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 soldier and one-time globe-maker, Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy.

The feeling of fate, time relentlessly passing and the need to embrace the moment comes across so strongly in this book., the author has done a beautiful job. This one fleeting moment is woven throughout the rest of the story as it moves from Tuscany to London and on to Florence.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for a review copy of this one.

Still Life is a heart-warming novel about art, Italy, and really, about life and its many colours. The book opens towards the end of the Second World War, when art historian (and perhaps, spy?) Evelyn Skinner, in her sixties, meets young soldier Ulysses Temper and his superior Captain Darnley in Florence; they form an instant bond, and Evelyn ends up passing on to Ulysses, her love for Florence, and art. The war ends and Ulysses heads back to England where he takes up a job in a pub run by his old friend Col and bonds with pianist Pete, and his father’s old chum (now his), Cressy. Here he also runs into Peg whom he had married before the war but who now has a child with an American soldier she had fallen in love with. Life is moving along (ups and downs) when Ulysses receives an unexpected inheritance and ends up moving to Florence with a motley crew—Peg’s daughter Alys or Kid, Cressy, and the pub’s blue parrot, Claude. Here they attempt to build a new life, one in which poetry and art become a matter of course. There they form new bonds with new friends (particularly, the solicitor Massimo) and their neighbours, but old friends back in England are neither forgotten no far away, for Pete, Col, and in her own way Peg remain part of their lives with visits, constant contact, but much more so by being there, when needed. Alongside we also keep meeting Evelyn Skinner and keeping up with developments in her life. The lives of Evelyn and Ulysses and their friends criss-cross and intertwine, as we follow them from the 1940s through to the 1970s.

Honestly speaking, when I started this book, I found it really hard to get into for nearly the first 20 per cent or so, but then once Ulysses, Kid, Cressy and Claude began to travel to Italy (perhaps a little before that), something changed and I began to be drawn in. Before I knew it, I was in a completely opposite position from not being into the book at all to being completely invested in all the characters, their stories—eager to know how things would turn out for each of them.

The book deals with so many things, art, philosophy, life—its ups and downs, friendships, relationships, love, loss—a whole gamut of topics and a whole gamut of emotions—perhaps a range of those also captured on canvas or in sculptures, but certainly ones we see play out every day. But what stands out ultimately is how important love and support are in life—not romantic love but love of friends, those whom one can bond with, those that stand by you unconditionally, unquestioningly, those who have always got your back. Ulysses and his friends—all of them—have just that and that is heart-warming to see.

I enjoyed Winman’s writing for the most part (this was my first time reading her), her descriptions of Florence (If you love the city, I think you’ll enjoy this all the more), the humour she manages to weave into the writing and plot, and also her story-telling. At times, it was very raw, very visceral which I am not sure how I felt about (may be not entirely comfortable).

My favourite part of the book though were the characters themselves—pretty much all of them are in some way or other eccentric, some of their motivations (particularly, Peg, I thought) don’t make sense and yet, you end up loving them all—main or supporting—each has a distinct personality and voice, each has their flaws, each makes mistakes, but you end up rooting for them all (with the exception of Ted, but then…). (I did want to write more about them, but I feel that would end up turning into an essay.)

And speaking of characters, how can one not write about Claude, the Shakespeare quoting parrot (see cover image)—whether or not he was Shakespeare reborn, he is a loveable bird and a hero in his own right---I wont say how, but read the book to see.

I wish I could write something intelligent about the discussion of art in the book, because there was that too, but honestly with the state of mind I was in, I didn’t really take all of it in. But I did enjoy the discussion of women’s role in the renaissance as subjects and as artists (there were the rare women painters but sadly lost or hidden in the dominant histories).

And being a story of Englishmen (and women) in Italy, this would feel incomplete without Forster and Baedeker, so of course we have them too, Evelyn having ‘met’ him when she made her very first visit in her youth. I won’t tell you what happens but reading the book left me wanting to reread both A Room with a View and The Portrait of a Lady (James is mentioned too).

From a not so great start (though even that made sense later), this turned out to be a lovely, warm, read, full of hope, and about all that is good about human beings. Well worth a read. 4.25 stars from me!

Lines which resonated with me: So, time heals. Mostly. Sometimes carelessly. And in unsuspecting moments, the pain catches and reminds one of all that’s been missing. The fulcrum of what might have been. But then it passes. Winter moves into spring and swallows return.

