, however he insists that Frank find his own way totally, without reading any manuals and taking no formal instruction. Frank discovers that he has a latent talent and when Arthur confides in him that he doesn’t have long to live and he would like Frank to agree to writing his own book about his fishing experiences across not only America, but the rest of the world too, Frank agrees without demur, little knowing that events not a million miles away, on that very same day, will shape that future challenge he has accepted, and will indeed accelerate it. In fact there are a series of ‘accidents’ which will leave two of Jace’s group injured, with three more losing their lives altogether.
After a few months have passed and with his friendship with Robert still rock-steady, Frank realises that now he only has himself to think about, Arthur had been astute and timely in the challenge he had set, so he packs up only what he will need for the trip of a lifetime and sets off to fulfil a solitary destiny which he has yet to forge. Having travelled and fished his way across not only his own continent, but those of the rest of the world too, Frank has learned almost every conceivable method of catching fish, whilst discovering and awakening, just about every aspect of his true inner self – or at least that is his belief, until he meets EJ and Lodice, in Guatemala of all places. Frank and EJ instantly recognise one another, as EJ had been CEO of a company which had been one of the biggest creditors at the bankruptcy hearing of Frank’s company. Frank is immediately on guard, not knowing how EJ will react to seeing him, but in just a short time and after meeting EJ’s wife Lodice, Frank is amazed all over again by the couple’s reaction and the proposition they have for him.
Even more surprising and totally unnerving for Frank, is the next person he meets, this time in London, as he is still unsure about the role she played in the tragic ‘accidents’ back home in the Hudson Valley, on that fateful day which changed his life forever. As a shared spirit, was she a part of defining his recent past, or will she play an important role in re-shaping his future going forwards, as it would appear that his life has now travelled full circle, but hopefully making him a much better person along the way, and who knows what awaits him at tomorrow’s dawning!
...
And now for the almost impossible part of this post, to set down my thoughts in any cohesive fashion.
There is no doubt in my mind about the importance of this work and how much it often parallels and mirrors the real-life story of the author and his wife, although there are obvious, discernible differences, which set it apart.
The inspired and compelling storyline is multi-layered, highly textured, haunting and definitely intriguing. The many subtle twists in the plot made what at first glance may have seemed a predictable storyline, into a journey of discovery, with its many strands being deftly and skilfully woven together by some evocative narrative and often disturbingly frank and honest dialogue.
Some vivid and visually descriptive scenes, make both the characters and locations leap from the page, to infiltrate my very thought processes and stimulate my senses. For any ‘armchair travellers’ reading this story, satisfaction is almost assuredly guaranteed.
Author Leigh Seippel, has Frank waxing lyrical about his life and experiences, combining them with his new passion for the great outdoors and of course, his beloved fly-fishing. However, I am left with so many difficult and unanswered questions shouting at me to lay them to rest, which is almost impossible, as the highly nuanced messaging and inferences are almost indistinguishable from reality, and it seems to have been deliberately left, for me the reader, to draw my own conclusions about so many things. There seems to be some not-so-subtle reflections on the issues surrounding race and racial equality, particularly prevalent in some of the many conversations which Robert and Frank share, although much of the push-back seems to come from Robert, himself a person of colour. However, he takes a surprisingly tough stance when Jace’s name comes up, despite their shared heritage. Much is also made about the surprising attraction between Robert’s usually aggressive dog and Frank’s equally rambunctious ram and when things get rather ‘physical’, I’m still not quite certain that my humour would have been the author’s desired response!
It was obvious that Robert and Arthur, but particularly Arthur, were the only people who realised the almost total and potentially catastrophic fragility and frailty of Frank’s mind and mental health following the enforced bankruptcy. This is the personal story of Frank’s solitary introspection, strengthening his mind, spirit, resolve and physical resilience, which has offered him a chance for new beginnings. Now it is up to him how he chooses to use that opportunity, in either shaping a new future, or regressing on all his many gains and reverting to kind.
Leigh has created a well-defined and developed cast of characters, who are, for all their outward show of strength, emotionally raw and passionate, yet also complex and vulnerable. Whilst this makes them addictive and authentic to the roles created for them, it also means they are often volatile, unreliable and almost impossible to relate to or invest in, as they are wont to manipulate a situation to suit their own ends.
I am still unable to decide whether Ruin is a sheer stroke of deliberate philosophical genius in the style in which it has been written, or if it is a book which simply needs to be proof-read, edited and re-edited until all those annoying kinks have been ironed out. This storyline needed to be read in solitude, word for word, to appreciate the many cadences and true inspiration in the way the individual words are used to create meaningful sentences, but without the use of any extraneous ‘joining up’ words. I think for me personally though, the fact that almost every single word which began with a ‘th’ sound, was missing the t and h, which made second guessing quite difficult sometimes.
This truly begged to be a 5* read, however I couldn’t get passed some of those glaring anomalies, which left me unable in all conscience to leave more than 4* I do however urge you, if you can get your hands on an inexpensive copy of the book, to read it for yourself and see where your journey leads you, but you will need to be patient and devote your full attention to the detail. I would love to know if you agree with my thinking, or if I am really missing something fundamental in my appraisal and I owe the author a genuine apology.
All that being said however, I still believe that what makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This was definitely one of those “one of a kind” experiences, which had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next. I can only recommend that you read Ruin… for yourself and see where your journey leads you!
Sometimes reading something different from my usual selection of genres really is like a breath of fresh air.
Oh, My Goodness! In my more than a decade of blogging, this will honestly and truly, have to be about one, if not the, most challenging book review I will have had to write!
So rather than have a post-mortem about all the whys and wherefores right at the top of the page, how about I tell you about the story as I see it… because it is really amazing!
...
