Still Life
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- Create Date：2021-06-22 10:16:08
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Winman
- ISBN：0008283354
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Summary
By the bestselling， prize-winning author of When God was a Rabbit and Tin Man， Still Life is a beautiful， big-hearted， richly tapestried story of people brought together by love， war， art， flood… and the ghost of E。M。 Forster。
We just need to know what the heart’s capable of， Evelyn。
And do you know what it’s capable of？
I do。 Grace and fury。
It’s 1944 and in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa， as the Allied troops advance and bombs fall around them， two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening together。
Ulysses Temper is a young British solider and one-time globe-maker， Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy。 She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and relive her memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view。
These two unlikely people find kindred spirits in each other and Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades。
Moving from the Tuscan Hills， to the smog of the East End and the piazzas of Florence， Still Life is a sweeping， mischievous， richly-peopled novel about beauty， love， family and fate。
We just need to know what the heart’s capable of， Evelyn。
And do you know what it’s capable of？
I do。 Grace and fury。
It’s 1944 and in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa， as the Allied troops advance and bombs fall around them， two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening together。
Ulysses Temper is a young British solider and one-time globe-maker， Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy。 She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and relive her memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view。
These two unlikely people find kindred spirits in each other and Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades。
Moving from the Tuscan Hills， to the smog of the East End and the piazzas of Florence， Still Life is a sweeping， mischievous， richly-peopled novel about beauty， love， family and fate。
Reviews
Kasia
，
Some of my best holidays took place in Italy and I found this novel boring and difficult to get through… Very banal and naive， none of the relationships make sense， the author’s constant desire to reconnect people/intertwine their lives is such hard work to believe in and all the ‘happy ending’/‘lucky strikes’ needed for the novel to hold shape are just too much to stand。
Will
，
I was looking forward to this novel， having read （like so many GR reviewers here）， Winman’s When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man。 I enjoyed both， particularly Tin Man， which I thought was a little gem of a book。 As I was reading Still Life， I was liking it but also thinking I would be writing a critical review， tallying up the parts that troubled me。 Was she trying too hard to inject a quirky humor？ Were certain storylines necessary？ And the parrot！ While I know that parrots are highly intelligent， I was looking forward to this novel， having read （like so many GR reviewers here）， Winman’s When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man。 I enjoyed both， particularly Tin Man， which I thought was a little gem of a book。 As I was reading Still Life， I was liking it but also thinking I would be writing a critical review， tallying up the parts that troubled me。 Was she trying too hard to inject a quirky humor？ Were certain storylines necessary？ And the parrot！ While I know that parrots are highly intelligent， the abilities Claude the parrot displayed in the novel defied credibility。 A bit of magic， a bit of whimsy perhaps， but it was bugging me even if he managed to elicit a smile once or twice。 Picky things， but picky things that I worried would capsize my overall final appreciation of the novel and lead to a lower rating。However， things began to change for me， and I will repeat what I have read in many reviews: the novel is so warm and big hearted that it won me over。 Thankfully， my annoyances were somewhat diminished by passages that were eloquently written and a large cast of fully realized characters。 I embraced the themes of the importance and appreciation of art， and my emotions were stirred at the look of love in all its variations。 As I considered the novel overnight， I was beginning to think that it was perhaps more than the sum of its parts and there was more meaning to be had than I thought。 I do admire some of Winman’s narrative choices， such as ending the novel with a character’s early back story。 It felt like a risky move， but it worked。 So， despite my criticisms （take them or leave them）， I succumbed to the emotional pull and， lastly， to Winman’s loving depiction of Florence， Italy， the setting of most of the novel。 She totally succeeded in firing up a desire in me to book a trip there immediately。 。。。more
Annie
，
Right up my alley as a special book about kindred spirits， however， there was far too much of everything， could’ve been culled to half the size and been fantastic。
Mandy
，