One thing that irked me (and this may well be because it was a proof copy): Mrs Kaur cooking Dal Makhana (should be Dal makhani, that i.e., buttery dal—a dish; not dal makhana (dal with foxnuts/lotus seeds—not a dish).

Sarah Winman has always managed to weave beautiful stories. I remember reading When God Was a Rabbit and just being totally swept away by the characters and story. This story is no different and it is the beautifully rich characters that bring it to life.

The story follows Ulyesses and Evelyn on their life journey after a chance encounter during WWII. Evelyn a woman of mature age who as an art teacher is in Italy trying to salvage paintings, and Ulyesses a soldier who is assigned to helping her. Their stories are remarkable and yet all they're really doing is looking for somewhere to call home. A lot happens and yet it's just a meandering story about their lives.

The characters in this are outstanding, you'll fall in love with Cressey, have your heart broken over and over again by Peg, and be confounded by Claude. It is funny, and endearing and I cried by eyes out (whilst in a very public place) on more than one occassion.

What a brillaint read, and I am so happy to have been given the chance to read this. I will be recommending to everyone.

There is, occasionally, a novel that is so absolutely perfect that I think how can I write a review that will recognise this perfection? I savoured every page of Still Life and I was bereft when it ended; it is magical, moving, hilarious, clever and so beautifully written.

This is a character driven story about relationships, love, understanding and tolerance. The characters are completely lovable and spring off the page. I adored them all. Each one has his or her story but they are melded together to create a real feeling of family.

The settings of London and Florence are skillfully described and I got a real sense of time and space as the narrative travels through the decades of the twentieth century. There are rich cultural references to art and history which enhance the delightful atmosphere. The dialogue between the characters is highly entertaining and in some cases it made me laugh out loud.

I know I haven't done Still Life justice but if you love a read that is warmhearted and joyous this really is for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Fourth Estate Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Fourth Estate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Still Life’ by Sarah Winman in exchange for an honest review. As it was published the day I began reading, I bought its unabridged audiobook edition, read by the author, for a combined read/listen.

This work of historical literary fiction isn’t easy to summarise though it feels like the kind of novel that E.M. Forster might write, which is apt as he makes a brief appearance in it and his ‘A Room With a View’ comes up a few times in the narrative. As in his novels the power of connections between people is a major theme.

In 1944 the Allied forces are advancing through the Italian countryside. In the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa two strangers share an evening together and discover that they are kindred spirits.

Private Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, who had been a globe-maker in East London before the war. Evelyn Skinner is approaching her sixty-third birthday and has returned to Italy to offer her expertise as a art historian to the Monuments Officers tasked with rescuing artworks from the ruins. It is also an opportunity to relive her youthful memories of her emotional awakening in a Florentine room with a view.

They part yet Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses mind that will ultimately shape the trajectory of his life for the next four decades.

‘Still Life’ follows Ulysses and Evelyn plus a number of memorable characters through the aftermath of the war and beyond into the 1970s. Aside from the humans there is Claude, an Amazonian blue parrot as depicted on the gorgeous cover. Claude is the mascot of the pub that Ulysses frequents in London and on occasion quotes lines from Shakespeare, which is so quirky.

‘A Room With a View’ is one of my favourite novels and so Evelyn’s account of her encounter with Forster at the Pensione Simi was especially appreciated.

This was an easy book to fall in love with given the beauty of the writing, its characters and themes. Then there are the descriptions of art and of course, the city of Florence so vividly depicted. It is a novel that is bound to have a wide appeal.

Highly recommended.

What a wonderful story this is! It is a little slow to get going, and had many characters which made initial chapters a little confusing, but once I had got to know each character, every page was just a joy to read.

The story starts in World War 2, when a soldier, Ulysses, come to the aid of Evelyn, an intractable old lady. The story mainly follows Ulysses and his unexpected good fortune following a brave and heroic rescue of a man attempting suicide, though this is not apparent for some time. Each character is fabulously constructed and genuinely seem to leap off the page. They are prickly, flawed and fiercely loyal to one another. Winman creates many unique stories which are delightfully woven together and uncovered: Evelyn, Peg and her love for Eddie, her GI Joe, Pete, Col, Claude, Massimo, Des, Cress, Alys. I feel that this is a story about Ulysses, yet also about the other characters, too, as their lives are so intertwined once cannot exist without the other. The book crosses oceans: from the war ravaged streets of London to the romance and beauty of Florence. You cannot possibly read this book without wanting to visit Florence because the characters lives are so vivid and full!

There are laugh out loud moments in this beautiful piece of writing. You will weep with sadness and joy simultaneously.