In New York, Hyperion Castle Hedge Funds files for bankruptcy and whilst there is no question of fraud by Managing Director Frank Campbell and his partners, merely a naive over-confidence, leaving very large exposures, Frank and his wife Francesca (Francy) are personally bankrupted, as Frank unbeknown to Francy, had also sunk all of her money into the venture too. With nothing left to their names except their Lamborghini, the couple set off into the Hudson Valley, to claim what is left of Francy’s inheritance and hopefully a roof over their heads at least. By the time they get towards their destination, even Frank has to concede that Lamborghini has to go, as its unsuitability to handle the rough terrain is immediately obvious, with the dwelling being little more than a rundown shack, with a leaky roof, which has become home to a herd of goats. As they approach the property via a bridge over the river, they stop to observe and photograph, a man fishing in the river. He introduces himself as Jace, who lives in a renovated castle, with his current partner Joan, on the opposite bank of the river to Frank and Francy. He invites the couple over to join a gathering of his like-minded fishing friends, so that they can get to know people and hopefully be persuaded take up the sport themselves. Jace’s (AKA Felix and Kyle) friends are a very monied, eclectic, eccentric and superficial collection of humanity, and whilst Francy seems to be hanging onto every word they say, Frank was truly hoping that he had left those kinds of people behind him for good, as their very survival going forwards, depends on him being a hunter gatherer, not a dreamer.
Following a very permanent family disagreement with his brother, and almost as though it had been planned, one Mr Robert Taylor turns up at the property, with a strange business proposition for Frank. Robert offers his carpentry skills in bringing the homestead and outbuildings back to a habitable condition, in return for Frank making space available to him in which to establish his artisanal brewery, with living accommodation for himself. Robert is also willing to put up all the investment funds needed, if Frank and Francy will learn the basics of the trade and Frank will act as his sales agent. The couple readily agree to Robert’s plans, although rather than seeing them pull together to solve a problem as Frank had hoped, it seems that Francy has decided to distance herself from him as much as possible, and making one of the rooms her new studio, she has taken up painting again, something at which she had achieved moderate success back in the city. Frank and Robert form an instant friendship, so when Frank returns, successful and with orders, from one of his lengthier sales trips, Robert confides that he has witnessed Jace making several extended visits to Francy, and he doesn’t think that they are newly acquainted, as everyone had assumed. When Frank is finally able to engage in a meaningful conversation with Francy, she reveals that Jace has arranged for one of his acquaintances, who owns a very prestigious gallery in the city, to host an exhibition of her paintings, which she will display under her maiden name. Just to prove to his friend that Jace values her work, he has purchased one of the pieces for himself, for the amazing sum of $75,000 and a shiny new Mini, to give Francy back some independence from Frank, who has invested in a very second-hand pick-up truck for himself.
With Frank and Francy’s lives taking ever divergent paths and Robert very subtly taking control of the brewery, one of Jace’s group of friends, retired doctor Arthur, a devout fisherman and hunter, has taken a shine to Frank and wants to encourage him to pursue fly fishing as a means of therapy. He offers Frank everything he needs to get him started and sets him off at a suitable spot in the river, however he insists that Frank find his own way totally, without reading any manuals and taking no formal instruction. Frank discovers that he has a latent talent and when Arthur confides in him that he doesn’t have long to live and he would like Frank to agree to writing his own book about his fishing experiences across not only America, but the rest of the world too, Frank agrees without demur, little knowing that events not a million miles away, on that very same day, will shape that future challenge he has accepted, and will indeed accelerate it. In fact there are a series of ‘accidents’ which will leave two of Jace’s group injured, with three more losing their lives altogether.
After a few months have passed and with his friendship with Robert still rock-steady, Frank realises that now he only has himself to think about, Arthur had been astute and timely in the challenge he had set, so he packs up only what he will need for the trip of a lifetime and sets off to fulfil a solitary destiny which he has yet to forge. Having travelled and fished his way across not only his own continent, but those of the rest of the world too, Frank has learned almost every conceivable method of catching fish, whilst discovering and awakening, just about every aspect of his true inner self – or at least that is his belief, until he meets EJ and Lodice, in Guatemala of all places. Frank and EJ instantly recognise one another, as EJ had been CEO of a company which had been one of the biggest creditors at the bankruptcy hearing of Frank’s company. Frank is immediately on guard, not knowing how EJ will react to seeing him, but in just a short time and after meeting EJ’s wife Lodice, Frank is amazed all over again by the couple’s reaction and the proposition they have for him.
Even more surprising and totally unnerving for Frank, is the next person he meets, this time in London, as he is still unsure about the role she played in the tragic ‘accidents’ back home in the Hudson Valley, on that fateful day which changed his life forever. As a shared spirit, was she a part of defining his recent past, or will she play an important role in re-shaping his future going forwards, as it would appear that his life has now travelled full circle, but hopefully making him a much better person along the way, and who knows what awaits him at tomorrow’s dawning!
...
And now for the almost impossible part of this post, to set down my thoughts in any cohesive fashion.
There is no doubt in my mind about the importance of this work and how much it often parallels and mirrors the real-life story of the author and his wife, although there are obvious, discernible differences, which set it apart.
The inspired and compelling storyline is multi-layered, highly textured, haunting and definitely intriguing. The many subtle twists in the plot made what at first glance may have seemed a predictable storyline, into a journey of discovery, with its many strands being deftly and skilfully woven together by some evocative narrative and often disturbingly frank and honest dialogue.
Some vivid and visually descriptive scenes, make both the characters and locations leap from the page, to infiltrate my very thought processes and stimulate my senses. For any ‘armchair travellers’ reading this story, satisfaction is almost assuredly guaranteed.
