You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
This book broke my heart, but also mended it. A short but sweet, sentimental tale that plunges into all varieties of love, queerness, desire, grief and friendship (impressively accomplished in a little over 200 pages!). It was a lovely book to begin the year and my first introduction to Sarah Winman - a story that will inevitably stick with me for quite some time.
I really enjoyed this a lot--the writing was beautiful and evocative, and the characters of Ellis and Michael very finely drawn. Four stars because the second half, while still very good, was not as well done as the first half, and I thought Michael deserved better (being deliberately vague so as not to spoil). I do recommend it though. I'd definitely read something else by this author.
"And I wonder what the sound of a heart breaking might be. And I think it might be quiet, unperceptively so, and not dramatic at all. Like the sound of an exhausted swallow falling gently to earth."
-Sarah Winman, Tin Man
🌻
A short and beautiful story of two boys Ellis and Michael who are friends since childhood. Having been through a lot, turmoil in the family life, troubled childhood and loss of their dear ones made them close friends. They spent a lot of time together exploring the town and then their relationship became something else.
🌻
Once they grew up, things change, with Ellis marrying a beautiful young woman Annie. The three of them quickly became a thing until something happens that drove Micheal away. What happens then is a tale of love and friendship, and loneliness and how all the beautiful things bring pain in the end. The pain of longing for what once was.
🌻
The narrative is raw and full of loose ends, with a lot of answers left to the reader to anticipate. Even so, the prose is beautiful and magical in so, many different ways. One cannot help but feel so many different emotions while reading about Ellis, Micheal and Annie, each as an individual and as a part of a friendship together. A friendship so different from others. There are love and the pain of losing that love, there is a passion that comes with first love and then there is the pang of having lost that.
🌻
Also the underlying theme of art depicted by the description on Van Gogh's painting of The Sunflowers, the AID's epidemic in the late 1980s and two lover's idea of running off to France and explore the city together, are worth a mention.
🌻
Genre: #LGQBT #Contemprory #Literary #Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Reading difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
-Sarah Winman, Tin Man
🌻
A short and beautiful story of two boys Ellis and Michael who are friends since childhood. Having been through a lot, turmoil in the family life, troubled childhood and loss of their dear ones made them close friends. They spent a lot of time together exploring the town and then their relationship became something else.
🌻
Once they grew up, things change, with Ellis marrying a beautiful young woman Annie. The three of them quickly became a thing until something happens that drove Micheal away. What happens then is a tale of love and friendship, and loneliness and how all the beautiful things bring pain in the end. The pain of longing for what once was.
🌻
The narrative is raw and full of loose ends, with a lot of answers left to the reader to anticipate. Even so, the prose is beautiful and magical in so, many different ways. One cannot help but feel so many different emotions while reading about Ellis, Micheal and Annie, each as an individual and as a part of a friendship together. A friendship so different from others. There are love and the pain of losing that love, there is a passion that comes with first love and then there is the pang of having lost that.
🌻
Also the underlying theme of art depicted by the description on Van Gogh's painting of The Sunflowers, the AID's epidemic in the late 1980s and two lover's idea of running off to France and explore the city together, are worth a mention.
🌻
Genre: #LGQBT #Contemprory #Literary #Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Reading difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
A literary tale of choices, love, loss and grief. Ellis is struggling after the death of his wife, Annie, and best friend Michael. He works nights at the car factory so he doesn't have to deal with his insomnia. Loneliness and depression are taking their toll. When a bike accident forces Ellis to take time off work he finally has to confront the past.
The narrative weaves in and out of past and present as Ellis remembers how he met Michael, the first love of his life. Only kids when they met, both boys were dealing with their own traumas and ambitions. As the grew their relationship changed but this was in the 1970's and Ellis' father had very definite opinions about what a man should be.
Michael eventually moved to London and he and Ellis lost touch. Ellis learns Michael's story from his journal. A journal Micheal started while nursing a friend through AIDS.
This is complex story, told well and simply in this quite short (200 odd pages) novel. As we move between past and present the edges begin to blur and it is sometimes hard to track when the character is, but I feel it is deliberate - just like Ellis is lost in his memories so are we. Winman's style is simple but effective. The only issue I had was the lack of "talking" marks (Something I also found frustrating / distracting in her previous novel "A Year of Marvelous Ways") as I find the lack reduces readability. But maybe that's just me?
