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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
"His sleeves are rolled up, the same tousled hair, same frown wrestling with a dilemma, be it a kitchen shelf, be it love."
Ellis is a quiet man, and a lonely one, too. He’s something of a lost boy, to me. I can see him charging about Neverland in a racoon skin, with a paintbrush as his spear. However, he lives way back passed the second star on the right, and straight on till Oxford. There, amongst the chatter and hissing of his old radio, and the glinting windshields on the gravel outside the garage, he spends his days tapping out dents in metalwork – just the way his father wanted. In quiet Cowley, where he has been his whole life. Where his mother’s raffle ticket won her a Van Gogh painting. Where he met Michael, and later, Annie.
This book is, in a way, about a love triangle. But one with a tall point, and with this boy – Ellis – sat on its tip. Someone who has been so loved, and yet feels so lost. You’ll root for him to find himself, as I did, throughout the story. And you will root for the ones who love him, too. His mother, a sunflower with her stem bruised; Annie, his crackling flare of a wife; and Michael, his best friend, and the bright, bright fire that runs through them all. Like a vibrant vein.
This book will likely touch a certain place in all of us. A quiet corner, perhaps a private one. For most of us have, even in a small way, loved someone who does not love us – or who does, but not in a way that matches. A difficult place to be. So, surrounding this book’s triangular core, is love. In all its shades, wanted or unwanted. And it deals with these well-versed themes in a new and refreshing way – and delivers them with care. Especially when dealing with sexuality.
'What’s a compliment?' Ellis asked.
'Complimenting colours are ones that make the other stand out. Like blue and orange,' said his mother, as if reciting off the page.
'Like me and Ellis,' said Michael.
'Yes,' she smiled. Like you two.
Despite my own sexuality, I usually approach books and films that surround a gay storyline with apprehension and with one eye shut. Simply because I find that they are tricky themes to deliver well. But, in my opinion, Tin Man deals with these story cogs with incredible finesse – like a literal Tin Man with oiled joints, it seemed to move through them with ease. It was gentle and matter-of-fact. It was bold and between-the-lines. Above all, the only thing that mattered was the love that was shared between these people. And that should always be what matters most. I don’t believe that sexuality needs to be stitched into a plot with a special, glittering thread for it to be deemed well-handled – sometimes it’s nice to have a character be what they are, and not have a rally banner above their head. To me, that sends a better message of acceptance and tolerance: to present sexuality exactly as it is … natural and varied.
Above this cluster of successes, Winman has a modest way with words. One that will entice you onto each page with strong dialogue and small – yet glimmering – poetic undertones. A clean style, which felt like the first steps into summer air (that is if my other reads represent my stuffy coastal flat).
My usual gripe with books is their length. Some I feel are too short, and some far, far too long – a balance that is hard to strike. I often wonder if my own works-in-progress are too this or too that, but you can’t know until it’s out there and read. And Tin Man was just right for me – I don’t feel like any part of the story should be dropped. No sagging middle, no underwhelming ending. A fresh and clean read from start to finish, and a perfect one for your summer evenings. Overall a tender, bittersweet and heartfelt little book.
Ellis is a quiet man, and a lonely one, too. He’s something of a lost boy, to me. I can see him charging about Neverland in a racoon skin, with a paintbrush as his spear. However, he lives way back passed the second star on the right, and straight on till Oxford. There, amongst the chatter and hissing of his old radio, and the glinting windshields on the gravel outside the garage, he spends his days tapping out dents in metalwork – just the way his father wanted. In quiet Cowley, where he has been his whole life. Where his mother’s raffle ticket won her a Van Gogh painting. Where he met Michael, and later, Annie.
This book is, in a way, about a love triangle. But one with a tall point, and with this boy – Ellis – sat on its tip. Someone who has been so loved, and yet feels so lost. You’ll root for him to find himself, as I did, throughout the story. And you will root for the ones who love him, too. His mother, a sunflower with her stem bruised; Annie, his crackling flare of a wife; and Michael, his best friend, and the bright, bright fire that runs through them all. Like a vibrant vein.
