Reviews with content warning for Grief - Tin Man

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

30 reviews

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

its about the fact that they loved at all that makes this book so tragic... that they loved and lost but didnt lose each other and then did lose each other and then found each other again only for ellis to lose both of his loves with such finality...goodbye. im gonna think abt this book for a long time

Content Warnings

danaaliyalevinson's review

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was pretty beautiful. The first half was a little meandering, but it really started to sing in its second half. This also felt like an AIDS crisis book done right, focused on the queer people whose lives were affected, and the interplay between the AIDS crisis and internalized homophobia and shame about queer sexuality. I am also partial to love stories that exist beyond labels, which definitely applied to this book. The two main characters, yes, were queer men, but one was never explicitly labeled, and all we as the audience had to know was that they loved each other.

Content Warnings

sofiajearally's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It's a story about Michael and Ellis, about yearning and words left unsaid.

It reads like a stream of consciousness, interspersed with hard-hitting dialogue, then-and-now scenes nicely and seamlessly interwoven. But I would have liked to have more focus on some moments (like

Michael's and Ellis's childhood leading up to their first kiss

), while some others were too long and descriptive in my opinion. In the end, while both main characters are lovable, we spend more time with Michael and I ended up getting him much more than Ellis, who's made decisions that I still didn't understand at the end of the book. One would argue that that's how life is, though.

It feels real. The yearning, the grieving, the regrets, all parts of the human experience depicted gracefully, heart-breaking in how ordinary and relatable they are (the wedding scenes broke me). I was personally deeply moved by how random acts of kindness are peppered throughout the book and how the characters respond to them. The side characters behind them are endearing, and the women are so g.o.o.d.

In a way, this book reminded me a lot of Brokeback Mountain, though the plot is different. But it's still about time, masculinity and taking someone for granted. And it's sad, man. Ellis 'I ain't queer' Judd *sigh*.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed by the story, but the book is so full of gorgeous themes and mesmerizing lines that I'm still happy I read it. I think the no-plot-just-vibes sad people would appreciate it.

Content Warnings