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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
When I finished this book I was hovering between 4 and 5 stars. I loved the final section covering Evelyn's first trip to Florence but I hadn't really become that invested in the other characters in the book of the previous 350(ish) pages.
But when I started talking to my wife about the book (this is one of her favourites), I soon realised it had to be 5 stars.
I've read this book pretty slowly in 15 minute bursts when tired which will have made it harder to really get involved with the characters, but as I was talking about them and their journies, I realised my voice was quivering with emotion! One of the most interesting characters for me was Col, who seems to have spent his entire life in East London where he runs his pub and lives on a diet of English meat and potatoes. By the end of the book he has fallen in love with poetry, made numerous road trips to Florence, married an Indian womain, and even becomes vegetarian.
One of the strong themes of the book is the British view of Europe which is protrayed from numerous perspectives: bigoted nationalism, open minded curiousity, war. There are several examples of the British travelling abroad for the sunshine whilst surrounding themselves with British culture and not taking the opportunity to immerse themselves in their surroundings (I'm sure most of us British travellers can relate to that on some level). I really liked the moment when the young Evelyn visits her lover Livia's room for the first time on her final day in Florence (for one of her intimate "Italian lessons") - at first Evelyn was embarrassed about the plain room and the vast difference between the oppurtunities that she (a wealthy British woman) has compared to Livia (a maid in a Pensione living a modest life). But Evelyn's embarrassment quickly evaoprates when she looks out of the window and sees the statue of Dante in the square - this was particularly effective since Evelyn is perhaps the most open-minded character in the book but even she is not immune from judgement based on her comfortable upbringing. I haven't read E.M. Forster's A Room With a View but I suspect it might discuss similar themes (Evelyn meets him and makes quite an impression).
The title of the book seems to come from the eloquent way that Evelyn is able to talk about works of art. She doesn't just see a bowl of fruit - she sees the person who picked that fruit and the light that shines on it places it in a much larger context than just the bowl. This idea of seeing not only art, but also life, in a wider context is really what the book is all about. You have a close knit group of working class English people who end up travelling to and (some of them) living in Florence over the years. The wider context also applies to time itself - does a person's life begin at the instant of their birth or is the class and culture of their parents and their country such a big influence that they are just a continuation or evolution of what came before them? I don't think it's an accident that Ulysses is a maker of artistic globes (where the UK is really very small in context), as was his father...
I have been to Florence but the kinds of artworks that are described in this book have never really interested me. I feel like if I could spend a few days in the city in the company of some of the characters from this book, taking in the galleries, cafes and squares, then I might just learn to appreciate them.
But when I started talking to my wife about the book (this is one of her favourites), I soon realised it had to be 5 stars.
I've read this book pretty slowly in 15 minute bursts when tired which will have made it harder to really get involved with the characters, but as I was talking about them and their journies, I realised my voice was quivering with emotion! One of the most interesting characters for me was Col, who seems to have spent his entire life in East London where he runs his pub and lives on a diet of English meat and potatoes. By the end of the book he has fallen in love with poetry, made numerous road trips to Florence, married an Indian womain, and even becomes vegetarian.
One of the strong themes of the book is the British view of Europe which is protrayed from numerous perspectives: bigoted nationalism, open minded curiousity, war. There are several examples of the British travelling abroad for the sunshine whilst surrounding themselves with British culture and not taking the opportunity to immerse themselves in their surroundings (I'm sure most of us British travellers can relate to that on some level). I really liked the moment when the young Evelyn visits her lover Livia's room for the first time on her final day in Florence (for one of her intimate "Italian lessons") - at first Evelyn was embarrassed about the plain room and the vast difference between the oppurtunities that she (a wealthy British woman) has compared to Livia (a maid in a Pensione living a modest life). But Evelyn's embarrassment quickly evaoprates when she looks out of the window and sees the statue of Dante in the square - this was particularly effective since Evelyn is perhaps the most open-minded character in the book but even she is not immune from judgement based on her comfortable upbringing. I haven't read E.M. Forster's A Room With a View but I suspect it might discuss similar themes (Evelyn meets him and makes quite an impression).