Author Leigh Seippel, has Frank waxing lyrical about his life and experiences, combining them with his new passion for the great outdoors and of course, his beloved fly-fishing. However, I am left with so many difficult and unanswered questions shouting at me to lay them to rest, which is almost impossible, as the highly nuanced messaging and inferences are almost indistinguishable from reality, and it seems to have been deliberately left, for me the reader, to draw my own conclusions about so many things. There seems to be some not-so-subtle reflections on the issues surrounding race and racial equality, particularly prevalent in some of the many conversations which Robert and Frank share, although much of the push-back seems to come from Robert, himself a person of colour. However, he takes a surprisingly tough stance when Jace’s name comes up, despite their shared heritage. Much is also made about the surprising attraction between Robert’s usually aggressive dog and Frank’s equally rambunctious ram and when things get rather ‘physical’, I’m still not quite certain that my humour would have been the author’s desired response!
It was obvious that Robert and Arthur, but particularly Arthur, were the only people who realised the almost total and potentially catastrophic fragility and frailty of Frank’s mind and mental health following the enforced bankruptcy. This is the personal story of Frank’s solitary introspection, strengthening his mind, spirit, resolve and physical resilience, which has offered him a chance for new beginnings. Now it is up to him how he chooses to use that opportunity, in either shaping a new future, or regressing on all his many gains and reverting to kind.
Leigh has created a well-defined and developed cast of characters, who are, for all their outward show of strength, emotionally raw and passionate, yet also complex and vulnerable. Whilst this makes them addictive and authentic to the roles created for them, it also means they are often volatile, unreliable and almost impossible to relate to or invest in, as they are wont to manipulate a situation to suit their own ends.
I am still unable to decide whether Ruin is a sheer stroke of deliberate philosophical genius in the style in which it has been written, or if it is a book which simply needs to be proof-read, edited and re-edited until all those annoying kinks have been ironed out. This storyline needed to be read in solitude, word for word, to appreciate the many cadences and true inspiration in the way the individual words are used to create meaningful sentences, but without the use of any extraneous ‘joining up’ words. I think for me personally though, the fact that almost every single word which began with a ‘th’ sound, was missing the t and h, which made second guessing quite difficult sometimes.
This truly begged to be a 5* read, however I couldn’t get passed some of those glaring anomalies, which left me unable in all conscience to leave more than 4* I do however urge you, if you can get your hands on an inexpensive copy of the book, to read it for yourself and see where your journey leads you, but you will need to be patient and devote your full attention to the detail. I would love to know if you agree with my thinking, or if I am really missing something fundamental in my appraisal and I owe the author a genuine apology.
All that being said however, I still believe that what makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This was definitely one of those “one of a kind” experiences, which had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next. I can only recommend that you read Ruin… for yourself and see where your journey leads you!
Sometimes reading something different from my usual selection of genres really is like a breath of fresh air.
February 20, 2024
As a writer, he's a great fly fisherman!
It has been a long time since I struggled this much to get through a book. Stream of consciousness writing, run on and incomplete sentences, "cleverly" misspelled, misused words were really distracting. Written like someone wants to be a free form poet, not a prose writer. Lots of references to literature from Yale English courses.
I hate to be so critical since I know writing is tough work. After all, he has a published novel; I don't. But it just seems so much for affect, as opposed to moving the story along.
The saving grace is that the story is interesting, some of the fishing tidbits work, and some of the characters have some appeal. Sadly, to much coincidence to be quite believable. Did enjoy the beer stories, though.
It has been a long time since I struggled this much to get through a book. Stream of consciousness writing, run on and incomplete sentences, "cleverly" misspelled, misused words were really distracting. Written like someone wants to be a free form poet, not a prose writer. Lots of references to literature from Yale English courses.
I hate to be so critical since I know writing is tough work. After all, he has a published novel; I don't. But it just seems so much for affect, as opposed to moving the story along.
The saving grace is that the story is interesting, some of the fishing tidbits work, and some of the characters have some appeal. Sadly, to much coincidence to be quite believable. Did enjoy the beer stories, though.
Read
August 4, 2022Just could not get into this one at all. The writing style felt odd and is told from multiple POVs. May try to read it again later when it might be a better fit.
October 1, 2022
Reading RUIN feels like driving alone on dirt roads, one turn after another taking you further from your comfort zone until at last there’s a beautiful clearing and suddenly it’s obvious why you made the trip.
Told from multiple POV in a muted, descriptive style, Frank and Francy Campbell leave the reader with a lot to ruminate on.
He loses both of their fortunes, and they exile themselves in the country. Hello schadenfreude—eat the rich, it’s good for you.
She retreats into her artwork, turning inward away from their partnership. A marriage story. It gives him time to reconcile an unexpected tragedy that strikes during a fly fishing event: you kill one demon just to make room for another.
These and other internal issues power an intriguing cast of characters through a dense tale of picking up the pieces.
Told from multiple POV in a muted, descriptive style, Frank and Francy Campbell leave the reader with a lot to ruminate on.
He loses both of their fortunes, and they exile themselves in the country. Hello schadenfreude—eat the rich, it’s good for you.
She retreats into her artwork, turning inward away from their partnership. A marriage story. It gives him time to reconcile an unexpected tragedy that strikes during a fly fishing event: you kill one demon just to make room for another.
These and other internal issues power an intriguing cast of characters through a dense tale of picking up the pieces.
August 27, 2022
Ruin, A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy, Leigh Seippel
This novel is intriguing as it offers insights into the thoughts of diverse characters, each with their own story. They are colorful and somewhat quirky and are possessed of the warts and foibles of real people. Francey (Desmorais) and Frank Campbell, married for less than a decade, both in their very early thirties, are attempting to start their lives all over again after Frank’s hedge fund was forced into bankruptcy. They have almost nothing left, save some remnants of their former high-flying life, one of which is a red Lamborghini, unfit for their future bare-bones new life. Even though there was no fraud involved in the foolish investment Frank’s company made, they were still sued and are now down and out. They are on their way to a ramshackle farm left to Francey by her Uncle Eberhardt, a man she hardly knew. None of the accoutrements of their former lifestyle are appropriate in a place where, if the door is left ajar, goats wander in and out of the farmhouse. So, they spend their first night outdoors, exhausted and restless, as they contemplate their future with as much hopefulness as they could muster, knowing that at least they are young enough to start over and lucky to have this place called Time Farm. When they awake in the morning, they clean up the parts of the house soiled by the four-legged creatures that had happily romped there, and then move their meager possessions inside.
