This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

This is a wonderful book filled with almost poetic prose and gorgeous vivid descriptions of the UK and Italy.

In "Still Life," Sarah Winman crafts a poignant and introspective narrative that spans decades, exploring themes of love, loss, and the enduring power of art. The novel revolves around the lives of two friends, drawing readers into a rich tapestry of emotions and relationships. Winman's prose is evocative and lyrical, creating a sense of timelessness in the storytelling. The novel unfolds with a gentle grace, allowing readers to connect deeply with the characters and their journeys. "Still Life" is a beautifully written exploration of the human experience, offering moments of joy, heartbreak, and the enduring nature of friendship.

This was a book I definitely wanted to read because of the cover and social media cover.
It was a sweet story where we followed different characters and their love, friendship, etc. I must say I didn’t LOVE it. It was nice and the scenery definitely a big part of the whole experience but a bit disappointed.

This book somehow appealed to me from the synopsis and cover but once I started to read it found it really wasn’t my genre of book and I found it hard going the writing was beautifully done but I have to admit I didn’t get a third in as I couldn’t keep my attention. Shame on me I know my sister would love this book so have recommended it to her.

This was a very beautiful story about two strangers of different generations who meet and affect each others’ lives. The writing is lyrical and sweeps the reader along. Italian art isn’t really my bag though and while the relationship between the two main character was poignant and moving, I failed to be moved by the novel overall.

Beautifully written, a piece of pure loveliness. I can see why there is such a hype about this book. Purely wonderful.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me the stunning book

I really struggled to get into this one, despite hearing of many people who absolutely loved the novel. I'm a great believer that some books don't reach you at the right time, and I fully intend to try again.

Well, it looks like I took a long time to read this book, and it did, but not for the usual reasons. It’s a book that needs to be read slowly. Savoured. Absorbed. It’s one of those books that reminds me not to give out five stars too generously. I didn’t want it to end.
This book is about people. It’s about the difference and the similarities and the uniqueness of each one of us. It’s a book that makes me look at strangers in the supermarket or on the bus, and muse how we’re all just people with pasts and challenges and hopes and dreams and tragedies. We’re complex for sure. It’s a book that reminds me to stop, slow down and live in the now.
Of course everyone won’t see it this way, many will connect with some characters more than others and enjoy their stories, but that’s what makes a good book, right? A book should be for the reader. Unique to each of us.
In a world of too many books to read in one lifetime, do choose this one. Loved it.

Still Life Sarah Winman
This book is a dnf for me, I'm just confused as to what's going on. Chapters are so long, yet chop and change. I might come back to it later.

Historical fiction is not normally a genre I would read so that could influence this review. however, as much as I wanted to enjoy this I found it a struggle. I found the lack of quotation marks during each of the characters speech made the story harder to follow, which meant I had to concentrate more on the speech than that of the actual story, often resulting in re-reading passages to understand who had said what.. I also found the ending a little abrupt and I didn’t really feel that the ending matched what I had been reading slightly before. I did however, find the characters likeable, and found that I was able to get into the story more from about 65-70% in.

One of the best storyteller's that we have currently, such a pleasure to escape into the intricate characters that she creates. A real joy to read.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Still Life' by Sarah Winman begins in Italy in 1944. As Allied troops advance, an English soldier, Ulysses Temper, holes up in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he meets Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to rescue art from destruction and recall long-forgotten memories. Ulysses and Evelyn find a connection amongst the ruins, and the story then follows Ulysses's life over the next forty years. Winman writes beautifully, evocatively, tenderly, and her characters are drawn with exquisite perfection. I loved this novel of love and hope and redemption.

This is definitely a case of it's not you, it's me. Still Life is a heavily character driven book, combining a love of art with the need to survive and unfortunately I need a plot to keep me compelled. This just didn't have that, and while I can appreciate and understand everyone who loves this, my logical mind just couldn't get invested. It skips and skims these characters lives, playing heavily into that literary trope of using no quotations, which often threw me out of the world and atmosphere. Characters I started to like disappear for a while, as we move on the next one play out a random scene that doesn't develop any kind of plot or really seem to mean anything.

In the end I just found this incredibly frustrating and, if I'm honest, a bit dull. Give me plot. Give me structure. Give me speech marks.

⭐️ 2 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I really wanted to love this book because I’ve read so many wonderful, glowing reviews for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first part set in Italy, but when it moved to London that’s when I began to lose interest. I finally threw in the towel at 25% because I really didn’t want to pick it up again - the lack of speech marks also influenced my decision to give up.

Sadly, not for me.

Goodness me, I adore Sarah Winman. She can do no wrong in my eyes. Tin Man is one of my all time favourite reads, and this is most definitely up there as being just as brilliant. She really is a gorgeous author. Can’t wait for whatever she does next!

Witty, moving, poignant…There are so many positive ways I could describe this book and yet I’d still feel I’m not doing it justice. It’s definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021.

It actually took me a couple of chapters to get into the book. The opening scene didn’t immediately grab me and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but as soon as we were taken to post-war East End London I was hooked.

It’s definitely a character-driven novel. I can’t even pinpoint my favourite character because I loved them all. They were all so well developed, they felt like real people. The city of Florence almost became its own character. The sights, the sounds (and the smells!) were so vivid, I almost felt like I was there.

Art was a big theme throughout the book and for someone who knows absolutely nothing about art, I still found it was written in an interesting and accessible way. However, the main theme is love. Familial love. Romantic love. The love between friends as friendships turn into family.

It was a joy to read – the sort of book you just don’t want to end.

I loved this intimate but epic story of normal lives that are anything but ordinary. Winman conjures atmosphere and characters so distinctly, you feel that you can almost taste the Negronis, feel the Tuscan sun on your skin. I fell in love with this diverse and eccentric cast of characters and found myself willing them on, occasionally calling out as I read urging them on or celebrating for them. There were moments where I laughed out loud, but time when I found myself crying too.
A beautiful novel about friendships, loving each other and what makes life worth living.

If this book was a pie it would be multi layered sweet satisfying decadent and one of a kind. Loved the writing. Loved the characters. Loved loved loved it.

Still Life by Sarah Winman is a wonderful glorious read about people who meet in Tuscany in 1944 and whose lives touch and pass in the next four decades. The storyline covers different countries and different groups of people who become friends. They all end up meeting and some living together in Tuscany. It is a book about friendship, love and different people coming together at different times of their lives. There is Italy, art, love and friendship over a forty year period.
Highly recommended