Such a warm-hearted and heart-warming novel about a disparate group of friends who become more than a family over the decades， a thoroughly engaging tale of love， loss， longing and missed opportunities。 Pitch perfect storytelling， insightful and compassionate， a really lovely read。 So many reviews out there， so I’ll say no more。
Laurena
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3。5 stars - loved the characters and the evocative descriptions of Florence。
Emma
，
I do not think I have read such an enjoyable book in a very long time！ There is something so attractive about a book that has such wonderful feeling of place， wry humour and a liberal smattering of loss， love thwarted， misdirected and reciprocated。。。 not to mention， art， food ，music and a rather splendidly bedraggled Parrot。This is a wartime/Post-War saga with a shedload of heart without a modicum of the usual saccharine sweetness。 There are no tropes here and a gloriously diverse “cast” of char I do not think I have read such an enjoyable book in a very long time！ There is something so attractive about a book that has such wonderful feeling of place， wry humour and a liberal smattering of loss， love thwarted， misdirected and reciprocated。。。 not to mention， art， food ，music and a rather splendidly bedraggled Parrot。This is a wartime/Post-War saga with a shedload of heart without a modicum of the usual saccharine sweetness。 There are no tropes here and a gloriously diverse “cast” of characters makes for a wonderfully complex but funny story that stays with you even after we say goodbye after a cyclical journey of discovery for all。 。。。more
Elaine Kelly
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A beautifully written book， a joy to read
Kat
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Far exceeded my expectations。I feel this is a book about art and love and place。 told through interconnected lives。 Each person is important， has their part to play。Finding and forming their own families。 Missing。 Reuniting。 Enduring and supporting。
Sharon J
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While Still Life was beautifully written and the locations were incredibly appealing having been to Florence and London and loved both， the story and characters were not engaging for me。 I struggled to keep going and while I persisted I didn’t find it rewarding at all。 Disappointing as I was really excited to read this novel by Sarah Winman。 Maybe some more ruthless editing would have created a more vibrant story。Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publisher Australia for a copy to read and While Still Life was beautifully written and the locations were incredibly appealing having been to Florence and London and loved both， the story and characters were not engaging for me。 I struggled to keep going and while I persisted I didn’t find it rewarding at all。 Disappointing as I was really excited to read this novel by Sarah Winman。 Maybe some more ruthless editing would have created a more vibrant story。Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publisher Australia for a copy to read and review。 。。。more
Rachael Mills
，
My favourite book of 2021！ Such beautiful and passionate prose with an endearing cast of characters that I never wanted to leave。 The evocative setting of Tuscany makes this the perfect summer read。 It'll have you laughing， crying， and smiling， ultimately making everything seem just a little bit better。 My favourite book of 2021！ Such beautiful and passionate prose with an endearing cast of characters that I never wanted to leave。 The evocative setting of Tuscany makes this the perfect summer read。 It'll have you laughing， crying， and smiling， ultimately making everything seem just a little bit better。 。。。more
Audrey
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I feel so completely bereft now that I have finished this glorious book， I can't see how anything could top it for me this year I feel so completely bereft now that I have finished this glorious book， I can't see how anything could top it for me this year 。。。more
Bridget
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Still Life is a charming and warming historical novel set in Italy that stretches over four decades。 Sarah Winman's writing is lovely and here she conjures up some adorably quirky characters putting them in a Florentine piazza。 There are talking trees and birds （Claude， a blue Amazonian， Shakespeare quoting parrot）， and the Italy the author portrays is one I love to imagine; I was delighted to visit it in this tale。 If you’re in the mood for some tension and distraction and something to make you Still Life is a charming and warming historical novel set in Italy that stretches over four decades。 Sarah Winman's writing is lovely and here she conjures up some adorably quirky characters putting them in a Florentine piazza。 There are talking trees and birds （Claude， a blue Amazonian， Shakespeare quoting parrot）， and the Italy the author portrays is one I love to imagine; I was delighted to visit it in this tale。 If you’re in the mood for some tension and distraction and something to make you feel gratified then this is the book for you。 I'm sure it will prove to be a marvellous treat for many readers。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Fourth Estate via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Helen