Still Life by Sarah Winman
I loved so much about this book; the characters, setting, history and language. It is beautifully written, the descriptions of Florence are so evocative and lyrical that you’ll feel like you’re there, or at least you’ll want to be there, while reading this book. It is full of memorable characters and you will love Ulysses, Cress. Alys and even Claude the parrot.
However, it is a long, character driven book. Full of conversations, poetry, food, friendship, love and art but not much happens. This will appeal to people who want to be transported to Florence but I think the story line could have been a bit stronger. Still a lovely read.

If you love Forster, or A Room with a View, then you will delight in this delightful novel that focuses on Florence, it’s history and the lives of those drawn to it.
The characters are all well realised and enjoyable company. The feeling of fate, time relentlessly passing and the need to embrace the moment is clearly put across.
I visited Florence in the 90s, heavily influenced by Room with a View. I was somewhat overwhelmed by the noise of Vespas and tourists, which spoils the idyllic expectation. I saw the flood line in the Santa Croce and was unexpectedly delighted to be able to revisit that history in the story.
A summer love story with intelligence, history and LGBTQ as integral.

A good storyline although a bit slow at first but it quickly picks up. This book was very different from my usual genre of choice but it was a welcome change.
The story was very well written. This is the first book I have read by Sarah Winman but I would be open to reading her other book.
Thank you to Sarah Winman, NetGalley and 4th Estate for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“So, time heals. Mostly. Sometimes carelessly. And in unsuspecting moments, the pain crashes and reminds one of all that’s been missing. The fulcrum of what might have been. But then it passes. Winter moves into spring and swallows return. The proximity of new skin returns to the sheets. Beauty does what is required. Jobs fulfil and conversations inspire. Loneliness becomes a mere Sunday. Scattered clothes. Empty bowls. Rotting fruit. Passing time. But still life in all its beauty.”

Still Life is the story of a band of friends, family, connections, love and acceptance. It spans decades from the end of the Second World War and takes in the east end of London and Italy. The descriptions of life in both these places is exceptionally vivid - you feel you are there and can taste all the foods and smell all the smells. This was a very slow read for me because I never felt I could rush through these descriptions and while I loved getting to know these characters and could completely appreciate the beauty of Winman’s writing, I was not completely gripped all the time. I feel Still Life is best read when you have lots of time and want a story you can just luxuriate in. It will certainly make you fall in love with Florence and itching to book a trip there!

I loved, loved, loved this! (Perhaps not as much as Tin Man but that‘s a *very* high bar).

There‘s a large cast of characters, but you still get to know them all (and love nearly all of them) intimately. I laughed a lot, cried a little, wanted to keep on reading but didn‘t want it to end. I think I‘d like a Claude of my own! (He‘s the parrot)

All the feels and all the stars!

A wonderfully descriptive book. Was a little slow to start with but once the introductory narrative was over the book progressed really nicely. Sarah Winman has a great way of involving you with the characters so you need to continue reading to find out their story. Great holiday read!

A wonderful read! This was a truly charming book. I found it rather a slow-burn at first, but once the initial scenes in Italy changed to a post-war London pub, it really took off, with some remarkable characters and lively dialogue. I loved the warmth of Cress and the feisty vulnerability of Peg; the charm of Ulysses and the grace of Evelyn, plus the wonderful parrot, Claude. The return to Italy was the most idyllic part of the novel, beautifully, poetically written and sculpted. The perfect summer read, which I was sad to leave when it ended.

One of the most beautiful and gripping books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down.

The story wends its way though the decades following WW2, depicting the lives of a group of not very extraordinary, yet utterly precious, people. Moments of stunning lyricism occasionally blows apart the calm, ordered flow of language and your heart leaps, for a moment.

Every character becomes equally important, from the deep thinking Cressy to the ever-surprising Claude. Each one is so beautifully drawn you can imagine composer John Williams finding it easy to write each one a signature melody. Ulysses carries his pain deep, allowing nothing to disturb his apparent equanimity, yet is possibly the one with the strongest passions. And clack clack clack, here comes the love of his life, damaged beyond repair, yet with so much love inside.

Following the lives of ordinary extraordinary people as they make brave moves, show deep kindness, demonstrate the heart of the concept of community – the best way to pass a weekend you can image. This novel is gripping and beautiful and one to treasure and hold on to.

