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ajone540's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
erin819's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and War
cathannahs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Abandonment, Death, and Domestic abuse
emilyexley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Domestic abuse
balfies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
In conversation with the art of Florence and my favourite piece of art about Florence - E. M. Forster's A Room With A View - and featuring a multitude of queer relationships and steady friendships and a formidable woman in the Monuments Men (which I hasten to remind you, dear reader, my great uncle was also in) and artists and musicians...
It was just a sumptuous, delicious read.
Graphic: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, War, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Excrement, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Alcohol
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’m feeling quietly pleased than my 1000th post is for a 5 star read. Not planned but wonderful serendipity.
Still Life is a fabulous novel with so much depth and complexity. It has a large cast of characters with intertwined story lines which meant it did take me a while to settle into and paying attention wad a must. But the rewards were well worth it, since this book felt like an epic in the best possible way.
The novel begins in Tuscany during World War Two with a meeting between Ulysses, a young British soldier, and Evelyn, an older art historian. From there the story slowly unfolds into the 1970s and then back to the beginning of the century, travelling to England and Florence. It’s my favourite type historical fiction since actual events and real people feature prominently in the plot. The standout event was the 1966 flood of the Arno but references to the Olympics and the football World Cup all helped give an authentic sense of time and place.
I loved the writing and the way it appealed to the senses. So many sentences were superb. The characters were well-drawn and complex; so vivid that they soon felt like old friends, who won’t be forgotten any time soon. I really admire the way Winman pulled off both the highbrow (philosophical discussions about art and its importance) and the lowbrow (an East End pub) and managed to combine them seamlessly. There’s a real depth and richness to this novel. It’s about the importance of art, and about the struggles faced by female artists. It’s about the value and meaning of true friendship and unconditional love. It’s an evocative rendering of Florence, clearly a love letter to that city. It has some LGBT+ storylines woven in and E.M Forster makes an appearance. And it all comes with a side of Shakespeare quoting parrot.
It was a joy to read, a delightfully human story and I loved it. I’m looking forward to discussing it further with @readwithtoni and the rest of the buddy read group later this week.
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
afion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Alcoholism and War
Minor: Rape and Domestic abuse
There’s a lot of drinking and smoking in this book, so if you’re trying to quit either it might not be the best thing to readhannahmayreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A philosophical romp through post-war Britain and Europe, it is an expansive story despite the narrow cast of characters. Terracotta-toned visions of Tuscan hillsides and Florentine streets will have you seriously contemplating moving to Italy - what is there to lose you'll ask yourself. You will be consumed by wanderlust.
"Art versus humanity is not the question, Ulysses. One doesn't exist without the other. Art is the antidote. Is that enough to make it important? Well yes, I think it is."
It delights from start to finish. It expands across time and place, yet it remains delectably intimate. Despite being a historical novel it does not cling to the past, and there is no heady nostalgia. It moves steadily forward, seeing change as good. This book has so much heart and soul; it is all joy and heartache, sadness and beauty - what a wonderful, wonderful read. I feel replenished by it - a restorative balm for our bruised souls.
"Beauty gushed out to water the earth." (from A Room With A View)
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse and Homophobia