，
I picked up Sarah Winman’s new novel， Still Life， with vague memories of enjoying one of her earlier books， When God Was a Rabbit。 That was ten years ago and although she has had two other books published since then， I never got round to reading either of them。 The pretty cover of Still Life caught my eye and the Italian setting sounded appealing， so I thought I would give this one a try。The novel opens in wartime Tuscany in 1944 with a chance meeting between two very different people: Evelyn Sk I picked up Sarah Winman’s new novel， Still Life， with vague memories of enjoying one of her earlier books， When God Was a Rabbit。 That was ten years ago and although she has had two other books published since then， I never got round to reading either of them。 The pretty cover of Still Life caught my eye and the Italian setting sounded appealing， so I thought I would give this one a try。The novel opens in wartime Tuscany in 1944 with a chance meeting between two very different people: Evelyn Skinner， almost sixty-four years old， is an art historian who has come to Italy to try to salvage important works of art; Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier， formerly a globe-maker from London。 As the Allies advance across Italy， a brief friendship forms between Evelyn and Ulysses before they are parted and return to their separate lives。For most of the novel， we follow Ulysses and his friends， first back at home in London and later in Florence， where some of them decide to relocate after the war。 There’s Ulysses’ ex-wife， the talented but troubled Peg and her young daughter， Alys; Col who runs the Stoat and Parrot pub and Pete the pianist; Old Cress， who talks to trees and has visions which have a habit of coming true; and a Shakespeare-quoting blue parrot called Claude。 It took me a while to warm to these characters， but eventually I became quite fond of some of them， particularly Cress and Alys。 None of them are perfect – they all have their flaws and all make mistakes – but they feel like real and believable human beings。Evelyn， though， appears only occasionally after that opening scene and we have to wait almost until the end of the novel to hear her story – by which time I found I’d lost interest in her and would have preferred to continue reading about Ulysses and the others。 Evelyn’s story， which should have been fascinating as it involved a meeting with EM Forster and a pre-war romance with an Italian maid， felt as if it had been squeezed into the end of the book as an afterthought and in my opinion would have worked better if it had unfolded gradually alongside the other storylines。The novel is beautifully written， there are some lovely descriptions of Florence and the influence of Forster’s A Room With a View can be seen in several different ways throughout the story。 With a timespan of several decades， Winman also writes about various historical events that take place during that period; for example， there’s a memorable section set during the devastating flood of the Arno river in 1966。 Unfortunately， there was one thing I really disliked about Winman’s writing in this book – and that was the lack of speech marks。 I’m never sure what authors are trying to achieve in leaving out basic punctuation。 A more ‘literary’ style？ A stream of consciousness feel？ Whatever it is， it never works for me and I end up just finding it distracting and annoying。Still Life wasn’t completely successful with me， then， but I did enjoy getting to know the characters and spending some time in Italy in virtual form， which is the closest I will get to a holiday abroad this year！ 。。。more
Di
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What to say about this amazing book。 Exquisite is the word that springs to mind。 I fell in love with each of the characters， including Claude， and did not want the story to end。 The evocative descriptions of Florence and of the art works and the poetry moved me to tears。 A book that will stay with me。 I only wish I was about to read it again for the first time。
Eleanor Slater
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The best book I've read this year。 Sun soaked and full of characters I'll carry with me。 The best book I've read this year。 Sun soaked and full of characters I'll carry with me。 。。。more
Lesley
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I was sent a copy of Still Life by Sarah Winman to read and review by NetGalley。 What a magnificent book！ I cannot praise this novel highly enough。 So beautifully written， almost poetic。 I was invested in the incredibly well drawn characters from the start and I grew to love them all even more as time went on。 Set between Florence and London and beginning during the second world war， this novel is about friendship， life and above all love。 I don’t want to go into the story itself， suffice to say I was sent a copy of Still Life by Sarah Winman to read and review by NetGalley。 What a magnificent book！ I cannot praise this novel highly enough。 So beautifully written， almost poetic。 I was invested in the incredibly well drawn characters from the start and I grew to love them all even more as time went on。 Set between Florence and London and beginning during the second world war， this novel is about friendship， life and above all love。 I don’t want to go into the story itself， suffice to say it is imbued with feeling， humour and hope – with a smattering of art and literature to boot。 I really didn’t want it to end！ This is the book I want to buy all my friends！ Take some time out and enjoy！ 。。。more