Still Life by Sarah Winman
This is a wonderful novel which I enjoyed immensely. I had high hopes for the book having previously read all of Sarah Winman’s novel and this one tuned in perfectly to the things I love – Florence, art and wonderful descriptions of human relationships. I love the first meeting between Ulysses Turner, former globe maker, currently a Private in the army and Evelyn Skinner, sexagenarian art history expert. When they first encounter each other Ulysses explains all about how he got his name from a greyhound his father backed. Evelyn expresses surprise and Ulysses replies, “A winning greyhound, Evelyn. Winning.”
His father’s winnings enabled him to set up his globe making business where each globe has a town named Nora in honour of Ulysses’ mother. Ulysses and Evelyn are unlikely kindred spirits and from their first meeting in war torn Italy in 1944 we are taken to London where Ulysses’ wife is receiving comfort in the arms of another man where the action centres on the wonderfully named Stoat and Parrot pub in the East End of London.
There’s humour aplenty in this novel some of which made me burst out laughing. It is an original novel and the way in which the characters speak and think is beautifully conveyed. The description of the art and the evocation of the Florentine heritage is wonderful, you can taste the food and imagine drinking the wine. The superb characters draw you in; it is as if encountering new friends.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel and am delighted that I had the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Sarah Winman, 4th Estate and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this beautiful novel.

Sarah Winman creates an unconventional loving family in Still Life, from the backdrop of an East End community bound by their various experiences of the Second World War, to post war Florence. Some members of the family are permanent and some itinerant, with a thread of the legacy of war running through the novel. At times funny, others sorrowful, I really enjoyed reading of post war recovery, cheerfulness in the face of adversity, and the nature of acceptance, patience and most of all love.

A tricky one. This book is beautifully written, in particular the descriptions of food, weather and landscape. The characters are memorable, colourful and vibrant. The story however just didn’t grab me and it wasn’t a book I relished picking up.

The story begins in 1944 and we meet Ulysses Temper, a soldier in the British Army. He has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, an art historian in her 60s, in the Tuscan hills and what happens next shapes the course of his life.

I didn’t buy into the supposed bond between Ulysses and Evelyn though, and this laid the foundations for my difficulties with the book.

Ulysses moves from the East End of London to Florence where he begins a new life, opening a pensione and making globes by hand. We meet a cast of characters (his ex wife, her daughter, his friends and an articulate parrot (yep 🦜!) and thus begins the best part of the book getting to know Ulysses and his entourage.

The book concludes with a chapter felt tacked on, superfluous to the story, and if I’m honest, boring.

I loved Winman’s last book Tin Man, a great gay novel if ever I’ve read one, and this one has similar LGBT representation in it which is done wonderfully. The backdrop of Florence is magnificent and for anyone with an interest in art and art history, you’ll get a lot from this book.

I read a great review where the reader said that this is a five star read wrapped up in a three star package - I couldn’t have put it better myself. I felt it had the potential to be so much more but it was too uneven for my taste. Objectively speaking, a lovely book that others might enjoy much more than I did. 3/5⭐️

*Still Life was published this week. I read an advance digital copy courtesy of the publishers @4thstatebooks via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.*

In 1944 as the Allies advance north through Italy, a young British soldier Ulysses Temper meets Evelyn Skinner, a 60-something art historian helping to identify and salvage paintings hidden from, or damaged by, the war. Whether it's down to fate or the magic of Italy who can say, but the two form an immediate connection, and a night talking with Evelyn about art, Florence, and love, shapes Ulysses' life.

Returning to London after the war, Ulysses finds it grim, drab, and lacking, though he's not sure how or why. Fate, or Italy, steps in again, and changes the lives of Ulysses and his friends in ways they couldn't have imagined.

Still Life is one of those rare books that are an absolute joy to read. The story moves from war-torn Italy, through the next three decades as Ulysses and his 'family' create a new life in Italy, which is almost washed away by the temperamental force of the river Arno, and then loops back to Evelyn's time in Italy as a young woman when she met EM Forster, and a cast of immediately recognisable characters, in a pensione run by a Cockney landlady. Through it all runs the belief than here in Florence it's possible to live life as it should be lived, filled with passion and love. Here, against a backdrop of art and Medieval streets, food and wine, which nourish body and soul, there's a feeling of standing on the threshold of something momentous.

I just loved everything about this. It left me with a warm fuzzy feeling, like being wrapped in a warm blanket, or bathing in a big 'tub of love', which is Elizabeth von Arnim's description of Italy rather than Forster's, but which seems totally appropriate.