Now picture a painting with five characters. We have already met Frank and Francey. Into this picture frame enters Robert Taylor, a black man who is estranged from his family because of some pretty nasty behavior by a sibling and his wife. When Frank engages him in conversation about carpentry, he finds out a lot more about him, and they quickly forge a friendship. They decide to make Good Dog beer together. Robert has experience, so if Frank lets him repair and use one of the outbuildings on the property, as the brewery, Robert will fund it entirely.
Then, if we look closely, we notice Jace Darrow, the very wealthy and handsome "flyfisherman", who in addition to involving them in the Anamorphosis Flyfishing Club, entices Francey, an artist, to return to the art world. He has gallery contacts and is only too happy to help her. She is overjoyed and gung ho to start painting again.
Jace lives with Joan Lucien. She is also involved in the fishing club. She is beautiful, has a hidden past, and wants to teach them how to flyfish. Francey is not sure she wants to be friendly with Joan, but takes quickly to Jace. Frank is not sure he wants Francey to be friendly with Jace.
Soon, a member of the flyfishing club, a retired, lonely doctor, Arthur Arbuthnot, meets the couple; he tells Frank to fish alone and not avail himself of Joan’s teaching. He believes Frank has to come to terms with his past and find himself again, before he seeks further instruction. He believes the solitary sport of flyfishing will be the perfect avenue for such a search. There are other characters, those met before and those met after and each has a role, but these have a more important part to play.
While some of the themes of the book encompass romance, grief, loss, infidelity, jealousy, and loyalty, the book also subtly introduces race relations and supporting the environment in a healthy way. Using quotes from varied authors like Eliot,Thoreau, Walton, and Walden and words from well-known songs sung by well known artists, the story moves along and encourages the reader to learn more about each subject introduced, not only flyfishing. Some of the details were unfathomable to me, and I did look up further information. For me a book that inspires a thirst for knowledge is a really good book. I had no idea what a fly was or what it was used for, I learned about bait and insects, odd places to go to travel and fish, the history of ideas I had not known, and I learned that catfish can walk on land. I gather that the sport of flyfishing inspires introspection and helps to center the soul. It seems very much worth trying, whether or not a person is troubled or contented with life. I have a friend who suffered a similar fate with the failure of a hedge fund and was interested in learning how others might have handled their failure. It can have devastating effects on family and friends as the losses are contagious. I wish they had tried flyfishing instead, since their lives were ruined.
In the end, when I understood what anamorphosis meant, as described in the art world as, “a drawing presenting a distorted image that appears in natural form under certain conditions, as when reflected from a curved mirror, I thought of it as trompe l’oeill. Was the author sending more than one message to me? Was it akin to sleight of hand? Were the characters multidimensional? Could that same word apply to the lives of Francey and Frank and those with whom they came in contact as they lived? The story was overlaid with the facts and with the spiritual. Lives changed as time passed. Ideas altered depending on who was interpreting them. Even the subject of race, when introduced, was centered, and it did not feel political, but rather part of the real world as success had nothing to do with it, rather it came from hard work, knowledge and ability.
So, although, at first, I was afraid that I would be unable to finish this book, because some of the sentences defied interpretation on first reading, and had to be reread, and others defied the rules of punctuation or contained vocabulary words and topics I had to research, and then, too, the timeline bounced back and forth sometimes creating confusion, I was very pleasantly surprised that I was really up to the task. I was completely captivated by the plot as all of the themes merged and came together like a well stitched piece of cloth. So reader, don’t give up, this book is really worth the read.
This novel is intriguing as it offers insights into the thoughts of diverse characters, each with their own story. They are colorful and somewhat quirky and are possessed of the warts and foibles of real people. Francey (Desmorais) and Frank Campbell, married for less than a decade, both in their very early thirties, are attempting to start their lives all over again after Frank’s hedge fund was forced into bankruptcy. They have almost nothing left, save some remnants of their former high-flying life, one of which is a red Lamborghini, unfit for their future bare-bones new life. Even though there was no fraud involved in the foolish investment Frank’s company made, they were still sued and are now down and out. They are on their way to a ramshackle farm left to Francey by her Uncle Eberhardt, a man she hardly knew. None of the accoutrements of their former lifestyle are appropriate in a place where, if the door is left ajar, goats wander in and out of the farmhouse. So, they spend their first night outdoors, exhausted and restless, as they contemplate their future with as much hopefulness as they could muster, knowing that at least they are young enough to start over and lucky to have this place called Time Farm. When they awake in the morning, they clean up the parts of the house soiled by the four-legged creatures that had happily romped there, and then move their meager possessions inside.
Now picture a painting with five characters. We have already met Frank and Francey. Into this picture frame enters Robert Taylor, a black man who is estranged from his family because of some pretty nasty behavior by a sibling and his wife. When Frank engages him in conversation about carpentry, he finds out a lot more about him, and they quickly forge a friendship. They decide to make Good Dog beer together. Robert has experience, so if Frank lets him repair and use one of the outbuildings on the property, as the brewery, Robert will fund it entirely.
Then, if we look closely, we notice Jace Darrow, the very wealthy and handsome "flyfisherman", who in addition to involving them in the Anamorphosis Flyfishing Club, entices Francey, an artist, to return to the art world. He has gallery contacts and is only too happy to help her. She is overjoyed and gung ho to start painting again.
Jace lives with Joan Lucien. She is also involved in the fishing club. She is beautiful, has a hidden past, and wants to teach them how to flyfish. Francey is not sure she wants to be friendly with Joan, but takes quickly to Jace. Frank is not sure he wants Francey to be friendly with Jace.
