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A review by aksmith92
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Fredrik Backman knows how to write about the human experience!
I'm going to say that I wasn't sure if I believed the hype in the first 100-ish pages. When I decided to pick up this book, I was worried for two reasons: (1) obsessive sports writing can annoy me, and (2) when writing about high school kids, sometimes it reads like a young adult novel which is something I wasn't looking for. However, while this first handful of pages kept me nervous and started a little slow, I did fall into a rhythm and soon REALLY enjoyed the book.
How it is written can be challenging - alternating characters in third person and their lives in mere paragraphs. It takes a talented artist to write from that perspective and have most readers still flow with the narrative. While it may come across, especially in the beginning, as disjoined, Backman did an incredible job weaving together the complex perspectives and pieces with each progressing chapter.
Since this book is 6.5 years old (I read it in January 2023), I knew somewhat, what I was getting into after reading some of the reviews, and rightfully so. Most folks are aware by now, but there is a big trigger warning for those who are not ready to read about rape and the subsequent awful events that come with it. Reading about this challenging subject is painful. It is awfully difficult to write and most certainly difficult to read. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Our society tells us these situations are in the grey when they should be straightforward. This book is fiction, but I've seen similar instances happen first-hand too many times. Like many others, reading about the tragedy in this novel will make you want to scream. It is beyond cringey, and it will make your blood boil. Backman takes us on this rollercoaster like many writers who have portrayed this tragedy. While there is absolutely no perfect way to talk about it, Backman shares this story with raw emotion and captures life's realities, albeit unfortunate. It was heavy, grim, tragic, brave, courageous, and resilient.
While reading, sometimes I was so frustrated at the town, the people, and the situation that I wanted to throw the book across the room. But there were also times when I wished to hug some of the characters with all my might. I think writing like that - that surfaces so many emotions - makes lovely and sincere writing.
Bravo to Backman and the translator, Neil Smith; I'm looking forward to continuing the series!
I'm going to say that I wasn't sure if I believed the hype in the first 100-ish pages. When I decided to pick up this book, I was worried for two reasons: (1) obsessive sports writing can annoy me, and (2) when writing about high school kids, sometimes it reads like a young adult novel which is something I wasn't looking for. However, while this first handful of pages kept me nervous and started a little slow, I did fall into a rhythm and soon REALLY enjoyed the book.
How it is written can be challenging - alternating characters in third person and their lives in mere paragraphs. It takes a talented artist to write from that perspective and have most readers still flow with the narrative. While it may come across, especially in the beginning, as disjoined, Backman did an incredible job weaving together the complex perspectives and pieces with each progressing chapter.
Since this book is 6.5 years old (I read it in January 2023), I knew somewhat, what I was getting into after reading some of the reviews, and rightfully so. Most folks are aware by now, but there is a big trigger warning for those who are not ready to read about rape and the subsequent awful events that come with it. Reading about this challenging subject is painful. It is awfully difficult to write and most certainly difficult to read. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Our society tells us these situations are in the grey when they should be straightforward. This book is fiction, but I've seen similar instances happen first-hand too many times. Like many others, reading about the tragedy in this novel will make you want to scream. It is beyond cringey, and it will make your blood boil. Backman takes us on this rollercoaster like many writers who have portrayed this tragedy. While there is absolutely no perfect way to talk about it, Backman shares this story with raw emotion and captures life's realities, albeit unfortunate. It was heavy, grim, tragic, brave, courageous, and resilient.
While reading, sometimes I was so frustrated at the town, the people, and the situation that I wanted to throw the book across the room. But there were also times when I wished to hug some of the characters with all my might. I think writing like that - that surfaces so many emotions - makes lovely and sincere writing.
Bravo to Backman and the translator, Neil Smith; I'm looking forward to continuing the series!