Sandra
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One of my favourite authors - I have loved all of her books。
Helen
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*I have just finished this book for a second time。 I am so tempted to reread again。 I am so invested in the characters I find myself wanting to plea for a follow up。*The absolutely best book I have read in a very long time。I am very glad I chose the audible version of the book as boy did Sarah Winman know how to play her characters。 This book is a must for art lovers， it's filled to the brim with culture and then some！ Her characters were just amazing， so incredibly real。 This is the first book *I have just finished this book for a second time。 I am so tempted to reread again。 I am so invested in the characters I find myself wanting to plea for a follow up。*The absolutely best book I have read in a very long time。I am very glad I chose the audible version of the book as boy did Sarah Winman know how to play her characters。 This book is a must for art lovers， it's filled to the brim with culture and then some！ Her characters were just amazing， so incredibly real。 This is the first book that I have turned back and started it all over again in a very long time。 Sarah you have Marvellous Ways with your penmanship。 。。。more
Olivera
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One of the best books I've ever read。 Deep， multidimensional characters I feel in love with， rich landscapes and well paced。 One of the best books I've ever read。 Deep， multidimensional characters I feel in love with， rich landscapes and well paced。 。。。more
Miss N O'Shea
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Another unique marvel from Sarah WinmanCharacters you wish you lived alongside， description that makes you feel you are in Florence， history retold in a fun way。 A book that doesn’t fit in a genre。 A unique piece that should be enjoyed by all。
Jo Jakeman
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THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING BOOK！The writing is sublime， and the characters so vivid （I even loved Claude， the parrot！） It’s one of those books that you want to keep reading but also don’t want to end。 I’ve laughed out loud and I’ve sobbed。 Now it’s over I am BEREFT （and have a strange desire to move to Italy）
Annarella
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I started at bedtime， sort of "let's see how it is"， and stopped reading very late in the night。It was the style of writing， the excellent storytelling and the great characters。I was enthralled and in love with this story and how it was written。I loved the descriptions of Florence and I found this story enthralling and gripping。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I started at bedtime， sort of "let's see how it is"， and stopped reading very late in the night。It was the style of writing， the excellent storytelling and the great characters。I was enthralled and in love with this story and how it was written。I loved the descriptions of Florence and I found this story enthralling and gripping。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Helen O'Toole
，
My first overseas trip at the age of 46 was a brief stay in Rome but then a train trip for 5 glorious days in Florence。 This beautiful novel made me recall the sheer glory of first seeing the Duomo and especially the Arno River。 I loved the cast of characters， the superbly named Ulysses Temper， Evelyn Skinner， Peg， Cressy， Pete， Alys， Col and Des， the millionaire with a heart of gold。 The final chapter named All About Evelyn was a complete joy as it combined EM Forster and his awful mother with My first overseas trip at the age of 46 was a brief stay in Rome but then a train trip for 5 glorious days in Florence。 This beautiful novel made me recall the sheer glory of first seeing the Duomo and especially the Arno River。 I loved the cast of characters， the superbly named Ulysses Temper， Evelyn Skinner， Peg， Cressy， Pete， Alys， Col and Des， the millionaire with a heart of gold。 The final chapter named All About Evelyn was a complete joy as it combined EM Forster and his awful mother with the unfolding story of young Evelyn’s first love， Livia， the house maid。 What a superb book， so gentle in its narrative yet giving so much to the reader: friendship， memories， loyalty， loves， humour， history， literature and a vision of the wonders of Florence。 。。。more
Sara M