Soon, a member of the flyfishing club, a retired, lonely doctor, Arthur Arbuthnot, meets the couple; he tells Frank to fish alone and not avail himself of Joan’s teaching. He believes Frank has to come to terms with his past and find himself again, before he seeks further instruction. He believes the solitary sport of flyfishing will be the perfect avenue for such a search. There are other characters, those met before and those met after and each has a role, but these have a more important part to play.
While some of the themes of the book encompass romance, grief, loss, infidelity, jealousy, and loyalty, the book also subtly introduces race relations and supporting the environment in a healthy way. Using quotes from varied authors like Eliot,Thoreau, Walton, and Walden and words from well-known songs sung by well known artists, the story moves along and encourages the reader to learn more about each subject introduced, not only flyfishing. Some of the details were unfathomable to me, and I did look up further information. For me a book that inspires a thirst for knowledge is a really good book. I had no idea what a fly was or what it was used for, I learned about bait and insects, odd places to go to travel and fish, the history of ideas I had not known, and I learned that catfish can walk on land. I gather that the sport of flyfishing inspires introspection and helps to center the soul. It seems very much worth trying, whether or not a person is troubled or contented with life. I have a friend who suffered a similar fate with the failure of a hedge fund and was interested in learning how others might have handled their failure. It can have devastating effects on family and friends as the losses are contagious. I wish they had tried flyfishing instead, since their lives were ruined.
In the end, when I understood what anamorphosis meant, as described in the art world as, “a drawing presenting a distorted image that appears in natural form under certain conditions, as when reflected from a curved mirror, I thought of it as trompe l’oeill. Was the author sending more than one message to me? Was it akin to sleight of hand? Were the characters multidimensional? Could that same word apply to the lives of Francey and Frank and those with whom they came in contact as they lived? The story was overlaid with the facts and with the spiritual. Lives changed as time passed. Ideas altered depending on who was interpreting them. Even the subject of race, when introduced, was centered, and it did not feel political, but rather part of the real world as success had nothing to do with it, rather it came from hard work, knowledge and ability.
So, although, at first, I was afraid that I would be unable to finish this book, because some of the sentences defied interpretation on first reading, and had to be reread, and others defied the rules of punctuation or contained vocabulary words and topics I had to research, and then, too, the timeline bounced back and forth sometimes creating confusion, I was very pleasantly surprised that I was really up to the task. I was completely captivated by the plot as all of the themes merged and came together like a well stitched piece of cloth. So reader, don’t give up, this book is really worth the read.
July 12, 2023
A solid read for the well-read. Grammatically, however, the novel is replete with unnecessary interruptions. I considered by the end the fragments and broken thoughts were no real nuisance but lend a sort of charm to the work.
I enjoyed the book. You should read it!
Alexander,
www.alexanderdunford.blog
I enjoyed the book. You should read it!
Alexander,
www.alexanderdunford.blog
Read
December 9, 2022Character and chance braid vividly throughout RUIN, a tale by Leigh Seippel of a couple’s shattered glittering life.
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
August 6, 2022
Unsure what the author’s motives are but the stylistic writing was hard to enjoy. The ending also felt open-ended.
I am eager to know more about the author’s choice of telling this story in this peculiar manner. I feel like the characters were self-conscious the whole time and felt like the story was going nowhere?
I’m curious about the opinion of the reviewers who gave it 5-star ratings.
Review copy access provided by the publisher.
I am eager to know more about the author’s choice of telling this story in this peculiar manner. I feel like the characters were self-conscious the whole time and felt like the story was going nowhere?
I’m curious about the opinion of the reviewers who gave it 5-star ratings.
Review copy access provided by the publisher.
March 6, 2023
This one was really a slog - it was not small feat to get through. I have to say, that I read a lot of the reviews here on GoodReads, and it helped me frame this work to a certain extent. But it didn't help me understand where this work came from. Usually, I have the ability to sort of trace where a work came from - it makes sense, why a certain author would write about something in particular. Some authors have common themes or locations throughout their work - Taylor Jenkins Reid does a lot in California, for instance.
But who IS Leigh Seippel?! I ask because it seemed to me, at the outset, that perhaps this was autobiographical. Some light investigation revealed that this is Leigh's second work - the first being some fly fishing guide from, like, 2008. That doesn't fit AT ALL. If Leigh is now...40?...then in 2008, Leigh would have been 25. Frank would not have been writing fly fishing manuals at 25.
It's just so oddly specific. I've never heard of a book with a plot like this. And as I continued to research, I simply could not figure it out - where was this all coming from!? Also, for a novel about fly fishing, this really didn't have THAT much about fly fishing.
I also have a lot of thoughts and opinions on Francy the character. First, sorta hard to have Frank and Francy (the names are too similar). But second, their relationship just didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me, and I wished we had seen it play out beyond 60% into the book.
Francy gave me cause to reflect on who that sort of woman was at a place like Yale. It made sense that she would be with someone like Frank. There are plenty of girls, though, who are sort of like Francy in that they're expensive and intellectual - but the problem is, men at Yale (or other schools for that matter) ever want to marry that girl. They want to marry the girl they can tote around, who can paint, and who comes with a massive trust fund. Hence why Francy was scooped up early on.
*SPOILERS BELOW*
I was really disappointed by Francy's untimely demise. I was so curious to see how things would play out between her and Jace, and to kill her off just felt...cheap. Moreover, there was absolutely zero exploration of her completely random death. I went back and re-read the pages leading up to the chapter which begins "It's been three weeks since Francy died." I couldn't find anything. There's no mention of the moments immediately following her death, he just doesn't go there at all - and that's really the meat and potatoes, IMHO.
It's clear that Seippel is a genius, though his writing style doesn't lend itself to novices. There were all sorts of big dollar references that someone who doesn't orbit in the Ivy League circles would miss. More than that, a lot of those cites were incredibly subtle. I had to re-read some a few times.
I felt like a lot of the most important topics were never engaged with - he just skims the surface of it all with some incredibly high minded name drops.
Oh, but it was about fly fishing?
