Victoria Klein's Reviews > The Magnificent Ruins

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. I’ve just finished this book and I’m just absolutely in awe— this book is definitely a contender for one of my favorites this year and I think it is one that I will enjoy coming back to over the years, just stunning. The Magnificent Ruins is the story of Lila De, a young Indian American woman who immigrated to the US with her father in her teens from Kolkata, still in the wake of her parents scandalous divorce and from her difficult relationship with her mother. Lila, now age 29, is a successful book editor in Brooklyn and her world is upended when she receives a call telling her that her beloved grandfather has passed away and left the historic, sprawling family near-mansion to her, along with the estate. This kicks off the events of the story, as Lila travels back to Kolkata to reckon with this and with her immediate family, all of whom live in the home she’s just inherited.

This book was absolutely lush with beautiful prose and vivid descriptions of the city of Kolkata including the homes, the people, the food, the clothes, etc. The author’s writing was so evocative and transporting throughout the entire book and so, even though it was long, it didn’t feel like it. I was content to just live with these characters and within this setting for the whole reading experience.

The characters were so richly developed, as well, and felt like they were truly real. The author breathed so much life into them, showcasing their flaws, quirks, positive characteristics, and complex behaviors in such a way that they were fully three dimensional. There were a lot of themes and topics covered in this story and through the slow, languorous plot, they had the opportunity to truly flesh themselves out and sit with you. Topics like domestic abuse, caste, and generational trauma revealed themselves through these characters and were given the space to exist here, with no easy solution presented to take away from the realistic harsh nature of these topics. Our main character, Lila, struggles notably throughout this book with the back and forth pull she feels being Indian and American, being part of her mothers family and her fathers family, and what all of these emotions mean for her future— romantically, professionally, and even geographically. I so enjoyed being on this emotional journey with Lila and the entire Lahiri family. There is a section in the book where the author talks about Kolkata days versus New York days and how they stretch out lazily, without rush or haste, but instead, filled with relaxation and moments of joy and warmth— that is how reading this book felt, like beautiful, enjoyable, lengthy journey with these characters. I loved every minute of it.

I would highly recommend this book to literary fictions fans, readers who enjoy multi-generational family stories, and readers who enjoy character centric novels. I can’t wait to see this book out in the world and look forward to revisiting it myself with a finished copy, once it’s published!