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This book is wonderful and I mean it in the truest sense of the word: it's a novel that looks at humans and life with wonder。Forget the blurb， because there is no way to capture such a sprawling narrative in one neat paragraph。 It's a novel that follows the lives of many people， in Florence and in London， across several decades。Sarah Winman's writing has a unique healing quality for me， her words are a balm for my soul。 This book's outlook on the world is absurdly open-hearted， and full of love This book is wonderful and I mean it in the truest sense of the word: it's a novel that looks at humans and life with wonder。Forget the blurb， because there is no way to capture such a sprawling narrative in one neat paragraph。 It's a novel that follows the lives of many people， in Florence and in London， across several decades。Sarah Winman's writing has a unique healing quality for me， her words are a balm for my soul。 This book's outlook on the world is absurdly open-hearted， and full of love and wonder and appreciation for the most mundane details of our life， and above all for the influence we all have on each other， the legacy of human connection， however brief and fleeting。Now， this is not a perfect book and certainly not for everyone。 It can be twee， it can didascalic， it can manipulate the reader with too much precision。 Characters wear the heart on their sleeves and they are so intensely lovable， even the prickly ones。 And normally， I can't stand books that take complex topics and in an attempt to lighten them up try and simplify life， to give it a moral: all you need is love， etc。But Still Life doesn't shy away from pain and cruelty。 There is illness and death and sex and some of the sex is uncomfortable。 Sure， there is a lovely sentient parrot who recites poetry， but also three characters genuinely bury a corpse one of them had killed。It's a rich book， filled with beauty， but it's a beauty that is real， layered。 It may wax lyrical about art and architecture and lonely cypresses and cold wine but it never forgets the rotting， the stench， the decay。 It's the most human novel， organic and directionless and queer and full of love， and my heart is so full， and I could read this forever。 。。。more
Hannah Symonds
，
After reading this book I can't wait to delve into more of Sarah's books。 I found this story fascinating and even more so by the way Sarah is a great storyteller。 It is a moving and poignant story that explores love in it's many forms。 I wanted to cherish the words longer than I needed too just because it is such a rich story which is set in the 1940's。 A British Soldier and a art historian meet， will romance blossom？ what will happen to both of them especially at this moment in time。 A beautifu After reading this book I can't wait to delve into more of Sarah's books。 I found this story fascinating and even more so by the way Sarah is a great storyteller。 It is a moving and poignant story that explores love in it's many forms。 I wanted to cherish the words longer than I needed too just because it is such a rich story which is set in the 1940's。 A British Soldier and a art historian meet， will romance blossom？ what will happen to both of them especially at this moment in time。 A beautifully told story that you will just want to cherish。 。。。more
Susan
，
This was eagerly anticipated and my only regret is that I wasn’t in a leisurely pace enough to read it in enough absorption。 I did， nevertheless， enjoy reading this very much。 Not a lot happens in terms of massive plots but it is a book of gentle life events， love， death， war， drinking， hospitality， art and travel。 If you’re a fan or EM Forster， there is much to enjoy here， including some gentle mockery， but the book is a further homage to Florence and to love above all things。 I loved Ulysses， This was eagerly anticipated and my only regret is that I wasn’t in a leisurely pace enough to read it in enough absorption。 I did， nevertheless， enjoy reading this very much。 Not a lot happens in terms of massive plots but it is a book of gentle life events， love， death， war， drinking， hospitality， art and travel。 If you’re a fan or EM Forster， there is much to enjoy here， including some gentle mockery， but the book is a further homage to Florence and to love above all things。 I loved Ulysses， the main character， a gentle globe maker who， as a soldier， formed deep connections with his commanding officer and with an art historian， Evelyn， who he meets。 The band of characters who join the cast are sweet， funny， and a joy to spend time with。 On the whole， I loved this book very much。 Absorbing and funny。 。。。more
Beverley
，
https://beverleyhasread。wordpress。com/Still Life， by Sarah Winman is an incredibly difficult book to review。 I have no idea how I can even do it justice， and， it is one of those books where you need to go in knowing as little as possible。 I don’t want to ruin your first read of this quite beautiful book， you need to fall in love with it for yourself so I’ll try and keep details as scant possible and as ever there won’t be any spoilers！I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about Still Life b https://beverleyhasread。wordpress。com/Still Life， by Sarah Winman is an incredibly difficult book to review。 I have no idea how I can even do it justice， and， it is one of those books where you need to go in knowing as little as possible。 I don’t want to ruin your first read of this quite beautiful book， you need to fall in love with it for yourself so I’ll try and keep details as scant possible and as ever there won’t be any spoilers！