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The Ruiners by Ellena Savage review
In her sharp and intellectual first novel, the author finds tragic comedy in socialism, inequality and the flawed ways we connect as the world burns
TL;DR
- The Ruiners is Ellena Savage's debut novel, a playful, subversive take on Dickens' Great Expectations.
- The protagonist, Pip, inherits money and uses it to buy a house on the fictional Greek island of Fokos with her husband, Sasha.
- The novel explores themes of white privilege, social mobility, and the search for meaning in a world facing various crises.
- It features three earnest narrators: Pip, Sasha, and Pip's friend Viv, who grapple with disillusionment but cling to hope.
- Savage uses surreal elements, like a trash volcano and waste pirates, to critique contemporary societal failures.
- Despite its intellectual depth, the novel emphasizes the importance of love and art as messy but legitimate human experiences.