The title of the book seems to come from the eloquent way that Evelyn is able to talk about works of art. She doesn't just see a bowl of fruit - she sees the person who picked that fruit and the light that shines on it places it in a much larger context than just the bowl. This idea of seeing not only art, but also life, in a wider context is really what the book is all about. You have a close knit group of working class English people who end up travelling to and (some of them) living in Florence over the years. The wider context also applies to time itself - does a person's life begin at the instant of their birth or is the class and culture of their parents and their country such a big influence that they are just a continuation or evolution of what came before them? I don't think it's an accident that Ulysses is a maker of artistic globes (where the UK is really very small in context), as was his father...
I have been to Florence but the kinds of artworks that are described in this book have never really interested me. I feel like if I could spend a few days in the city in the company of some of the characters from this book, taking in the galleries, cafes and squares, then I might just learn to appreciate them.
This book was full of beautiful moments. I am not sure why I loved it so much, but I did. Some passages brought be to tears because I felt them so deeply. If you are looking for a book with a lot of action, this is not your book. If you want amazing characters trying to live their best lives, this is for you.
In common with a still life painting, the longer you look at or reflect on this book, the more you see. It starts off with a fortuitous encounter between a young British soldier and an elderly art historian in a very recently liberated Tuscany towards the end of the second world war. The two characters of Ulysses Temper and Evelyn Skinner almost dominate the narrative, only to be outshone by the city of Florence itself. In the opening chapter, Florence has just been liberated in 1944 and its people are in desperate straits: "Thousands of traumatised people with only one source of water as if emerging from a siege." Ulysses carries out a daring acrobatic rescue of a man about to throw himself off a building, a rescue which has unforeseen consequences.
The book is narrated chronologically in two to ten-year segments from 1946 through to 1979. After the dramatic opening, demobilised Ulysses returns to London and the woman he married, Peg, who, in the meantime, has had a relationship with an American, Eddie, and borne his child, Alys. Peg is still waiting for Eddie to come back for her as he promised and wants a divorce from Ulysses even though "The next morning, Peg woke in his bed because that's what they did." Awkward relationships and characters abound in London, from Col, the overbearing publican and his retarded daughter Ginny, to Cressy, the old man with a fortunate streak, and piano Pete, who often accompanies Peg, when she agrees to sing. There are strong bonds between the disparate members of the London community, which become even clearer when Ulysses gets the news in 1952 that the man whose life he saved in Florence has died and left him his property in the heart of the city. Ulysses decides to move there and Peg insists he take Alys, with whom he gets on well. At the last minute Cressy joins them, smuggling aboard the mascot of the pub, a bright blue Amazonian parrot called Claude.
From then on the scene shifts to Florence where Ulysses and Cressy eventually turn the property into a Pensione. The Italian focus is admirably rendered with the initial suspicion of the locals, tempered with some goodwill in remembrance of Ulysses' exploit, gradually evolving into acceptance. Life revolves around Michele's café. In keeping with Florentine artisans, Ulysses opens a workshop to create hand-crafted globes in the tradition of his father. The most dramatic section of the book describes the disaster of the 1966 floods and their aftermath:"the sound was deafening. A terrifying black torrent, almost level with the top of the parapets, was frothing and howling and pitching foam into the wind. Suddenly, a mighty oak dragged down from the Casentino slammed against the wall in front of him, sending up clouds of spindrift. He stumbled to the ground, heart pounding at this mad confrontation with nature. The torch went out." The huge clean-up assisted by myriad international volunteers provides the opportunity for Ulysses and Evelyn to meet again and Evelyn joins him at the Pensione. There she tells the story of her first visit to Florence, her love affair with Livia and the chance meeting with E.M. Forster himself. [b: A Room with a View|3087|A Room with a View|E.M. Forster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388781285l/3087._SY75_.jpg|4574872] reverberates through the descriptions of the group of English guests at the Pensione where they both stayed.
