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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This month's pick for my work book club was one I figured would be completely outside my comfort zone. But, as it turned out, listening to the author read her own words and bring them to life was a surprisingly soothing experience. And while I still can't say that that it's a book I'd have chosen to pick up, I'm actually quite pleased that this book introduced itself to me.
It is an incredibly gentle story, with the characters leading the way. There's not really a plot as such, it's more just following the lives of these two people, Ulysses and Evelyn, who are linked thanks to a chance meeting, a shared appreciation of a particular piece of art, and the city of Florence, Italy. You watch the world develop around them, and as much as they grow and change, they stay exactly the same. The initial meeting is a little clunky, but it becomes clear why it's done the way it is later on, and as Ulysses settles back into his 'normal' life you very quickly start to become attached to him and his family.
There is something faintly farcical about each of the characters; all of them have an air of ridiculousness that should only exist in fiction. And yet, I'll bet if you think hard enough, you probably know someone who vaguely reminds you of one or more of them. They are each so well drawn, described and emotive that they feel entirely real - they might not have an action packed or glamorous life, but the writing takes the mundane and makes it beautiful. Similarly, where there are more unique or special moments, they are made to shine while being brought down to earth enough to make them feel accessible to all of us who dream of lives that are not our own.
The language employed by the author in the description of the Italian scenery, art and people is almost lyrical, and just adds yet another layer of feeling to everything. At the same time, she also reverts to coarser language, swearing and almost caricature-like behaviour in places. But somehow it all mixes together really well and feels effortless and relatable, and adds bright splashes of colour throughout.
The depiction of same sex relationships throughout this book came as something of a surprise, my having gone into this book blind. But what I found so impressive was the fact that the author has managed somehow to balance the period setting and the hidden nature of such relationships feom the wider world with the fact that characters still feel, act on and embrace their desires, and others readily acknowledge, and more importantly accept, their feelings without question. It should feel incongruous, but it in fact it came across to me as one long love letter to love, in all its forms.
I have to give a huge amount of credit to the author for being an incredible narrator. For the majority of the book, it was my 'background noise' while I did something else. Nevertheless, it kept my focus and throughout I was fully cognisant of events, even though there aren't many 'stand out' events. This was fully down to the author managing to bring each character to life, giving them all unique voices and somehow managing to remain sounding totally natural. Again, even when the voices are a little 'odd', somehow they totally suit the character. Where I had expected to be bored and zone out, I suddenly realised I had been paying attention when I found myself laughing or sympathising with one of them. I strongly suspect that, if I'd been eyeball reading this one, I'd have DNFed it. But thanks to the wonderful narration, not only did I finish it, I felt it.
That's not to say I didn't find myself frustrated at certain elements. The sudden shift from following Ulysses to Evelyn is jarring, and the ending taking you 'full circle' is nice, but doesn't leave the reader with a particularly satisfying conclusion. There were also relationships I hoped would develop but didn't, and I lament some missed opportunities. But for a book that I came to with skepticism, it has almost completely won me over.
It is an incredibly gentle story, with the characters leading the way. There's not really a plot as such, it's more just following the lives of these two people, Ulysses and Evelyn, who are linked thanks to a chance meeting, a shared appreciation of a particular piece of art, and the city of Florence, Italy. You watch the world develop around them, and as much as they grow and change, they stay exactly the same. The initial meeting is a little clunky, but it becomes clear why it's done the way it is later on, and as Ulysses settles back into his 'normal' life you very quickly start to become attached to him and his family.
There is something faintly farcical about each of the characters; all of them have an air of ridiculousness that should only exist in fiction. And yet, I'll bet if you think hard enough, you probably know someone who vaguely reminds you of one or more of them. They are each so well drawn, described and emotive that they feel entirely real - they might not have an action packed or glamorous life, but the writing takes the mundane and makes it beautiful. Similarly, where there are more unique or special moments, they are made to shine while being brought down to earth enough to make them feel accessible to all of us who dream of lives that are not our own.