But who IS Leigh Seippel?! I ask because it seemed to me, at the outset, that perhaps this was autobiographical. Some light investigation revealed that this is Leigh's second work - the first being some fly fishing guide from, like, 2008. That doesn't fit AT ALL. If Leigh is now...40?...then in 2008, Leigh would have been 25. Frank would not have been writing fly fishing manuals at 25.
It's just so oddly specific. I've never heard of a book with a plot like this. And as I continued to research, I simply could not figure it out - where was this all coming from!? Also, for a novel about fly fishing, this really didn't have THAT much about fly fishing.
I also have a lot of thoughts and opinions on Francy the character. First, sorta hard to have Frank and Francy (the names are too similar). But second, their relationship just didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me, and I wished we had seen it play out beyond 60% into the book.
Francy gave me cause to reflect on who that sort of woman was at a place like Yale. It made sense that she would be with someone like Frank. There are plenty of girls, though, who are sort of like Francy in that they're expensive and intellectual - but the problem is, men at Yale (or other schools for that matter) ever want to marry that girl. They want to marry the girl they can tote around, who can paint, and who comes with a massive trust fund. Hence why Francy was scooped up early on.
*SPOILERS BELOW*
I was really disappointed by Francy's untimely demise. I was so curious to see how things would play out between her and Jace, and to kill her off just felt...cheap. Moreover, there was absolutely zero exploration of her completely random death. I went back and re-read the pages leading up to the chapter which begins "It's been three weeks since Francy died." I couldn't find anything. There's no mention of the moments immediately following her death, he just doesn't go there at all - and that's really the meat and potatoes, IMHO.
It's clear that Seippel is a genius, though his writing style doesn't lend itself to novices. There were all sorts of big dollar references that someone who doesn't orbit in the Ivy League circles would miss. More than that, a lot of those cites were incredibly subtle. I had to re-read some a few times.
I felt like a lot of the most important topics were never engaged with - he just skims the surface of it all with some incredibly high minded name drops.
Oh, but it was about fly fishing?
August 31, 2022
Review of eBook
Frank Campbell and his wife, Francy Desmorais, fresh out of bankruptcy in which they’ve lost virtually everything and are now en-route, via Frank’s cherry red Lamborghini, from Manhattan to the nonworking Hudson Valley farm left to Francy by her uncle Everhardt.
Realizing they are lucky to have Time Farm, they manage to settle in, goats notwithstanding, prepared for a life in which none of their former accouterments are necessary. Francy returns to her painting with a passion, Frank meets eccentric Robert Taylor and together they begin a brewery business.
As Frank and Francy were crossing the bridge on the night they were headed to the farm, they saw a flyfisherman in the water below. He introduces himself to them; later he invites Frank and Francy to join him at the next meeting of the Anamorphosis Flyfishing Club. There they meet an eccentric group of people including, Arthur, a doctor who seeks to ease Frank’s depression . . . he suggests Frank teach himself fishing in order to gain some confidence in himself.
As he seeks to adjust to this new life, and the decisions that brought him to this place, Frank takes to flyfishing. But there are difficulties on the horizon and Frank may find that he is once again in trouble. Can he save himself? Can he save Francy?
=========
The implosion of Frank’s business strains his marriage . . . he’d used his wife’s inheritance as a personal guarantee to cover the debt of the private equity partnership. With everything gone, Frank waxes philosophical; his life experiences and his adventures with flyfishing are intertwined.
The story here is complex, intertwining the fundamentals of flyfishing with Frank’s ruminations about the events in his life. It’s both vulnerable and haunting, vivid and compelling. With captivating characters, a twisty plot, and surprising revelations, readers will find themselves drawn into Frank’s world. Some unexpected twists along the way take the story in unforeseen directions, but Frank’s continuing evolution is mesmerizing.
The writing here is often lyrical; bits of Hopkins, Eliot, and Theocritus find their way into the telling of the tale as does Marty Robbins. Strong characters and a vivid sense of place support Frank’s journey of discovery through the vicissitudes of life as he searches for his way forward. Readers will find the finely-woven threads of this tale create a vivid tapestry filled with intrigue and sparkling revelation.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media Group, City Point Press and NetGalley
#RuinANovelofFyfishingBankruptcy #NetGalley
Frank Campbell and his wife, Francy Desmorais, fresh out of bankruptcy in which they’ve lost virtually everything and are now en-route, via Frank’s cherry red Lamborghini, from Manhattan to the nonworking Hudson Valley farm left to Francy by her uncle Everhardt.
Realizing they are lucky to have Time Farm, they manage to settle in, goats notwithstanding, prepared for a life in which none of their former accouterments are necessary. Francy returns to her painting with a passion, Frank meets eccentric Robert Taylor and together they begin a brewery business.
As Frank and Francy were crossing the bridge on the night they were headed to the farm, they saw a flyfisherman in the water below. He introduces himself to them; later he invites Frank and Francy to join him at the next meeting of the Anamorphosis Flyfishing Club. There they meet an eccentric group of people including, Arthur, a doctor who seeks to ease Frank’s depression . . . he suggests Frank teach himself fishing in order to gain some confidence in himself.
As he seeks to adjust to this new life, and the decisions that brought him to this place, Frank takes to flyfishing. But there are difficulties on the horizon and Frank may find that he is once again in trouble. Can he save himself? Can he save Francy?
=========
The implosion of Frank’s business strains his marriage . . . he’d used his wife’s inheritance as a personal guarantee to cover the debt of the private equity partnership. With everything gone, Frank waxes philosophical; his life experiences and his adventures with flyfishing are intertwined.
The story here is complex, intertwining the fundamentals of flyfishing with Frank’s ruminations about the events in his life. It’s both vulnerable and haunting, vivid and compelling. With captivating characters, a twisty plot, and surprising revelations, readers will find themselves drawn into Frank’s world. Some unexpected twists along the way take the story in unforeseen directions, but Frank’s continuing evolution is mesmerizing.
