This month's book club pick was slim but packed an outsize emotional wallop. It's a sweet, wistful story about a pair of young men, Ellis and Michael, growing up in Oxford, and the bond between them that shifts as they grow up and their circumstances change, and how Ellis winds up alone in his 30s. It's all character development, very little in the way of plot, which tend to be the books that work best for me. The prose is simple but poignant. It doesn't use quotation marks to set off dialogue, which some readers find irritating but I found worked just fine in context. I really really loved it, it was beautiful and heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters of this story and it made it hard for me to feel very immersed in this book as a result. But besides that, the writing is gentle and exquisite and I will look out for Winman's books in the future. This one did not work for me, but I would read another book by Winman.

This book really explores the deep despairs of grief, longing and loneliness. It captures it beautifully. The book leaves you with a tinge of sadness and melancholy. A reflection of love and regrets. It’s tenderly written and softly worms itself into your heart giving you lots to reflect about your own lost connections.

I read this book through a book club. I did not enjoy it-- I found the characters frustrating and not terribly well developed. Some of the book club members did enjoy the book however, with a particular eye for the lyrical language.

This is one sad but beautiful book. This one has all the feels - friendship, love, loss, and grief. Will highly recommend to friends and book club.

This was a nice read, but didn't leave a lasting impression on me as Winman's other books have. I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters and at times lost interest.

Oh my god, did I love this book. I don't know if everyone will feel the same way I did, but this one had me from the first page to the last.

I know that blurbs on the covers of books often come from friends or other authors from the same publisher, but when Matt Haig says, "This is an astoundingly beautiful book. It drips with tenderness. It breaks your heart and warms it all at once," how can you resist?

A brief, stirring novel about the power of art... Winman is a gifted writer who, in rich but concise prose, draws us into the world of Ellis and Michael, the endurance of friendship, and the uses of love and memory. An exquisite novel.

Tin Man is a story about friendship and the complexities of relationships. Sarah Winman has penned a beautiful novel!

This short, bittersweet novel was so powerful and so beautifully written than I read it twice in one sitting.

I'm not one to appreciate fine writing as I tend to focus more on the story and intriguing characters. When I rave about a book and a reader tells me "It was OK, but poorly written." I have to admit that if it was compelling enough to keep me reading, I simply don't notice the "poor" writing. However. I did notice the beautiful writing and phrasing in "Tin Man" to the point where I feel the need to read it again to get all of the nuances of the story and to concentrate on the author's prose.

So read it and be amazed. It might not be for everyone as the story is a little scattered and I'm not sure I figured it all out but the writing transcends anything else that might be lacking for some readers.

This is a good bet for those who liked Aciman's "Call Me By Your Name" or the spare novels by Julian Barnes.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital reading copy.

Wonderful story. Love is love and it's all good! Michael and Ellis grow up together and fall in love, Michael marries Annie, and the three continue together each fulfilling each, then Ellis drifts away.. and then, in time, return. Very moving story. Should be made into a movie. Wonderful read! Magical.

This novel is at times both heartbreaking and lovely. There were so many moments when the beautiful writing just made me sort of hold my breath. It was easy to grow attached to the characters because of the special connection between Ellis and Michael. However, I was a little confused at times because of the jumping around in the timeline. I think I would have appreciated the style more if it was told in a more linear fashion. Also, it was so short! I would have loved to have spent way more time in this world. I'll be interested to see what Winman writes next!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story was very sad, but I found it very beautiful also. There was so much regret that but such a wonderful , lasting friendship.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this book, but now that I have, I want everyone else to read it, too! This is my first book by Sarah Winman, though I am sure it won't be my last. It tells a quiet story, and one that truly moved me. I don't want to get too much into the plot, because there are a few twists I don't want to spoil. That being said, it is a deeply character driven book (my favorite kind!), and while it is tinged in melancholy, it is also a story about love, friendship and identity. I know I won't be quick to forget Ellis, Michael and Annie.

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with a copy of Tin Man in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, loved loved this thin little novel. My voice adds to the dozens of others I personally know who are praising it to the skies. Such a great love story that feels at once modern and timeless. Loved it!

Art plays a central role in Sarah Winman’s Tin Man. The novel opens when Dora who is pregnant with one of our main protagonists, Ellis. At an raffle Dora ends up winning and choosing a copy of Van Gogh’s sunflower painting as her prize. Her husband, Leonard, is angry at her for choosing something that he views as worthless. Dora persists and refuses to pick a different prize. She goes on to proudly hang the painting in the family home. In many ways, the painting becomes an extension of Dora and an expression of the care she places on slight thing. Her unborn son, Ellis is born and becomes someone with an inclination towards art, to the dismay of his father. At twelve, Ellis meets Michael when Michael comes to spend the summer with his grandmother, Margot. Shortly thereafter Ellis’ mother is ill and he is estranged from his father who pushes Ellis to embrace more masculine activities instead of art. The boys relate to one another through their lack of feminine, motherly presence and bond by cycling together and sharing an affinity for art. In spite of its brevity, Tin Man’s poetic, carefully crafted language leaves readers feeling deeply moved by Michael and Ellis’ story. We lean towards their story, not unlike Van Gogh’s Sunflowers before they were shorn from their roots

This was great! A quick short read but a lot happens. I enjoyed seeing the struggle between the characters and their friendships and relationships. It was heartbreaking and also heartwarming at the same time.

Beautiful and touching. It felt like an honor to walk along with these characters and share moments with them. At times this was heartbreaking to read but it felt like an important story to read. Five Stars.

"Tin Man" started out as a puzzling book to me. I couldn't quite figure out what was going on or where it was going. A very sad man living a lonely life. Slowly the details leaked out about the past history of a once-happy trio of two boys and a girl with a childhood history. The story moved a bit slowly to me, but the prose was lovely, and the art and literature references enhanced the story.