The language employed by the author in the description of the Italian scenery, art and people is almost lyrical, and just adds yet another layer of feeling to everything. At the same time, she also reverts to coarser language, swearing and almost caricature-like behaviour in places. But somehow it all mixes together really well and feels effortless and relatable, and adds bright splashes of colour throughout.
The depiction of same sex relationships throughout this book came as something of a surprise, my having gone into this book blind. But what I found so impressive was the fact that the author has managed somehow to balance the period setting and the hidden nature of such relationships feom the wider world with the fact that characters still feel, act on and embrace their desires, and others readily acknowledge, and more importantly accept, their feelings without question. It should feel incongruous, but it in fact it came across to me as one long love letter to love, in all its forms.
I have to give a huge amount of credit to the author for being an incredible narrator. For the majority of the book, it was my 'background noise' while I did something else. Nevertheless, it kept my focus and throughout I was fully cognisant of events, even though there aren't many 'stand out' events. This was fully down to the author managing to bring each character to life, giving them all unique voices and somehow managing to remain sounding totally natural. Again, even when the voices are a little 'odd', somehow they totally suit the character. Where I had expected to be bored and zone out, I suddenly realised I had been paying attention when I found myself laughing or sympathising with one of them. I strongly suspect that, if I'd been eyeball reading this one, I'd have DNFed it. But thanks to the wonderful narration, not only did I finish it, I felt it.
That's not to say I didn't find myself frustrated at certain elements. The sudden shift from following Ulysses to Evelyn is jarring, and the ending taking you 'full circle' is nice, but doesn't leave the reader with a particularly satisfying conclusion. There were also relationships I hoped would develop but didn't, and I lament some missed opportunities. But for a book that I came to with skepticism, it has almost completely won me over.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
No
Beautiful writing but felt too meandering and slow. Lost interest.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a journey this book is - nothing 'still' about it lol - I struggled to put it down once I got into it which admittedly took me a few goes. I found the first 100 pages or so, quite dull. So many pages and pages of set up which takes place in London (cold, dreary, augh, you could FEEL the weight of it all which is testament to Winman's talent as a writer but still, it was a SLOG), and I was beginning to wonder if it would ever pay off but then with one sentence at the very end of that first part, it was on and I was invested. But it took awhile!
However, the pay off was so, so worth it, so hang in there if you're not that keen at first (hence the four stars, but also, I didn't really enjoy grammatically how this was written. No use of punctuation gets tedious after 400+ pages lol) but I 'spose my eyes began to just blur and forget there were no quotation marks anywhere as the words did eventually jump off the page, painting vivid pictures of art and love and passion and hey-yo! Florence! so much so, I could almost taste the Campari! Just kidding, I don't think she mentions Campari once.
I was surprised, to tell the truth, about how much this book moved me in the end, how much I genuinely giggled at the dialogue, and how many tears rolled down my face (although I do cry a LOT at the moment...could be hormones, could be good writing, who can say?) but for me, any book that can make you feel something, like REALLY FEEL someTHING, is one worth reading.
However, the pay off was so, so worth it, so hang in there if you're not that keen at first (hence the four stars, but also, I didn't really enjoy grammatically how this was written. No use of punctuation gets tedious after 400+ pages lol) but I 'spose my eyes began to just blur and forget there were no quotation marks anywhere as the words did eventually jump off the page, painting vivid pictures of art and love and passion and hey-yo! Florence! so much so, I could almost taste the Campari! Just kidding, I don't think she mentions Campari once.
I was surprised, to tell the truth, about how much this book moved me in the end, how much I genuinely giggled at the dialogue, and how many tears rolled down my face (although I do cry a LOT at the moment...could be hormones, could be good writing, who can say?) but for me, any book that can make you feel something, like REALLY FEEL someTHING, is one worth reading.