The writing here is often lyrical; bits of Hopkins, Eliot, and Theocritus find their way into the telling of the tale as does Marty Robbins. Strong characters and a vivid sense of place support Frank’s journey of discovery through the vicissitudes of life as he searches for his way forward. Readers will find the finely-woven threads of this tale create a vivid tapestry filled with intrigue and sparkling revelation.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media Group, City Point Press and NetGalley
#RuinANovelofFyfishingBankruptcy #NetGalley
July 26, 2023
Seippel is a skilled, poetic, and fine writer. I enjoyed his mastery of language and literature and fly fishing. Throughout his novel about how financial ruin chased husband and wife Frank and Francy from New York City into a financially broke and relationally busted country life, Seippel turns words, images, ideas, and descriptions on their heads. So much so, like a narrative poem, it takes a while to not stumble over the writing and feel the flow of the story. Once you do, it's a joy to read his prose.
The story is a good one and held me to the end. But it too took work to hang in there with it. Seippel's story telling does not match his MFA style writing and theme exploration. His play off of many classics, The Old Man and the Sea, The Great Gatsby, the Divine Comedy, The Compleat Angler, and others are fun and interesting.
But Seippel hints at a death and Frank's possible involvement in it long before it happens and then when it--and another death--does happen, they both do so off the page. He shifts around in time a bit but--it seems--has no obvious reason for doing so. Then we are not invited to experience the tragedies. We are told about them. For that matter, Frank is also not there when either happens. He is fishing. This mutes the emotion of both tragedies, even for Frank.
Seippel also works very hard to not have this book be just another book about salvation through fly fishing and he succeeds. But sometimes the push feels awkward and obvious.
I enjoy books about fly fishing and self-discovery with rich themes. I also would much rather read poetic prose like Seippel's than simpler more work-a-day writing. Therefore, I enjoyed Ruin. I would rate it a 3.5 to 3.75 if Goodreads gave the option. It was not really only a 3 but it didn't reach 4 for me.
Ruin is worth the read.
The story is a good one and held me to the end. But it too took work to hang in there with it. Seippel's story telling does not match his MFA style writing and theme exploration. His play off of many classics, The Old Man and the Sea, The Great Gatsby, the Divine Comedy, The Compleat Angler, and others are fun and interesting.
But Seippel hints at a death and Frank's possible involvement in it long before it happens and then when it--and another death--does happen, they both do so off the page. He shifts around in time a bit but--it seems--has no obvious reason for doing so. Then we are not invited to experience the tragedies. We are told about them. For that matter, Frank is also not there when either happens. He is fishing. This mutes the emotion of both tragedies, even for Frank.
Seippel also works very hard to not have this book be just another book about salvation through fly fishing and he succeeds. But sometimes the push feels awkward and obvious.
I enjoy books about fly fishing and self-discovery with rich themes. I also would much rather read poetic prose like Seippel's than simpler more work-a-day writing. Therefore, I enjoyed Ruin. I would rate it a 3.5 to 3.75 if Goodreads gave the option. It was not really only a 3 but it didn't reach 4 for me.
Ruin is worth the read.
October 9, 2022
Ruin is a about Frank and his wife Francy who after losing everything because of bankruptcy leave their life in NYC and move to the farms to leas a life with struggles.
I love trying new genres and that’s the reason I picked this one. I was not disappointed. The book speaks so much about the conversations that is happening between people so the pace is slow initially but then when we cross the 20% mark it becomes so interesting and the pages fly by.
The 33 old Frank begins to build a new life in the ruined house which once belonged to Francy’s uncle in a rural setting, far from former friends and colleagues—only to have it fall apart all over again in ways that could never be predicted.
There is so much that is going on in their life and in the midst of everything when Frank takes up fly fishing after the one happy party time with the fishing club. The book talks a lot about fly fishing right from the bait to use to the mindset of the fishermen to be.
But Frank fails in that as well further framing him as a “loser loner” in life. I felt a little difficult to keep up with the timelines in the book between chapters. I was re-reading pages to confirm if I got it right in my mind. And it got better once I was in the flow. And Yes!! the book is full of deep Metaphors.
The couple’s failures didn’t last for long and the book ends with how he takes fly fishing in earnest, traveling the world to find his way forward in “the yowling madness” of the world and a lot more to it.
Very different novel. It has pain, it has getting better, Needs patience and an open mind to read it.
I love trying new genres and that’s the reason I picked this one. I was not disappointed. The book speaks so much about the conversations that is happening between people so the pace is slow initially but then when we cross the 20% mark it becomes so interesting and the pages fly by.
The 33 old Frank begins to build a new life in the ruined house which once belonged to Francy’s uncle in a rural setting, far from former friends and colleagues—only to have it fall apart all over again in ways that could never be predicted.
There is so much that is going on in their life and in the midst of everything when Frank takes up fly fishing after the one happy party time with the fishing club. The book talks a lot about fly fishing right from the bait to use to the mindset of the fishermen to be.
But Frank fails in that as well further framing him as a “loser loner” in life. I felt a little difficult to keep up with the timelines in the book between chapters. I was re-reading pages to confirm if I got it right in my mind. And it got better once I was in the flow. And Yes!! the book is full of deep Metaphors.
The couple’s failures didn’t last for long and the book ends with how he takes fly fishing in earnest, traveling the world to find his way forward in “the yowling madness” of the world and a lot more to it.
Very different novel. It has pain, it has getting better, Needs patience and an open mind to read it.
October 3, 2022
Did I sign up for a tour about fly-fishing, bankruptcy, and some dude trying to make it with a microbrewery in a thriller-suspense themed book? Yup.