The sketchy outline above misses so many elements of the story: those aspects of the still life painting that one notes on looking closely, like the various lesbian and homosexual relationships, domestic violence and sheer romance. Then there are numerous references to artworks and their impact. Generally details appear accurate and timely. I found only one jarring reference which was to Evelyn's purchase of "a newspaper, la Repubblica" in the late '50s. Unless there was a different local Florentine paper at the time, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica was only founded in 1976. Apart from that, the novel was very enjoyable and an engaging read.
The book is narrated chronologically in two to ten-year segments from 1946 through to 1979. After the dramatic opening, demobilised Ulysses returns to London and the woman he married, Peg, who, in the meantime, has had a relationship with an American, Eddie, and borne his child, Alys. Peg is still waiting for Eddie to come back for her as he promised and wants a divorce from Ulysses even though "The next morning, Peg woke in his bed because that's what they did." Awkward relationships and characters abound in London, from Col, the overbearing publican and his retarded daughter Ginny, to Cressy, the old man with a fortunate streak, and piano Pete, who often accompanies Peg, when she agrees to sing. There are strong bonds between the disparate members of the London community, which become even clearer when Ulysses gets the news in 1952 that the man whose life he saved in Florence has died and left him his property in the heart of the city. Ulysses decides to move there and Peg insists he take Alys, with whom he gets on well. At the last minute Cressy joins them, smuggling aboard the mascot of the pub, a bright blue Amazonian parrot called Claude.
From then on the scene shifts to Florence where Ulysses and Cressy eventually turn the property into a Pensione. The Italian focus is admirably rendered with the initial suspicion of the locals, tempered with some goodwill in remembrance of Ulysses' exploit, gradually evolving into acceptance. Life revolves around Michele's café. In keeping with Florentine artisans, Ulysses opens a workshop to create hand-crafted globes in the tradition of his father. The most dramatic section of the book describes the disaster of the 1966 floods and their aftermath:"the sound was deafening. A terrifying black torrent, almost level with the top of the parapets, was frothing and howling and pitching foam into the wind. Suddenly, a mighty oak dragged down from the Casentino slammed against the wall in front of him, sending up clouds of spindrift. He stumbled to the ground, heart pounding at this mad confrontation with nature. The torch went out." The huge clean-up assisted by myriad international volunteers provides the opportunity for Ulysses and Evelyn to meet again and Evelyn joins him at the Pensione. There she tells the story of her first visit to Florence, her love affair with Livia and the chance meeting with E.M. Forster himself. [b: A Room with a View|3087|A Room with a View|E.M. Forster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388781285l/3087._SY75_.jpg|4574872] reverberates through the descriptions of the group of English guests at the Pensione where they both stayed.
The sketchy outline above misses so many elements of the story: those aspects of the still life painting that one notes on looking closely, like the various lesbian and homosexual relationships, domestic violence and sheer romance. Then there are numerous references to artworks and their impact. Generally details appear accurate and timely. I found only one jarring reference which was to Evelyn's purchase of "a newspaper, la Repubblica" in the late '50s. Unless there was a different local Florentine paper at the time, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica was only founded in 1976. Apart from that, the novel was very enjoyable and an engaging read.
I came across this in the New York Public Library ebook shelves and decided to give it a try. Glad I did. Lovely, caring, warm characters who form their own family first in London and then in Florence. I have never been to Florence but after reading this novel, I feel as if I have had a chance to visit. The city itself is one of the characters and a rich one. Will now look for the author’s other books.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A funny little book. Not a lot happens. It’s just the story of some lives. During the Second World War a young man meets an elderly British woman in Florence. They spend one night chatting and then separate. But this night sets the young man on a totally new path. He ends up moving to Florence with a weird collection of friends and the daughter of his ex-wife. It is years before the elderly woman finds her way back to him. It’s just the story of these people and the family they create.
hopeful
medium-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