Still Life by Sarah Winman just published today June 1st with 4th Estate and is described as ‘a beautiful, big-hearted, richly tapestried story’. Probably one of the most difficult books I have ever tried to put words to, Still Life took me on a journey to a very special place. It is a book that shot an arrow deep into my heart and mind, a book I will cherish, a book I will treasure. There are many, many accolades for this gorgeous book but it is the words of Patrick Gale which for me best encapsulate my thoughts on this dizzying novel.

‘A playful, Maupinesque exploration of the elective family and its possibilities. Four course nourishment for all Winman fans, it harnesses big hearted storytelling to a dizzying historical sweep to celebrate love in all the available colours’

Evelyn Skinner is an art historian with a passion for Florence, a passion for Italy. Over the years she has visited on numerous occasions, always returning to this city that captured her heart when she was a young woman, just on the cusp of adulthood. Now in her sixties, and with the Second World War raging on, Evelyn is back in the Tuscan hills, for reasons a little dubious. There she meets Ulysses Temper. He is a young English soldier with a depth of character that appeals to Evelyn.

‘The squeal of birds overhead delighted him. He and they had travelled hundred of miles north against all the odds to arrive at that place and time – swifts at the end of March and him in June – and the catalogue of near misses, or lucky escapes that had accompanied his journey across Africa, Sicily and up the Adriatic would have astonished priests and astrologers alike. Something had been watching over him. Why not a swift?’


She sees something in Ulysses, this fellow traveller through life, and he is smitten by this older lady. Their relationship is of the minds and, although brief, their connection remains strong, however in the years that followed ‘only their thoughts kept time. An elegant two-step created from a jig at the side of a Tuscan road.’

Ulysses Temper is a warm-hearted soul, a man who thinks only of others in his life and, as a result, people gravitate toward him. Serendipity intervenes and, in the post-war years, Ulysses’ life changes course from the streets of London’s East End to the piazzas of Florence. A new and exciting life is in his grasp and, never alone, Ulysses comes to ‘a quiet understanding that his life would have been less had he died without witnessing another corner of the planet.’ As he makes his way into the unknown, forging a new path for himself among the ashes of this post-war era, we journey alongside Ulysses as he embraces and begins to make sense of this Florentine life

Still Life is also very much the story of the raggle-taggle, eccentric and absolutely stellar cast of characters that accompany both Evelyn and Ulysses through life. The dialogue, the turn-of-phrase, the moments captured are all marvellously depicted with an expert pen that truly knows its audience. I adored every single word, every description, every witticism of this stunning novel.

I travelled to Tuscany with my husband many years ago. We stayed for two weeks near the town of Pontassieve outside Florence and I can clearly remember that feeling of being completely overwhelmed when I walked out of Santa Maria Novella Station. Florence is special. The people, the food, the architecture, the art, the smells, the incredible views from the Boboli Gardens and climbing to the top of the Duomo, the famed frescoes of the Last Judgment almost within reach. I get goose-bumps all over when I think of those who walked the narrow laneways before us. Florence is steeped in history. Every turn reveals something special. A feast for the senses in every way and reading Still Life just put me right back there.

Sarah Winman inserts into her tale a cameo appearance by the author E.M. Forster before he wrote his famed novel, A Room with a View. Evelyn recalls a time in her younger years when they crossed paths as guests at a certain pensione in Florence during her own formative years.

“He was a recent scholar, if I remember rightly. Covered in the afterbirth of graduation – shy, awkward, you know the type. Entering the world with no experience at all”

Evelyn’s memories and descriptions bring all the guests of that hotel very much to life, like an Oscar Wilde play unfolding as you turn the pages. Evelyn is a mysterious individual in so many ways and it is this enigmatic quality that draws everybody to her. She is generous with her time, free with her advice. She is a wonderful person. She is a very special individual.

Still Life really is an exceptionally beautiful and charming read filled with a spectacular cast and a story that is ingeniously woven from a war torn Florentine landscape to the post-war streets of London and on through the decades of time through a social and cultural history of Italy. I quite simply adored this book, this genius writing that epitomized everything I love in a book and more. There are many words that one could use to describe this gem but I am going to stick with exquisite because I truly believe that it is…..

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. I love this book so much. I'm thinking of starting it again straight away.
I felt I was there, whether that was in Italy or in London. I fell in love with the characters. The relationships between them were so beautiful. The sense that they created a family of their own, all supporting and loving one another. I also liked how they weren't always how you expected them to be. They were all open, welcoming and good.
It felt like a big hug of a book. It's pretty long as it spans quite a long period of time, I for one was glad. It gave me more time to enjoy.