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Still Life

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About this listen

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF DYMOCKS BOOK OF THE YEAR
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2021
A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK
WINNER OF THE INWORDS LITERARY AWARD

‘Sheer joy' Graham Norton

‘Utterly beautiful … filled with hope’ Joanna Cannon, author of Three Things About Elsie

’A gorgeous, generous story of kind hearts and kindred spirits’ Daily Mirror

From the author of When God was a Rabbit and Tin Man, Still Life is a big-hearted story of the families we forge and the friendships that make us.

1944, Italy. As bombs fall around them, two strangers meet in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa and share an extraordinary evening.

Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner a 64-year-old art historian living life on her own terms. She has come to salvage paintings from the wreckage of war and relive memories of her youth when her heart was stolen by an Italian maid in a particular room with a view. Ulysses’ chance encounter with Evelyn will transform his life – and all those who love him back home in London – forever.

Uplifting, sweeping and full of unforgettable characters, Still Life is a novel about beauty, love, family and friendship.

‘THE most beautiful book … it will stay with me a long time’ Sara Cox, BBC Two’s Between the Covers

‘Extraordinary . . . my book of the year’ Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties

‘Moving, wise, poetic and funny’ Daily Mail

‘Winman’s pages teem with boisterous, exuberant life’ Sunday Times

Sunday Times bestseller 09/06/2021

 20th Century Art Biographical Fiction Europe Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Italy Literary Fiction Heartfelt Feel-Good War

Critic reviews

‘The sheer joy in Sarah Winman’s storytelling is completely infectious. I’ve loved spending time with this unforgettable cast of characters in extraordinary times and places’ Graham Norton

‘Winman’s pages teem with boisterous, exuberant life … The novel has verve, charm and tremendous heart’ Sunday Times

‘Exquisite … There are not enough superlatives to contain the magnitude and beauty of this novel’ Sunday Independent

‘Sentence after sentence, character by character, Still Life becomes poetry’ New York Times Book Review

‘A tonic for wanderlust and a cure for loneliness. It’s that rare, affectionate novel that makes one feel grateful to have been carried along’ The Washington Post

‘Teeming with unforgettable characters and oozing atmosphere, it’s a joyous, summery ode to love, art and poetry’ Hephzibah Anderson, Mail on Sunday

‘Rich, deeply moving and filled with hope. Sarah Winman is one of the greatest storytellers of our time’ Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

‘A gorgeous, generous story of kind hearts and kindred spirits … [A] hopeful, happy, intensely humane novel’ Daily Mirror

‘Readers will want to prolong the pleasure of Sarah Winman’s beautiful novel Still Life for as long as possible’ Donal Ryan, author of From a Low and Quiet Sea

'Embodies the full generosity of the human spirit’ Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

‘Gorgeous … luscious and clever’ The Times

‘In Still Life, [Winman] emerges now as the great narrator of hope’ Helen Cullen, Irish Times

All stars
Most relevant
Although there may not be the flourishes one might expect from a classic or a great drama, this finely wrought tale envelops the listener into such an engrossing tale. Of course Florence is one of the main characters but all of the people and the parrot will be hard to forget. May I be so bold as to say that this author surpasses the humanity and insight that Forster himself brought to his work. His work is splendid often enough but unlike this novel, too often the people themselves are scarified by his criticism and ‘wit.’ This is a far kinder, well rounded and humane treatment of a troupe of human beings on their way through life. I was very sorry to see them go when the novel finished.

Gentle and accomplished memory-telling

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Still Life by Sarah Winman is exceptional.

Ulysses encounters Evelyn in Florence in the last days of his WWII. Evelyn is an art restorer, poet and so enigmatic she may well be a spy. Opening his eyes to another world Ulysses never fully settles when he returns to the East End and his colourful ensemble of family and friends.

When the opportunity presents itself to return to Italy, so begins the next stage of his life as Ulysses, Alys, Cressie and Claude embark on a journey across a continent and transpose a world.

The characters are utterly fantastic and their dialogue is razor sharp and often both touching and hilarious. I loved Cressie and Claude is a lovely touch. Perhaps a little too long (I’m not sure we needed the final reminiscing back to EM Forster) but a highly recommended 4.5*

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author. Probably the best narration I have ever listened to.

Exceptional

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I have loved this book! And Sarah reading it herself is a real treat! So often author’s reading their own work doesn’t quite work, but this was perfectly performed - accents, character, emotions… spot on! Made it so much more enjoyable. I fell in love with characters and Italy and will definitely revisit this book in the future!

Beautiful, fun, meaningful….

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A fascinating and absorbing novel, spanning time in pre-war Florence to nearly modern day. Full of larger than life characters, all of whom I shall miss. Especially the parrot, Claude. Now looking for more by this highly talented author and narrator.

Still Life

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A great recommendation from Joanna Cannon. Such a beautiful story. Italy is now on my bucket list!

A must read

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