I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about Still Life by Sarah Winman with reviewers I admire writing about how beautiful it is。 I adored Winman’s previous novel， Tin Man and couldn’t wait to get stuck in to this hoping it was as good as everybody was saying it was。 You know what？ It was better。 It ricocheted straight into my Top 10 Books Ever list and even though I was lucky enough to be reading an advanced ecopy， I ended up buying the hardback when I wasn’t even halfway through。It’s about two quite wonderful people， Ulysses Temper and Evelyn Skinner。 They meet in Italy as the Allieds advance on Italy during World War 2。 He is a young British soldier and she is an aging art expert who is rescuing paintings from the destruction of the war。 They spend an evening with Ulysses’ superior， Captain Darnley， drinking very good red wine， talking about， art， life， love and everything in between。 Ulysses tells Evelyn about his wife back home， Peg， about his life and she talks about the beauty of art。 They form a bond， the sort of bond that comes along very rarely indeed。 They say goodbye to one another， each hoping that the other will make it out alive and both feeling changed by their meeting。This is a glorious book which spans four decades and two countries。 It is vividly written with the fog of the London streets leaping from the page whilst the descriptions of Florence， its architecture， art and food made me want to visit immediately。 Winman has a real knack for creating a sense of place and time that there were moments when I’d emerge from reading， confused as to why I was sitting in my living room in the North East and wasn’t in a piazza eating pasta and drinking wine。At its heart though， this character driven novel is about what it means to be human。 Ulysses is surrounded by people who love him dearly， Col who is the landlord of the pub Ulysses works in after the war， Cressy， a friend of Ulysses’ father， Pete， the piano player in the pub， Peg and Claude， the pub parrot （yes， you read that correctly！）。 They are each other’s chosen family， spiralling in and out of each other’s lives as the decades pass but always finding their way back to one another。 Fiercely loyal， loving and protective of each other this group of people are an absolute joy to read about。 I can’t quite believe that they aren’t real。The writing is poetic without being bloated and there are wonderful turns of phrases and wry humour which made me smile on more than one occasion。 Some passages are so beautiful that they deserved an immediate re-read with evocative descriptions hitting me right in the heart。 For example， the “every stain and every oil splash” on the pages of a well-used cookbook are said to be “the equivalent of footprints along a shore” which I thought was just gorgeous。Still Life by Sarah Winman has ricocheted straight into my Top 10 Books Ever list。 It is extraordinarily good and is one of those books where you want to gobble it up but try desperately to eke it out。 If you are yet to read it I am incredibly jealous that you get to do so for the first time， you lucky thing， you have such joy ahead of you。 。。。more
Lorraine
，
Book title: Still LifeAuthor: Sarah WinmanPublisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia Publication Date: 1 June 2021Review Date: 9 June 2021 on GoodreadsMany thanks to NetGalley， HarperCollins Publishers Australia and Sarah Winman for an uncorrected advance ecopyPhenomenalLook into lovingBe kindMemories can often fade away， but oftentimes， a simple encounter with a person will remain with us always even affecting the way we live our life。This books takes us from London to Florence， some cha Book title: Still LifeAuthor: Sarah WinmanPublisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia Publication Date: 1 June 2021Review Date: 9 June 2021 on GoodreadsMany thanks to NetGalley， HarperCollins Publishers Australia and Sarah Winman for an uncorrected advance ecopyPhenomenalLook into lovingBe kindMemories can often fade away， but oftentimes， a simple encounter with a person will remain with us always even affecting the way we live our life。This books takes us from London to Florence， some chance encounters that may or may not be rekindled at a later date。 Sarah Winman uses stunning prose and the most interesting characters including Claude， the quirky parrot （is he related to Shakespeare）， Fanny Blankers-Koen， E M Forster， Geoff Hurst。 There is beautiful imagery along with literal laugh out loud moments。This is a story of love， both between people and art， and those special loves whom we come to regard as family even if not blood related。Today we can google beautiful art and poetry from all over the world。 This books makes you want to do that， especially if you haven't been lucky enough to visit such beautiful cities as Florence， even if you don't have an interest in art or poetry。It was very early on in reading this book I knew it would become a firm favourite。 I read the first 100 pages in one sitting， then split the rest into 3 or 4 sittings as I didn't want it end - even ordered a hard copy and I've never done that before。Just read it - it is perfection。 。。。more
Ellie Hawkes
，