Let’s dive in- ok this one… not what I was really expecting. Ruin is explored with deep symbolism, different points of view, and a style that just felt like I needed to really chart what was going on. Speaking from someone who is an absolute Kurt Vonnegut fan and loves Slaughterhouse Five- do I imagine other fans enjoying this one? Yes, probably. I wasn’t prepared for the depth and fever-dream level of everything that happens which made it difficult to follow. The timeline can be clunky, hard to keep up with and the characters are an absolute quirky bunch of weirdos that I’m still not sure I understand. So here’s where I stand: if you enjoy that deep symbolism and metaphorical writing that has you on a tailspin of crazy, if you enjoy a style of Vonnegut ‘what is this person trying to convey’ , if you want to take a real deep dive on what’s happening- this is for you. Don’t expect thriller in the traditional sense. Don’t expect to get through this in a sitting. This is a many layered story and had I been better prepared for the style, it would’ve worked better for me.
Let’s dive in- ok this one… not what I was really expecting. Ruin is explored with deep symbolism, different points of view, and a style that just felt like I needed to really chart what was going on. Speaking from someone who is an absolute Kurt Vonnegut fan and loves Slaughterhouse Five- do I imagine other fans enjoying this one? Yes, probably. I wasn’t prepared for the depth and fever-dream level of everything that happens which made it difficult to follow. The timeline can be clunky, hard to keep up with and the characters are an absolute quirky bunch of weirdos that I’m still not sure I understand. So here’s where I stand: if you enjoy that deep symbolism and metaphorical writing that has you on a tailspin of crazy, if you enjoy a style of Vonnegut ‘what is this person trying to convey’ , if you want to take a real deep dive on what’s happening- this is for you. Don’t expect thriller in the traditional sense. Don’t expect to get through this in a sitting. This is a many layered story and had I been better prepared for the style, it would’ve worked better for me.
June 1, 2023
I was alerted to this book by ads in the fly fishing magazines I subscribe to. I checked out the reviews on Goodreads, and they were mixed, but I decided to give it a try anyway. Frank Campbell and his wife, Francy, lose their financial assets after going through bankruptcy court. Frank was a partner in a flawed private equity fund, and he lost everything including his wife's inherited wealth. After the bankruptcy proceedings, Francy inherits a run down house in upstate New York that is currently occupied by a goat herd. In a short amount of time Frank meets a group of fly fishermen, Francy resumes her painting, and Robert Taylor arrives and builds a craft brewery on the premises. This book has numerous faults in this readers mind. The prose is very choppy, and the sentence structure suffers from out of order subjects and predicates. Maybe it's just old fashioned me, but it affected my ability to read at my normal pace. The plot is very shallow and includes an abrupt event that impacts several of the main characters. This happens with quite a bit of the story remaining, and the last chapters evolve into an extended ramble. I'm sure some deep meaning went over my head, but Ruin was not my cup of tea.
October 14, 2022
Frank and Francy have lost everything and leave their extravagant life behind to live in a home left to Francy by her uncle. On their way, they come to a stop and a river to watch a man fly-fishing. Frank is intrigued and is invited to a fly-fishing group in the area. Arriving at their “new” home, they find it in need of major repairs, much like their life. As things continue to fall apart, and life becomes an continuous struggle, Frank finds solace in fly-fishing.
The book has a really slow start and is a pretty challenging read. It picks up the pace about 30% in and becomes easier to follow. There are a lot of metaphors and kind of poetic statements that interrupt the flow a bit. I did love the comparison of the fishing line looking like writing against the darkness of the river. I could completely visualize that scene. Definitely an interesting read!
Disclaimer:
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to @katieandbreypa , and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book has a really slow start and is a pretty challenging read. It picks up the pace about 30% in and becomes easier to follow. There are a lot of metaphors and kind of poetic statements that interrupt the flow a bit. I did love the comparison of the fishing line looking like writing against the darkness of the river. I could completely visualize that scene. Definitely an interesting read!
Disclaimer:
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to @katieandbreypa , and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 4, 2022
If you are looking for a quick, easy read, Ruin is not for you.
I signed up for this not really knowing what to expect to be honest. And after finishing this, I can confidently say I did not think it would go in the direction that it did. Also, I know absolutely NOTHING about fly fishing.
This is probably my most difficult read of 2022, simply because of the deep symbolism and the writing style. This story is complex and it demands your full attention. And it’s important to make note that this is not your typical thriller. I had to sit in the quiet in order to absorb everything. And had to take multiple breaks.
This is not for everyone. And I think that alone made me enjoy it a bit more, because I’m stubborn as fuck and like a good challenge.
I signed up for this not really knowing what to expect to be honest. And after finishing this, I can confidently say I did not think it would go in the direction that it did. Also, I know absolutely NOTHING about fly fishing.
This is probably my most difficult read of 2022, simply because of the deep symbolism and the writing style. This story is complex and it demands your full attention. And it’s important to make note that this is not your typical thriller. I had to sit in the quiet in order to absorb everything. And had to take multiple breaks.
This is not for everyone. And I think that alone made me enjoy it a bit more, because I’m stubborn as fuck and like a good challenge.
May 13, 2023
3.5 stars. I actually liked this story and main character but this book could have benefited from an experienced editor. The writer does not have a command of sentence structure or grammar and half the time it’s a challenge to know which character is speaking. But it did keep me occupied on a long flight.
October 6, 2022
A bit of a soul-search story. I liked this one and for that like metaphors will probably like this. Well written and I look forward to the author's next work.
I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!
I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!
October 10, 2022
Page turner, well weaved and definitely different from my preferred genre. Thoroughly enjoyed, beautifully written. Multiple POV, with descriptive writing style that leaves you with too many questions. Too many investment banking jargons and quotes, some literary ques.
March 10, 2023
A riveting, and at times deeply uncomfortable but authentic tale that was relatable and tragic and uplifting all at once. Wasn’t at all what i was expecting when i started reading this but i really enjoyed it and it was a great surprise
May 13, 2024
The writing was beautiful and poetic. Storyline was very interesting. The author could've been more to the point, but the beauty of the novel is the winding artistry and picture painted through the words. Enjoyable complex read.
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