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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This author is one of favourites and once again has written a masterpiece like the art work referred to in the book. It starts in 1944 and we follow the characters through to the end of the 70’s. Every time i opened the pages it was like i was sitting down with old friends for a chat and finding out about their life. I never thought I’d be so taken by an Amazonian parrot but i was probably one of my favourite characters along with cressy. The beautiful way Florence is described paints a picture along with smells and emotion and i think that will be on my destination list to visit. I liked the way we see the way of life from east end of London to the move to Italy and the comparisons with life, loves and friendships on both sides as they all make their way in life. This book is living breathing gem of a book about humanity and understanding for each other. Sarah Winman pulled out my heart, squeezed it tightly made me love all the characters, cry for them and cheer for them too. I can’t wait to see what delights she has for us next. If you’ve never read any of her books what are you waiting for! Don’t be put off by some that say there is no plot, this is a book about life and friendship isn’t that a plot we all live by? And if you don’t fall in love with Claude then you must have a heart of stone!
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There were enough times when I was enjoying reading this to make to worthwhile finishing. But also a lot of times when I questioned that decision. I found the arch third-person tone irritating and didn't connect to the initial relationships/interactions that connected the characters together. Just when I was starting to be drawn into part of the story, it would jump forward a few years and any emotional connection would be lost.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sometimes there’s a book that comes along and makes me wish I had been more cautious handing out 5 stars in the past, because this one truly deserves it. 6 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is quite enjoyable but is entirely predictable and full of ridiculous coincidences. It is warm and, at times, funny, and there are some lovely, poetic bits. The style reminded me vaguely of "All the Light We Cannot See" - romanticization of a war in that case; the small details of life in this. It's a fairy tale, really. I can see some people ADORING this book. I prefer a bit more grit.
UPDATE: I just came across this interview that sheds light on how the author came to write this story or, as she would say, how the story came to her.
Sarah Winman's Still Life is a beautiful rendering of people whose lives intersect on and off from 1944 through 1979, beginning with the end of World War II, where we meet Evelyn Skinner, Ulysses Temper and Captain Darnley. They are making their way around Florence, initially Evelyn on her own as an art historian, Temps and Darnley together in uniform as part of a unit tasked with finding art to be rescued and restored. Already this story is a gift for lovers of Florence and art.
Winman's historical fiction lands us in Florence as well as in England, from where Evelyn, Ulysses and Darnley hail. We meet the people who figure prominently in Ulysses' world - Peggy (his former wife), Col (bar owner), Ginny (Col's daughter), Claude (a thinking talking parrot), Pete (the piano player), Cressy (who talks to trees, is older than his friends, and a font of knowledge), and Alys (aka the kid). Not long after his return to England Ulysses is presented with a golden opportunity to return to Florence, and so he does.
If you have ever spent time in Florence, Sarah Winman's descriptions of the city will reawaken your mental map as streets, historical structures and smells get pulled to the foreground. I pulled up memories from two visits in the 1970s, one of a bicycle trip through Europe and the other where I met Fred (my then boyfriend and now husband) at the conclusion of his Florentine semester abroad. I recalled the pensione where we stayed, the ice cream from Vivoli, where I had my share of delights, the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, and the Ponte Vecchio.
Temps' (as Ulysses is also called) world expands to include Massimo and the people who populate their part of Florence. Over the decades the British and Italians, brought together by Temps, will intermingle, flow back and forth, and their lives will expand to make space for newcomers. All of this against the backdrop of Florence, which has her own role to play.
If you've ever seen the Harry Potter movies then you will understand when I say that reading this book was like being pulled into a pensieve multiple times to experience the memories of these lively, complex, fascinating characters.
Sarah Winman's Still Life is a beautiful rendering of people whose lives intersect on and off from 1944 through 1979, beginning with the end of World War II, where we meet Evelyn Skinner, Ulysses Temper and Captain Darnley. They are making their way around Florence, initially Evelyn on her own as an art historian, Temps and Darnley together in uniform as part of a unit tasked with finding art to be rescued and restored. Already this story is a gift for lovers of Florence and art.
Winman's historical fiction lands us in Florence as well as in England, from where Evelyn, Ulysses and Darnley hail. We meet the people who figure prominently in Ulysses' world - Peggy (his former wife), Col (bar owner), Ginny (Col's daughter), Claude (a thinking talking parrot), Pete (the piano player), Cressy (who talks to trees, is older than his friends, and a font of knowledge), and Alys (aka the kid). Not long after his return to England Ulysses is presented with a golden opportunity to return to Florence, and so he does.
If you have ever spent time in Florence, Sarah Winman's descriptions of the city will reawaken your mental map as streets, historical structures and smells get pulled to the foreground. I pulled up memories from two visits in the 1970s, one of a bicycle trip through Europe and the other where I met Fred (my then boyfriend and now husband) at the conclusion of his Florentine semester abroad. I recalled the pensione where we stayed, the ice cream from Vivoli, where I had my share of delights, the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, and the Ponte Vecchio.
Temps' (as Ulysses is also called) world expands to include Massimo and the people who populate their part of Florence. Over the decades the British and Italians, brought together by Temps, will intermingle, flow back and forth, and their lives will expand to make space for newcomers. All of this against the backdrop of Florence, which has her own role to play.
If you've ever seen the Harry Potter movies then you will understand when I say that reading this book was like being pulled into a pensieve multiple times to experience the memories of these lively, complex, fascinating characters.
If I could give this book more stars, I would. This is a kind book. With wonderful characters who have their flaws but try their best to be good people to the ones they care for. This book is a balm for the soul with how lovely and human it is. Please read.