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Beartown (Beartown, #1)

Fredrik Backman,

Neil Smith (Translator)

Start date: January 1, 2018

Finish date: January 30, 2018

Discussion: Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: January: Gender Stereotypes.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
[close] January: Gender Stereotypes.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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What Members Thought

Sep 01, 2017 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow. The writing is fantastic and incredibly captivating. There's something for everyone in this book. ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

May 27, 2017 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, favorites

Wonderful. I loved this book. It was great how Mr. Backman gave us future glimpses of many of the characters in this book. I'm hoping for a sequel. This was his best yet. ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2018 Martha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, needs-trigger-warning, would-read-again, big-books-18, read-2018, netgalley

Fredrik Backman is one of my favourite authors and yet I always have difficulty reviewing his books because I have no idea how to articulate all of the emotions that his books make me feel!

Beartown is a departure from the norm for Backman, which initially had me worried. Instead of following one or two central characters, we are immersed in a whole town, jumping from one perspective to another. It took a while to adjust and I didn't like it in the beginning. I absolutely fell in love with Ove, Fredrik Backman is one of my favourite authors and yet I always have difficulty reviewing his books because I have no idea how to articulate all of the emotions that his books make me feel!

Beartown is a departure from the norm for Backman, which initially had me worried. Instead of following one or two central characters, we are immersed in a whole town, jumping from one perspective to another. It took a while to adjust and I didn't like it in the beginning. I absolutely fell in love with Ove, Grandmother and Britt-Marie - where was my prickly, misunderstood lead character?! Perhaps the main character is hockey - and that was something else that was particularly new, why should I give a crap about hockey?!

Cut to me sobbing around two thirds of the way through, and I knew that I shouldn't have doubted my favourite author. This is not just a book about hockey, it's a book about toxic masculinity, the kind that is found so often in organised sport and that takes over the minds and hearts of those involved with it. When the star player is accused of something unspeakable, the horrific consequences of the unquestioning loyalty to "the team" explode in this hidden little forest town. This is a dark, intense book, another departure from Backman's previous work. The heart is still there, but it was in the small decisions and exchanges between some of the characters, rather than being the central force of the novel. I was glad to find that there were still some prickly misunderstood characters, even if they weren't always in the lead.

This book needs a strong trigger warning for sexual violence which I will explain more in spoiler brackets.
(view spoiler)

I never thought I'd enjoy a book about hockey, but I genuinely can't wait for the sequel.

Thank you to Penguin UK and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2019 Lisa rated it liked it

Shelves: book-club, popsugar-reading-challenge-2019

Reasonably good plot- but I made the mistake of getting an audio copy (it was all that was left) when I “read” this for book club. Had to listen to it after the girls went to bed- small ears and all.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2019: Read a book during the season it is set in

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