June BOTM - Beartown by Fredrik Backman

[Gorab, TheGunman]

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Beartown (original title in Swedish: Björnstad) is a novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman. The novel, noted as hockey literature, centers on a declining youth hockey team in a small town. The story follows the events leading up to the rape of 15-year-old girl Maya Andersson by the star junior hockey player Kevin Erdahl, and the consequences for Maya and Kevin, the players, their families, friends, and the community which has a long-standing reputation as a hockey town.

It is the first book in the Beartown series, followed by Us Against You.

It was adapted into a screenplay. The series premiered as Beartown on HBO in North America on February 22, 2021.

[Pallavi]

I have read a few books from the author. And he never disappointed me :)
Hoping to start soon

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Only read Ove before, which was very nice. Will be joining in for this one.

[Arpit]

I have read this book and its one of my all time favourite. Would love to participate in the discussions.

[Preeti]

I have started reading it and liking it so far.

[Navendu]

preeti let me know after finishing it

[Preeti]

sure @ Navendu Agarwal.

[Leena]

I'm going to be reading it next weekend as part of a readathon on another group. I'll post my views after .

[Pallavi]

I have started it.
Still getting to know people from Beartown. Looks like this book is going to break my heart.

[| Shakshi]

I read only one book by the author. Now, I am gonna start reading this asap.

[Rupesh]

This is going to be my first participation in a group read on goodreads. Let's see how this goes.

[Parvez]

Hi I have read A Man Called Ove by the same author and upon completing it I understood why it was such a loved book all over the world. So very excited about this one. I will start as soon as I put away some titles that I have started.

[Preeti]

I am around the 40% mark and now I think it's difficult to continue for me for some time because it's turning out to be so emotional.

[Pallavi]

~~ preeti~~ wrote: "I am around the 40% mark and now I think it's difficult to continue for me for some time because it's turning out to be so emotional."

that's fast Preeti. And I know how Mr.Backman can twist your heart and place it in your hand...

Hopefully I will pick up pace again....

[Preeti]

@Pallavi, you have put it perfectly, "Twist your heart and place it in your hand".

[Gorab, TheGunman]

“Never trust people who don’t have something in their lives that they love beyond all reason.”

Started yesterday night. Around 30 pages in. Very good beginning. Though I've never followed ice hockey much, but am able to understand the sentiments.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

If you are honest, people may deceive you. Be honest anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness. Be kind anyway.

All the good you do today will be forgotten by others tomorrow. Do good anyway.

What you create, others can destroy. Create anyway. Because in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and anyone else anyway.

[Rupesh]

I am close to one-third into the book. I have reached the point no return. Finishing it today.

[Preeti]

I finished it yesterday and I think the book is going to stick with me for some time.

[[deleted user]]

Just got my copy:)
can't wait to read it soon!!

[Gorab, TheGunman]

I'm around 100 pages mark. So far enjoying it much.

[Prerna]

Fredrick Backman has quickly become my favourite author. All his characters seem so real that I feel as if I know them, or maybe somebody very similar to them.

[Leena]

I've just started.

[Leena]

I'm 60 pages into the book. the pressure is insane. I'm feeling sorry for everyone there.

[Mayank]

I am through 22 chapters of the book and this beautiful story full of different emotions has just taken a dark. Kept it aside now, will sleep over the new turn of events! Ooooooh!

[Gorab, TheGunman]

I've read till chapter 18. All the characters so far are given sufficient background and built pretty elaborately.

I'm liking the many character pairs working together so far....
Amat Fatima
Peter Sune
Maya Ana
and off course Kevin Benji.

[Gorab, TheGunman]

loving the character of David as a coach too.

[Leena]

I'm.actually liking the slow development of all the characters, their back stories and their connections.

[Leena]

I liked Peter and.Kira and the description of their marriage.

[Mayank]

I am liking most of the characters! Amat, Kira, Peter, Fatima, Kevin, Benji & family, Zach, Maya, Ana, Ramona, even Bobo and Robbie! Their life revolves around Hockey, but everybody has a different story.
The character descriptions are indeed quite interesting ang intriguing!