This book will likely touch a certain place in all of us. A quiet corner, perhaps a private one. For most of us have, even in a small way, loved someone who does not love us – or who does, but not in a way that matches. A difficult place to be. So, surrounding this book’s triangular core, is love. In all its shades, wanted or unwanted. And it deals with these well-versed themes in a new and refreshing way – and delivers them with care. Especially when dealing with sexuality.
'What’s a compliment?' Ellis asked.
'Complimenting colours are ones that make the other stand out. Like blue and orange,' said his mother, as if reciting off the page.
'Like me and Ellis,' said Michael.
'Yes,' she smiled. Like you two.
Despite my own sexuality, I usually approach books and films that surround a gay storyline with apprehension and with one eye shut. Simply because I find that they are tricky themes to deliver well. But, in my opinion, Tin Man deals with these story cogs with incredible finesse – like a literal Tin Man with oiled joints, it seemed to move through them with ease. It was gentle and matter-of-fact. It was bold and between-the-lines. Above all, the only thing that mattered was the love that was shared between these people. And that should always be what matters most. I don’t believe that sexuality needs to be stitched into a plot with a special, glittering thread for it to be deemed well-handled – sometimes it’s nice to have a character be what they are, and not have a rally banner above their head. To me, that sends a better message of acceptance and tolerance: to present sexuality exactly as it is … natural and varied.
Above this cluster of successes, Winman has a modest way with words. One that will entice you onto each page with strong dialogue and small – yet glimmering – poetic undertones. A clean style, which felt like the first steps into summer air (that is if my other reads represent my stuffy coastal flat).
My usual gripe with books is their length. Some I feel are too short, and some far, far too long – a balance that is hard to strike. I often wonder if my own works-in-progress are too this or too that, but you can’t know until it’s out there and read. And Tin Man was just right for me – I don’t feel like any part of the story should be dropped. No sagging middle, no underwhelming ending. A fresh and clean read from start to finish, and a perfect one for your summer evenings. Overall a tender, bittersweet and heartfelt little book.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
This is a book that i feel everyone should read, as it was so beautifully written and transcending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Tin Man probably is a good book, it just wasn't for me.
The meandering look at Ellis and Michael and their relationship seemed superficial and not really to be going anywhere. We seemed to spend a lot more time gazing wistfully at scenery than investigating any of the actual relationships and it all seemed a bit over-romanticised and unrealistic. I think the brevity of the story got in the way of me really contacting with the characters and difficult topics like grief and abusive parents and the AIDs crisis seemed floated over without being given space to be considered and to breath. It almost read like it genuinely was a series of diary entries (with key details left out as they are filled in with prior knowledge), but this is a novel and there is no prior knowledge to give the musings substance.
I also feel weird about the increasing trend of women writing about queer men, it feels voyeuristic when that is the sole topic. Although I do appreciate that Winman is herself queer which maybe makes it less weird.
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
The way Winman crafts scenes throughout this is nothing short of masterful. The sections in France in particular were so evocative and beautifully written they were like a soothing salve for the desperate wanderlust that's been building up within me since the start of the pandemic.
This was ultimately more melancholy than I expected it to be, but also tinged with hope and love and kindness. I turned the last page deeply satisfied with Michael and Ellis' emotional journeys.
This was ultimately more melancholy than I expected it to be, but also tinged with hope and love and kindness. I turned the last page deeply satisfied with Michael and Ellis' emotional journeys.
Felt like I entered a world of love, while still experiencing friendship. I felt as if the moments were real, I was feeling them as the characters were. Would have felt slightly more inclusive to add Annie's viewpoint, but it also would have taken away the story of two gay men, finding their ways through their love.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
emotional
reflective
sad