Take a photo of a barcode or cover
_askthebookbug 's review for:
Tin Man
by Sarah Winman
| Book Review | Tin Man
•
"Men and boys should be capable of beautiful things." - Sarah Winman.
•
It's truly amazing that a book of just 200 pages manages to make people believe in love. Love in this book flows like poetry, beautiful but also melancholic. There are so many aspects that the author touches in this lovely book that you simply can't help but feel lovely from within. She paints her characters using the shyest colours to suddenly moving on to a much brighter palatte. Apart from the storyline, I think what makes this book so beautiful are the lines associated with each character. Be it Ellis, Michael or Annie, I loved them all.
•
Ellis is a quiet boy who grows up in a household with a kind mother and a disgruntled father. Dora, the mother having been deprived of a happy marriage finds herself fixated to a painting of sunflowers, a cheap copy of Van Gogh's famous work. This painting later plays a significant role in the lives of many people. Ellis's life becomes exciting when he meets Michael, the grandson of a local shopkeeper. Both the boys then grow up together, all the while keeping secrets of their own safely guarded. Ellis's calm and pensive nature is a striking contrast to Michael's exuberant one, yet they two get on like a house on fire. There's much more to their friendship but at a very young age the boys realise that it's impossible for them to consider such an alternate life.
•
Well into his manhood, Ellis meets Annie and falls in love immediately. Michael's presence only makes the group more lively and Annie comes to adore him. It's important to remember how unconventionally the author shows the bond shared by these three and how utterly supportive they are of one another. Happy to see Ellis with the love of his life, Michael decides to move on to find his purpose. He then travels and meets people whom he comes to love but not with the same intensity that he once shared with Ellis. Michael's story is what touched me the most. His vulnerability hidden behind the mask of cheerfulness, his lost love and new friendships are all so heartbreaking. This is not the usual love story but has many textures overlapping each other.
•
The book has been narrated from both the boys' perspective. Ellis's life as a quiet, hassle-free middle-aged man and Michael's journey from being a carefree boy to that of an extraordinary man, is a beautiful transition to read. There's a lot of hurt in this novel but it also makes one think about the importance of being surrounded by love and friendship. Michael's return to Ellis brings the story to a full circle. It's stunning how Sarah has made even the tiniest details beautiful. The lines that fall out of their mouths are all so lyrical. It's not an extraordinary story but what makes it special is the simplicity of it. The lives of Ellis, Michael and Annie are what one waits for throughout his/her life.
•
Rating - 5/5
•
"Men and boys should be capable of beautiful things." - Sarah Winman.
•
It's truly amazing that a book of just 200 pages manages to make people believe in love. Love in this book flows like poetry, beautiful but also melancholic. There are so many aspects that the author touches in this lovely book that you simply can't help but feel lovely from within. She paints her characters using the shyest colours to suddenly moving on to a much brighter palatte. Apart from the storyline, I think what makes this book so beautiful are the lines associated with each character. Be it Ellis, Michael or Annie, I loved them all.
•
Ellis is a quiet boy who grows up in a household with a kind mother and a disgruntled father. Dora, the mother having been deprived of a happy marriage finds herself fixated to a painting of sunflowers, a cheap copy of Van Gogh's famous work. This painting later plays a significant role in the lives of many people. Ellis's life becomes exciting when he meets Michael, the grandson of a local shopkeeper. Both the boys then grow up together, all the while keeping secrets of their own safely guarded. Ellis's calm and pensive nature is a striking contrast to Michael's exuberant one, yet they two get on like a house on fire. There's much more to their friendship but at a very young age the boys realise that it's impossible for them to consider such an alternate life.
•
Well into his manhood, Ellis meets Annie and falls in love immediately. Michael's presence only makes the group more lively and Annie comes to adore him. It's important to remember how unconventionally the author shows the bond shared by these three and how utterly supportive they are of one another. Happy to see Ellis with the love of his life, Michael decides to move on to find his purpose. He then travels and meets people whom he comes to love but not with the same intensity that he once shared with Ellis. Michael's story is what touched me the most. His vulnerability hidden behind the mask of cheerfulness, his lost love and new friendships are all so heartbreaking. This is not the usual love story but has many textures overlapping each other.
•
The book has been narrated from both the boys' perspective. Ellis's life as a quiet, hassle-free middle-aged man and Michael's journey from being a carefree boy to that of an extraordinary man, is a beautiful transition to read. There's a lot of hurt in this novel but it also makes one think about the importance of being surrounded by love and friendship. Michael's return to Ellis brings the story to a full circle. It's stunning how Sarah has made even the tiniest details beautiful. The lines that fall out of their mouths are all so lyrical. It's not an extraordinary story but what makes it special is the simplicity of it. The lives of Ellis, Michael and Annie are what one waits for throughout his/her life.
•
Rating - 5/5