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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Sarah Winman has undeniable writing talent, but Tinman left me with mixed feelings. While I revelled in the novel's evocative prose and exploration of relationships, it lacks the wow factor. The narrative occasionally feels disjointed, and the pacing can be slow. While it's a thoughtful book, it did not fully captivate me.
Set against the backdrop of Oxford and the streets of London, the book invites readers into a world of complex relationships, longing, and self-discovery. One of the novel's strengths lies in Winman's ability to evoke a sense of time and place. Her prose is vivid and lyrical, immersing readers in the nostalgia of the characters' pasts and the melancholy of their present lives. The exploration of friendship and love is tender and genuine, making the characters relatable and human.
While a poignant tale told through lyrical prose, I think the hype around the book was detrimental to my enjoyment of it. It was spoken about in such a way that one’s life would be irreversibly changed by reading it and regrettably mine was not. I recently read Memorial by Bryan Washington that tells a story with similar arcs so in my mind, Tinman wasn’t revolutionary or new. All this to say, there were extenuating factors that impacted my perception of this book also. While this book did not resonate with me in the way I had hoped it would, it may very well be just the book for you.
3⭐️
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Yes
This book was great, emotional but amazing nonetheless!
The relationships are well written, I feel like I could actually connect with the feelings of the characters!
Okay this is more of a pet peeve, nothing against the story, but I couldn’t stand the sentences having no quotation marks! It really isn’t that big of a deal and it was probably just a design choice but still!
(I am so sleepy when making this review, my bad for any mistakes lol)
The relationships are well written, I feel like I could actually connect with the feelings of the characters!
Okay this is more of a pet peeve, nothing against the story, but I couldn’t stand the sentences having no quotation marks! It really isn’t that big of a deal and it was probably just a design choice but still!
(I am so sleepy when making this review, my bad for any mistakes lol)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident
Minor: Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I heard a lot about it and when I heard an offer to read it a group I jumped in. I think the cover is gorgeous too, and synopsis is intriguing- is it a love story, or is it more?
Ellis and Michael are friends, but there is something more than just friendship, is there? The question lingers through whole story even when the readers founds out about Annie, Ellis’s wife.
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about the book. I didn’t like the story, I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I had trouble understanding what the whole thing was for. I give it 3 ⭐️ because writing was wonderful. The description of sunflowers, Michael’s adventure in France, his hospital visits and AIDS suffering, his everlasting love - all these were impeccably illustrated.
The narrative is not linear and it changes the narrator from Ellis to Michael and back. I found it confusing at times, however, it gave a special touch the story. I enjoyed Michael’s part more as it was very sincere and I felt his heartache. He was in search of answers but deeply inside he knew all too well.
We all agreed that Winman could have expanded a story a little bit more and incorporated Annie’s side, for instance. We all felt it unfinished and untold.
It’s a short read and some of my fellow readers loved it, so I would recommend it, if only to see for your self.
Ellis and Michael are friends, but there is something more than just friendship, is there? The question lingers through whole story even when the readers founds out about Annie, Ellis’s wife.
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about the book. I didn’t like the story, I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I had trouble understanding what the whole thing was for. I give it 3 ⭐️ because writing was wonderful. The description of sunflowers, Michael’s adventure in France, his hospital visits and AIDS suffering, his everlasting love - all these were impeccably illustrated.
The narrative is not linear and it changes the narrator from Ellis to Michael and back. I found it confusing at times, however, it gave a special touch the story. I enjoyed Michael’s part more as it was very sincere and I felt his heartache. He was in search of answers but deeply inside he knew all too well.
We all agreed that Winman could have expanded a story a little bit more and incorporated Annie’s side, for instance. We all felt it unfinished and untold.
It’s a short read and some of my fellow readers loved it, so I would recommend it, if only to see for your self.
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
Spanning several decades from the 1960s to the mid 1990s, Tin Man by Sarah Winman is a bittersweet novel of friendship and love.
The first part of this engaging, yet short novel, is from Ellis Judd's point of view. Ellis is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife Annie whom he deeply loved. His mother's death when he was a teen altered his life's path when his domineering and abusive father stifled Ellis's artistic endeavors. The only bright spot in his life until Ellis met Annie is his close friendship with Michael Wright. If the young men had grown up during a more enlightened time period, would their friendship have gone down a different road?
The second part of the novel is from Michael's perspective and it is much more emotionally compelling. Michael is a sensitive man who drifted away from Ellis after his marriage to Annie. He moved to London for his writing career where he never quite found anyone who meant as much to him as Ellis. His life takes somewhat tragic turn as he nurses a former lover through a fatal illness. Afterwards, Michael travels to the French countryside where he slowly heals and after his return to London, he reconnects with Annie and Ellis.
Tin Man by Sarah Winman is a beautifully written novel that is deeply affecting. Michael's part of the story is much more meaningful and heartrending than Ellis's since it takes readers through the harrowing early years of a disease that for far too long was a death sentence. Ellis is a sympathetic protagonist and it is quite gratifying to watch him grow and make some much needed changes to his life. An incredibly heartfelt yet poignant story that packs a powerful emotional punch.
The first part of this engaging, yet short novel, is from Ellis Judd's point of view. Ellis is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife Annie whom he deeply loved. His mother's death when he was a teen altered his life's path when his domineering and abusive father stifled Ellis's artistic endeavors. The only bright spot in his life until Ellis met Annie is his close friendship with Michael Wright. If the young men had grown up during a more enlightened time period, would their friendship have gone down a different road?
The second part of the novel is from Michael's perspective and it is much more emotionally compelling. Michael is a sensitive man who drifted away from Ellis after his marriage to Annie. He moved to London for his writing career where he never quite found anyone who meant as much to him as Ellis. His life takes somewhat tragic turn as he nurses a former lover through a fatal illness. Afterwards, Michael travels to the French countryside where he slowly heals and after his return to London, he reconnects with Annie and Ellis.
Tin Man by Sarah Winman is a beautifully written novel that is deeply affecting. Michael's part of the story is much more meaningful and heartrending than Ellis's since it takes readers through the harrowing early years of a disease that for far too long was a death sentence. Ellis is a sympathetic protagonist and it is quite gratifying to watch him grow and make some much needed changes to his life. An incredibly heartfelt yet poignant story that packs a powerful emotional punch.