Still Life

I loved this book because although I write children’s books, this is the sort of adult novel which feeds my imagination.

It begins in Florence at the end of WW2, where we first meet the British soldier Ulysses Temper, his commanding officer Darnley, and Evelyn Skinner, an elderly art historian. We then follow Ulysses back to the East end of London at the end of the war, where he resumes his old life – but changed by the experiences of war, Italy, and art.

We get to know his wonderfully varied group of friends who are bound together, and sometimes… show more.

I was swept into the mind of the protagonist, Ulysses, from the start, a young man who carried a wry sense of optimism, who accepted all for who they were, and who had a deep sense of caring. (He took a child to raise on his own!)

The author avoided being sentimental, but at the same time, her book is imbued with love, albeit among a group of outliers who fail at traditional love relationships yet who discover over time their loyalty to each other. I liked the “era” when it was set, after the Great War. I loved being… show more.

I have a fondness for what I call ‘salvaged families,’ something I explore time and time again in my own work, and this is a delicious story of remarkable individuals brought together by love, war, and art to create their own, delightful, salvaged family.

When Ulysses, a young British soldier, meets middle-aged art historian Evelyn in the wine cellar of an abandoned Tuscan villa in 1944, he has no idea how far both their lives will be affected by one small act of kindness.

Sarah Winman imbues her characters with warmth and hope, making you laugh and cry. I had… show more.

The novel is a love letter to Florence, Italy, but also a love letter to friendship.

It’s the type of feel-good story that, even though bad things happen—reminds you of the power of friendship, the beauty of a setting, and the power of an unforeseen adventure to bring people together.

It brought to the surface my love of cozy books, when, no matter how difficult things get, they all work out in the end. I laughed; I cried; I wanted to revisit Florence and give complete strangers a big hug.

A sprawling delight of a novel. I was due to visit Florence for the first time in the summer and was recommended this book as a warm-up: what a wonderful idea.

I’m basically a softie with a thin veneer of sophisticated cynicism, so I am always going to be a sucker for a book like this – that starts with tragedy and grimness and then slowly morphs into joy. But the characters are sufficiently compelling that they become friends in your mind, and some of the set pieces and images are unshakeably vivid.

Admittedly, the people all seem more alive,… show more.

Still Life is a glorious book set in London and Florence, giving a fascinating insight into the worlds of History of Art and globe making. Reading it is like eating wonderful food, you will want to savour every mouthful. The characters are extraordinary and yet believable – I fell in love with every one of them.

This wondrous saga about a crew of mostly working-class English folk starts in Italy at the end of WWII, then roves for another three decades between a pub in London and a pensione in Florence. I love Winman’s ability to make us love her characters—and this book is packed with them—no matter their crimes and misdemeanors. In this novel, she rouses only compassion for Peg, who, thinking herself incapable of raising her five-year-old daughter, sends her off to Italy to be brought up by two men. Everything about Winman’s writing says love and humanity and hope. And if you’re into… show more.