This is another tough review to write， because this book just meant so much to me。 I don’t know Florence well， having only visited briefly， but I know and love Italy， and it was an utter joy to ‘spend time’ there with such an eloquent guide。 The sights， sounds， smells are all captured in exquisite prose， and as Winman describes the landscapes， architecture and art works， it begins to feel like more of a sensory experience than a purely literary one。 And the food！ Never has a book made me so hung This is another tough review to write， because this book just meant so much to me。 I don’t know Florence well， having only visited briefly， but I know and love Italy， and it was an utter joy to ‘spend time’ there with such an eloquent guide。 The sights， sounds， smells are all captured in exquisite prose， and as Winman describes the landscapes， architecture and art works， it begins to feel like more of a sensory experience than a purely literary one。 And the food！ Never has a book made me so hungry！ I could practically taste the papparadelle and ragu – Italian food is my all-time favourite， and this book is mouth-watering。Underpinning all of this beauty and sensory delight is the sheer joy of spending time with the characters of this book。 Each and every one made their way into my heart， and it is the sort of magical novel that makes you ache at the sad fact that these people are fictional。 I wanted nothing more than to be in the square listening to Alys strumming her guitar， to see Cressy sitting on the stone bench gossiping with le signore as they chat and knit， to have coffee with Ulysses and Massimo at Michele’s。 I wanted to be a guest at the Pensione Bertolini， and I wanted to go to Col’s East End pub and listen to Pete playing the piano while Peg sings。 I wanted to meet Claude， fiction’s greatest parrot， and go to Giglio for the summer; I wanted to visit an art gallery with Evelyn and hear her insights for myself。 I don’t think there is a feeling quite like the one you get when you are reading a book and you just want it all to exist， to be true。 It is rare and special and almost sacred。The link to E。M Forster’s A Room With a View is extraordinary – this is no knowing nod or gentle homage; Still Life consumes the classic novel， absorbs it and offers us something greater， further-reaching， MORE。 It pretty much eats Forster for breakfast， and gives us a banquet of better， alternative ways of falling in love in and with Florence。 Towards the end there is a kind of coda that I wasn’t expecting， which added even more depth to this already profound novel。What Sarah Winman doesn’t teach us about love in this novel isn’t worth knowing。 This book is so big-hearted， so kind without being sentimental， so accepting of our imperfections – reading this story is like being part of a warm， loving family， and I felt utterly bereft at having to leave the characters on the final page。 Still Life is， for me， a perfect novel。 。。。more
Sarah Sansom
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I’ve seen many reviews where Still Life has been categorised as historical fiction。 Whilst this book is spans a swathe of pivotal decades of modern history， to me this novel is primarily a loves story … yes， I did mean loves， that’s a very deliberate typo。 Because this is a book that embraces and celebrates every kind of love。 But with love comes its counterpoint， heart-break， and this book deals some truly breathtaking blows。 The loves and losses are distributed - unequally - between a cast of I’ve seen many reviews where Still Life has been categorised as historical fiction。 Whilst this book is spans a swathe of pivotal decades of modern history， to me this novel is primarily a loves story … yes， I did mean loves， that’s a very deliberate typo。 Because this is a book that embraces and celebrates every kind of love。 But with love comes its counterpoint， heart-break， and this book deals some truly breathtaking blows。 The loves and losses are distributed - unequally - between a cast of unforgettable characters， in a beautifully written and emotionally captivating book that I urge you to get your hands on。The book’s synopsis gave me the impression that Still Life would be an historical fiction novel set in and around the Second World War。 Yes， the opening chapter is set in 1944， but Still Life has such a big story to tell， and its 487-pages swept me up in an expressive， warm-hearted， soul-soothing story that kept me hopelessly captivated until 1979。 The passage of time punctuates the progression of the fictional plot with factual anchor points that each make their mark on the characters’ lives: the great smog of London in ’52， the coronation， protests against the war in Vietnam， the lunar landing， the Kennedy assassination， the socio-political movement， and - most notably - the horrific floods that devastated Florence in 1966。 Ulysses is the book’s pivotal character， orbited by a cast of perfectly imperfect individuals。 It’s Ulysses - named by his father after a lucrative win on the dogs - who carries the story from war-torn Florence， to his east London home， and back again to Florence to start a new life。 He is a joy to get to know， as are the people he surrounds himself with … or perhaps I should say the people who gravitate towards him。 