A review by angelayoung
Still Life by Sarah Winman

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I haven't read a novel (apart from Maggie O'Farrell's miraculous HAMNET) for a long time that I thought about when I wasn't reading it and longed to get back to it and never wanted it to end. Brava Sarah Winman, and thank you for writing such a compassionate, thoughtful, deeply engaging, funny, Florence-enlightening, wide-ranging novel of love and loss and humankind. In the acknowledgements, Winman thanks Arts Council England for the 'opportunity to spend time in Florence' and says 'it changed me as a writer'. I've loved Winman's three earlier novels, but Still Life is miraculous (in all senses), magical, moving, funny, compassionate, thoughtful (repetition I know, but these things can't be said enough), clearly beautifully-researched (but not a whiff of the candle): it must have taken a small lifetime to research and write (and learn to cook!). It will stay with me for the rest of life.

And, I've said this before too, it's also funny:

Tree said, Thanks for everything. It's been nice knowing you.
You too, said Cress [man's name, not a plant]. Will you be OK?
I'm a tree. I've done this a thousand times before.
Done what?
Goodbyes.
Really?
Think about it. Leaves.

Read this glorious novel if you love Italy, or Florence, or your lover, or your life. Or all of these things. And if you don't yet love any of these things, this novel will persuade you to find your loves.