Rebecka

Visar inlägg med etikett fredrik backman beartown. Visa alla inlägg

"Everyone is a hundred different things, but in other people's eyes we often get the chance to be only one of them."

No matter how difficult times get in Beartown, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that their town’s ice hockey club might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. But the arrival of a newcomer gives Beartown hockey a chance at a comeback.

Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a huge challenge, especially as the town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute as the big game approaches.

★★★★

Okay I'm back with my thoughts of the second book yay. I've sat on it for about a week's time as I am very lazy when it comes to taking photos which will always be my downfall when it comes to social media, I am just too lazy to be creative, lol...

This was in many ways a much quicker read than the first book but also a much more difficult read too. The same feeling of 'I can't put it down' definitely gripped me and thanks to my mostly work free weekend I managed to finish it a lot quicker than Beartown.

Once again we're back in Backman's claustrophobic and cold world where the violence and senseless hatred have been amped up since its predecessor. Much like in Beartown I was constantly uncomfortable reading this, probably more so this time around because everything felt much more grim than the first ever did. At the same time I really couldn't put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen and how it would end for all of the characters that I love, and even for those I don't like.

Backman's thoughts as always are incredible compelling to read as well as insightful, hooking you in with his story and punchy sentences. He manages with this book to capture so well what it means to be human and the complexities and contradictions of human experience. This book perfectly shows how people are complicated, both good and bad and how the choices we make define us, but even so it's never black and white and things are always so complicated even when they are simple. I love this contrast, it makes for an endlessly fascinating read.

While Beartown was Maya's book, this one is Benji's. I really don't know how Backman has created such a beautiful character such as Benji in this tragic town, but I love him so much. He really has become one of my all time favourite fictional characters ever and I need for him to have a happy ending in the next novel, I really cannot bear it if that doesn't happen.

I gave this one 4 stars, because while it is really good, it doesn't feel as neat and tightly wound together in terms of storyline as Beartown did. This one introduces some new characters, a populist politician who is kind of the worst but also feel a little unrealistic in both his achievements and the character that he is. Then we have the introduction of The Group, a small town organised crime unit that to Backman's credit don't feel stereotypical and is given a lot of depth as well. But because of this the story does feel really broad at times which the first book never did.

But honestly, for my own goddamn health, I need the last book to be all about healing and love and recovery, because I cannot take any more of the suffering that my favourite characters are going through. I just want Ana, Mira, Peter, Maya and Benji to be happy again. And it might be unrealistic to hope for a happy ending, but by Backman's own definition, which is that he writes fairytales, a happy ending really shouldn't be far fetched then?

I hope the third one comes out soon, I need it to...

This is a book by Fredrik Backman, a Swedish author I am vaguely familiar with. He's written the book A man called Ove/En man som heter Ove, and while I have not read the book I have seen the film, the Swedish version that is, as there is an American version being made (because reasons apparently) with Tom Hanks playing the titular role.

This is a series by Backman, with the first called Björnstad/Beartown and the second called Vi mot er/Us against you and he is expected to finish the last book of the series and publish it at some point next year. The first book has been turned into a HBO Nordic show, which I think is its first Swedish production and the reason they have gone nuts with the marketing because a few weeks ago it was everywhere. Facebook adds, news, newspapers, basically it was impossible to escape. I'm not big on Swedish productions I must admit but the real reason I didn't want to watch this show was because it was set in a desolate, remote and slightly depressing and washed out small community in the north where a girl is sexually assaulted and the whole town turn against her. Everything is just so depressing and dark and I am constantly in the mood to consume media that makes me happy rather than sad, this for those exact reasons did not feel ideal.

But because the show kept popping up everywhere and I have seen some of Backman's other work circulating around on bookstagram I decided to do some research of the book. Shortly after I bought the Ebook and here I am, a week later and having finished both parts feeling so ruined and out of sorts that I want nothing more than the third part to be done so I can know what happens.

"For the perpetrator, rape lasts just a matter of minutes. For the victim, it never stops."

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled in the deep forest it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by working men. That ice rink is the reason people in this town believes that tomorrow will be better than today. This is the story of this community, its hopes and its secrets that threatens to tear it apart and the courage it takes for one individual to against the grain.

★★★★★

This is easily one of the best books I have read this year, and if I ever make a list of favourite books I have ever read it might be added onto it too. While I was reading both this and the second one I struggled to put it down, so much so that I could have easily stayed up all night reading, which doesn't happen all too often anymore.

The story had me close to tears a few times, particularly in the aftermath of what happens with Maya and when she talks to her parents. Backman is so skilled at writing how it destroyed them both and without it becoming preachy and unrealistic, the strength of Maya and her resilience and will to fight on, even after she'll be scarred by this on the inside forever. It's such a dark story, depressing, sad, frustrating, heartbreaking and beautiful at times too, and does not shy away from exposing the shortcomings of human beings. It talks about how misguided actions can become and as a consequence how good people make bad choices and start to operate on the grey zones of society, of what is good and bad and right and wrong.

It talks a lot about locker room culture, showcases its layers and how it operates and captures young individuals in a vicious circle of violence, bullying and camaraderie, and how it engrains a strong sense of belonging into people too, and all the good things that come from it too. It's complicated and nuanced and as heartbreaking and frustrating it is to read about it's also really fascinating too. At times it's so disturbing too I was ready to chuck the book out of my window. I experienced a lot of emotions reading this book and it was a very tumultuous experience.

In a sense it's difficult to talk about this book without talking about spoilers, but it feels like it's an important read, particularly for my own country, as it always hits harder when it's from your own culture and I hope we can start to understand toxic masculinity better now and believe victims and have even more conversations regarding sexual assault and how the perpetrators are often people we know, people we sometimes care about or vice vera and not some stranger we meet while we are out jogging in the woods.

And I like that about this book, because it gives you Kevin's point of view (the rapist) and he has a lot of depth. I have seen the episodes that are out from the show and I might just have to write a separate review of that because it makes some interesting, both good and bad choices. I do think book Kevin and tv series Kevin are very different, book Kevin to me felt very distant, arrogant, unattached, arrogant, introspective that carried a lot on his shoulders and felt the ever growing pressure around him, particularly from his father which made him slowly suffocate on it. This is not me defending him at all, but I do think it is important that we acknowledge that rapists are not a foreign species and not psychopaths. They are anyone and everyone and this book shows the reader that very well.

Okay okay, I just really want to talk about Benji, my absolute favourite. I love him sooooo much. But I might wait with that and just bang on about him when I review the next book, when I can be bothered to get my thoughts together a bit more.

Until then my fingers and toes as crossed that Backman finishes the series asap so I can finally put my overexcited mind to rest.

ABOUT ME

POPULAR POSTS

Categories

Kontaktformulär

Sök i den här bloggen

Blog Archive

Instagram

Popular Posts