This is a novel for those who love literary fiction: It is about resilience and grief; depression and heartache; society and parental expectations; love and friendship; pain and hope. At each step you cannot help but wonder how these people's lives would have changed if they had made or been offered different choices.
This would make a great book club read - I'm sure everyone will find a lot to discuss.
The narrative weaves in and out of past and present as Ellis remembers how he met Michael, the first love of his life. Only kids when they met, both boys were dealing with their own traumas and ambitions. As the grew their relationship changed but this was in the 1970's and Ellis' father had very definite opinions about what a man should be.
Michael eventually moved to London and he and Ellis lost touch. Ellis learns Michael's story from his journal. A journal Micheal started while nursing a friend through AIDS.
This is complex story, told well and simply in this quite short (200 odd pages) novel. As we move between past and present the edges begin to blur and it is sometimes hard to track when the character is, but I feel it is deliberate - just like Ellis is lost in his memories so are we. Winman's style is simple but effective. The only issue I had was the lack of "talking" marks (Something I also found frustrating / distracting in her previous novel "A Year of Marvelous Ways") as I find the lack reduces readability. But maybe that's just me?
This is a novel for those who love literary fiction: It is about resilience and grief; depression and heartache; society and parental expectations; love and friendship; pain and hope. At each step you cannot help but wonder how these people's lives would have changed if they had made or been offered different choices.
This would make a great book club read - I'm sure everyone will find a lot to discuss.
A short yet deep and complex read. A story about young love in a time where society was not yet prepared for it. The story of 2 becomes a story of 3 people that somehow belong together as friends that Iove each other.
In between, there’s grief and the need to go away to understand what they really want.
The perspective of both male characters is quite endearing and surprising. The “I just have no place to live anybody else” feeling, is somehow quite familiar and I understand the struggles of both Michael and Ellis.
The female characters are just so surprising and built with open hearts, capable of understand what both Michael and Ellis don’t, yet.
Although the jumps in time can be quite confusing at times, I very much recommend this book to all of those looking for a short, yet deep narrative that goes through the complex love story of these 3 people and their past through different decades.
In between, there’s grief and the need to go away to understand what they really want.
The perspective of both male characters is quite endearing and surprising. The “I just have no place to live anybody else” feeling, is somehow quite familiar and I understand the struggles of both Michael and Ellis.
The female characters are just so surprising and built with open hearts, capable of understand what both Michael and Ellis don’t, yet.
Although the jumps in time can be quite confusing at times, I very much recommend this book to all of those looking for a short, yet deep narrative that goes through the complex love story of these 3 people and their past through different decades.
Oh, my heart. I loved this book.
Tin Man is such a beautiful and haunting read. The words flow so easily and completely take over you. I felt sorrow reading this book, but it was also tinged with hope.
The friendship between Ellis, Michael, and Annie was so heartwarming, and I broke for the time they had apart and missed.
I loved how we get parts from Ellis as well as parts from Michael.
I was shattered for Michael and all he went through. And Ellis, how my heart broke for him too. Annie was like a ray of sunshine. She was such a beautiful soul.
The writing was simply stunning, and you really felt like you were in the pages of this book. There were some hard topics to read, but they were all handled with love and care. This truly is a beautiful book. This was my first, but definitely not my last Sarah Winman book.
Tin Man is such a beautiful and haunting read. The words flow so easily and completely take over you. I felt sorrow reading this book, but it was also tinged with hope.
The friendship between Ellis, Michael, and Annie was so heartwarming, and I broke for the time they had apart and missed.
I loved how we get parts from Ellis as well as parts from Michael.
I was shattered for Michael and all he went through. And Ellis, how my heart broke for him too. Annie was like a ray of sunshine. She was such a beautiful soul.
The writing was simply stunning, and you really felt like you were in the pages of this book. There were some hard topics to read, but they were all handled with love and care. This truly is a beautiful book. This was my first, but definitely not my last Sarah Winman book.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
There were a couple of elements and transitions that were hokey and unnecessary, which cheapened the story a little. But an achingly beautiful book.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes