Still Life: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick
A captivating, bighearted, richly tapestried story of people brought together by love, war, art, flood, and the ghost of E. M. Forster, by the celebrated author of Tin Man.
Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs sink villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian intent on salvaging paintings from the ruins. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and paint a course of events that will shape Ulysses’s life for the next four decades.
Returning home to London, Ulysses reimmerses himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parot—a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics—all the while carrying with him his Italian evocations. So, when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate: he must return to the Tuscan hills.
With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a deeply drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.
A captivating, bighearted, richly tapestried story of people brought together by love, war, art, flood, and the ghost of E. M. Forster, by the celebrated author of Tin Man.
Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs sink villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian intent on salvaging paintings from the ruins. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and paint a course of events that will shape Ulysses’s life for the next four decades.
Returning home to London, Ulysses reimmerses himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parot—a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics—all the while carrying with him his Italian evocations. So, when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate: he must return to the Tuscan hills.
With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a deeply drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.
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Community Reviews
thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
As the war is ending, Ulysses Temper finds himself in a wine cellar in Tuscany with Evelyn Skinner. Evelyn is an Art Historian who is in the area to help salvage paintings from the ruins. Evelyn and Ulysses have an instant connection that will stay with them for years to come. After the war, Ulysses returns to his life in London, but Tuscany is never far from his thoughts.
What did it make me think about?
I was thinking about the title, and I found (from Getty.edu) this quote about Still-Life portraits: “A bowl of fruit, a banquet table festooned with game, a pile of books: though they may seem simple, everyday objects are still worthy of an artist’s brush or photographer’s lens.” So doesn’t it all go back to the beauty in the everyday?
Should I read it?
The inside of the jacket starts with “Tuscany, 1944: as allied troops advance… “ so I thought this was a World War II novel and kept putting it aside. Then, a friend told me this was her favorite book, so I finally picked it up. To be clear, this is not a war novel—although it touches on the aftereffects of war—but a novel about friends, the families we are born with, and the families we create. The combination of the Italian setting and the collection of characters is what I loved best about this book. Sarah Winman wrote characters that I am so sad to leave. This story is a homage to the moments that create a life and the moments we share together. “He delivered an invocation of thanks, mostly. That they were all gathered at that moment in time. How that meant something, would continue to mean something over the years. True worth, he said.” This is a slower, more contemplative book- but I loved it! I was slightly confused by the need for the last chapter, but I am sure a more gifted reader will someday illuminate that choice for me.
All in all, I had a wonderful week with Ulysses, Peg, Evelyn, Cress, Pete, Col, Alys, and the rest. I will miss them all! This would be a great book club choice if you have readers with some patience.
Quote-
“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. The proximity of new skin returns to the sheets. Beauty does what is required. Jobs fulfill and conversations inspire. Loneliness becomes a mere Sunday. Scattered clothes. Empty bowls. Passing time. But still life in all its beauty and complexity.”
****Really 4 1/2 stars because I did not love the last chapter- but still great!
What’s it about?
As the war is ending, Ulysses Temper finds himself in a wine cellar in Tuscany with Evelyn Skinner. Evelyn is an Art Historian who is in the area to help salvage paintings from the ruins. Evelyn and Ulysses have an instant connection that will stay with them for years to come. After the war, Ulysses returns to his life in London, but Tuscany is never far from his thoughts.
What did it make me think about?
I was thinking about the title, and I found (from Getty.edu) this quote about Still-Life portraits: “A bowl of fruit, a banquet table festooned with game, a pile of books: though they may seem simple, everyday objects are still worthy of an artist’s brush or photographer’s lens.” So doesn’t it all go back to the beauty in the everyday?
Should I read it?
The inside of the jacket starts with “Tuscany, 1944: as allied troops advance… “ so I thought this was a World War II novel and kept putting it aside. Then, a friend told me this was her favorite book, so I finally picked it up. To be clear, this is not a war novel—although it touches on the aftereffects of war—but a novel about friends, the families we are born with, and the families we create. The combination of the Italian setting and the collection of characters is what I loved best about this book. Sarah Winman wrote characters that I am so sad to leave. This story is a homage to the moments that create a life and the moments we share together. “He delivered an invocation of thanks, mostly. That they were all gathered at that moment in time. How that meant something, would continue to mean something over the years. True worth, he said.” This is a slower, more contemplative book- but I loved it! I was slightly confused by the need for the last chapter, but I am sure a more gifted reader will someday illuminate that choice for me.
All in all, I had a wonderful week with Ulysses, Peg, Evelyn, Cress, Pete, Col, Alys, and the rest. I will miss them all! This would be a great book club choice if you have readers with some patience.
Quote-
“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. The proximity of new skin returns to the sheets. Beauty does what is required. Jobs fulfill and conversations inspire. Loneliness becomes a mere Sunday. Scattered clothes. Empty bowls. Passing time. But still life in all its beauty and complexity.”
****Really 4 1/2 stars because I did not love the last chapter- but still great!
Some books you never want to end and this is one of them. An epic tale set in wartime London and Florence populated by characters you desperately want to hang out with. Loved it!
Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read.
I was so thrown off by the writing style at first that I got about ten pages in, set the book down, and considered DNFing it. But I am so, so glad I picked it back up.
This book is a love letter to life itself, and it made me laugh out loud, and cry out loud, and it’s going to stay with me for a very long time.
Just wait. The first 50-100 pages set the characters up and can be slow. But soon your are off to the races with this beautiful tale of friendships and relationships.
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