[Leena]

and he's got the pack mentality well. especially amongst the boys.

[Pallavi]

Finished it..
Heavy....
The only thing which i didnt like was Hockey... the madness around Hockey....
Did anyone feel that?

[Leena]

but thats with every soprt. In India and South Asian countries its Cricket and in the US its baseball. sports rules the sentiments and lives of people everywhere.

[Leena]

what I'm.getting of actually is his tone through the book. Its a little too sweet and the one liner conclusions he adds towards the end of some chapters is tiring. Feels very uppity.

[Preeti]

@ Leena Aluru, you are right we in India are as crazy for Cricket as people in Beartown are for Ice Hockey. We don't feel it that way because we are part of the madness. Sports have this effect. We may not pay any importance to Rugby but for kiwi, it's part of their identity.

[Pallavi]

Leena wrote: "but thats with every soprt. In India and South Asian countries its Cricket and in the US its baseball. sports rules the sentiments and lives of people everywhere."

agreed. As I am not much of a sport fanatic, i cant understand that feeling of madness around any sport...
I could relate to Kira's feeling...

Overall the plot was not up to my expectation and it looks like the story is character driven. Loved the characters and their slow development.

[Preeti]

@Leena Aluru, again you are right. The one-liner at the end of the chapter feels like a spoon-feeding. We read the chapter so we have got the author's intentions, he doesn't have to conclude it again to make the reader feel stupid.

[Leena]

yup
it's condescending. Pallav8, actually Kira does feel and understand the madness around Hockey. She too is a part of just such a circus as a lawyer. what she hates is being looked down upon by the townspeople. I liked the distinction between Career woman and the man having a job that the author defines in the beginning.

[Leena]

the gender and class politics are well played out. Unfortunately, its a pretty ghaseeta paseeta story. Remember Sunnny Deol movie with Urmila as the victim? dhai kilo ka haath dialogue?

[Leena]

nowadays so.many books take.me back to Bollywood movies and how they've been an unacknowledged inspiration.

[Leena]

OK. now at chapter 35 I'm truly getting tired of his preachy tone. I'm taking a break. For a book on hockey and the speed that he describes he really epitomises slowness - wish he had incorporated that same speed in his writing. ):

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Hockey, Baseball, Cricket, Rugby, Football or any team game for that matter... I guess most of the emotions and adrenaline rush are generic and contagious :)

Still on chapter 18, and would say it is going very strong and impressive so far.

[Rupesh]

I finished reading it a couple of days back. I loved it overall. Though I felt it was a little slow at times. Either that or I just needed a little break from reading from time to time. The plot is heavy. It has some really great high points, brought me to tears. That was the moment I decided to give it a 5 star.

I’ve already started the next book. I think I’ll also read “A man called Ove” after this. Let’s see.

[Rupesh]

I have a lot to talk about, but will wait until everyone finishes reading.

[Leena]

I've preserved and find it extremely predictable. the dialogues, the content is all so Deja vu. nothing original. I'm completely disappointed. this is a 3 star or less for me

[Leena]

alright, I've finished this book and I've rated it at 2 stars. I've immense issues with this book.

1. its extremely pretentious - it leaves us with a feeling of incompleteness. I agree this is a trilogy and part 2 will take off from here. I didn't like that (view spoiler)[Maya was left in limbo. (hide spoiler)]

2. The ramblings and repetitions got to me. 100 pages down would have helped.

3. Almost most of the super dramatic scenes seem to have been inspired by another movie or book. Most unoriginal.

I might pick up the second part some time later. But till then, I'm done with this author.

[Leena]

Its very strange and totally off topic here.- but through the last week end I've read 3 other books dealing with sports and only 1 was really note worthy. She Drives Me Crazy was really a very sweet YA .

[Preeti]

@Leena, so sad it didn't work for you.

[Preeti]

@Rupesh, I am planning to read ' Anxious people' by the same author. Though I have heard ' A man called Ove' is much better than ' Anxious People'.