He’s utterly charming， but quietly so; a study of human kindness， generosity and acceptance。 Our first encounter with him is also our first encounter with Evelyn; several decades his senior and yet there’s an immediate bond that transcends the generational gap， and one that will last for decades to come。 Evelyn is book’s other main character， although the author creates a delicious air of mystery around her with infrequent appearances and the occasional coincidental crossing of paths， both with Ulysses and other people in the young man’s life。 Her enigma is her allure - there are hints she was a spy during the war， and she was well ahead of her time with her bohemian lifestyle， her independence， and her refusal to conform。 Florence is her passion， one that she instilled in Ulysses during their brief hours together in a Tuscan cellar， drinking priceless bottles of Pouillac and Margaux with the divine Captain Darnley as German bombs thunder into the earth above them。Together， both Ulysses and Evelyn cast a spell on the reader， and I defy you not to fall head over heels for their beloved city。 The author has written a world so vibrant and irresistibly inviting … it’s saturated in sentiment and sensation and I relished every decade， every location， the food and drink， the art， the architecture， the history-soaked city， the days and nights … it’s all been written with such ravishing beauty。The author creates an eclectic community around Ulysses - one that enjoys his company as much as I did。 The contrasts between each character are rich and engaging， and whilst they each develop as the book progresses， they’ve been written with such care and attention that they burst from the page with an intimate familiarity from the very first moment you meet them。 Your heart will soar， and from time to time it will feel sore too; broken。 That’s the utterly inescapable beauty of this book - you feel its every twist of fate， every collision with chance， every high and every low as if it’s happening to you personally。 It holds you in its gaze and you can’t look away。Ulysses’ wife， Peggy， is a disarming character whose sharp edges belie the intense and vulnerable woman beneath; in spite of her every effort to keep the reader at arm’s length， she’s impossible not to adore。 The real Peggy is revealed to us gradually through her friendships with Pete （the sensitive， talented pianist at Col’s ropey East End pub - The Stoat & Parrot）， and Cress （the wise and prescient man I ached to jump into the book and talk with for hours） and， of course， Ulysses … the man irredeemably in love with her。 So many times I despaired of Peggy’s choices （infidelity， giving up her daughter Alys， marrying a man who will hurt her so badly） and yet they made me cherish her all the more。At the other end of the spectrum is Claude … one of the characters who peppers the story with levity and moments that had me laughing out loud。 Claude is the book’s cover star … a stunning parrot who fell down the chimney of The Stoat Pub， refusing to leave and instigating its name change to the incongruous Stoat & Parrot。 He’s a bird of few words during his time in London， cowed by the volatile temper of landlord Col。 But my word does that change when he creates a new life for himself in Florence！ He’s a whole new bird， and we have the delightful Cress to thank for that， smuggling him across the border in a false-bottomed briefcase。 Don’t tell anyone， but Claude was my favourite character - part Shakespeare， part life-coach， part Liberace， and all round entertainer。 This is the first novel by Sarah Winman that I’ve read （soon to be rectified）， so I’m new to her writing。 What struck me immediately was the distinctive style in which the characters’ conversations are presented - there’s not a single speech mark。 I was a little distracted by this at first and wondered if it was going to influence my enjoyment of the book … and it absolutely did！ But in the very best way。 It’s hard to try and put into words how， but I liken it to when you meet someone fascinating and moreish who’s so quietly spoken you have to lean in to their story， get close and listen intently。 It forges a closer bond between the storyteller and the listener/reader， and I’ve no doubt this decisive style played as much of a role in the immersive nature of Still Life as the sumptuous setting and the embrace of its welcoming characters。 There are some coincidences that perhaps stretch the bounds of credibility， but to be honest I was so completely in love I just didn’t care … they felt perfect and quickened my pulse。Any reader picking up Still Life has struck gold！ This beautiful， cinematic novel has firmly established itself in my list of all-time favourites， alongside others that have moved me with their rich and evocative settings， enticing emotional resonance， and an overwhelming desire to step into their pages … it joins Captain Corelli’s Mandolin， Chocolat， The Night Circus， All The Light We Cannot See， and The Little Paris Bookshop as a book I will read again … and again。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Still Life
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Still Life&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Still Life&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0