Damn! What happened to my book reviews? I’ve been reading tons of books, I swear, but I’ve just been extremely lazy logging things down in the blog.
Anyway, Beartown was a book I read last year, and it was a memorable enough read that I think I can write a review three months later and still do justice to it.
So here we go.
Beartown synopsis
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the 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 the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatised and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
My Review
The book starts off in a very compelling way.
Late one evening, toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else’s forehead, and pulled the trigger.
This is the story of how we got there.
But if you think this is a stay up all night thriller, you’d be wrong, it’s a beautifully written tale of a remote town in Sweden.
His writing is beautiful, and he takes the time to really build wonderful characters, and let us sink into their lives in the small town of Beartown. I can’t say enough about the character building – even the smallest characters or the most unpleasant characters are so well-rounded that I felt like I lived in that town and knew these people (a very immersive reading experience).
Another impressive thing is that is no way does the scene setting or character building get in the way of the plot.
A lot of this book is about ice hockey; I’m not a sports fan generally (at least not reading books where sports is a major theme), but I loved it here. Backman acknowledges that not everyone likes hockey, but also pulls us in with the promise of a good story.
Why does anyone care about hockey?
Because it tells stories.
For the first time, I could appreciate how sport can have such an impact. Beartown is a town in decline, and the only bright spot is it’s hockey team and the shining hockey stars who can bring in the glory and big bucks to the town.
So, when one of those stars is accused of rape, things start to go a little a lot haywire. Most of the town supports the accused, because he’s the one who can bring in money into the town. It’s now upto the other members of the team and townfolk to listen to their conscience and decide what to do.
I found myself empathising with all the characters – even the unpleasant ones (such as the rapist). Backman brings out all their viewpoints so clearly.
This book is beautifully written. It’s not as famous as his bestseller A Man Called Ove (which I haven’t read), but it was a good introduction to his style of writing. I am very glad I gave it a try, and look forward to continuing with this series.
Have you read any of Fredrik Backman’s books? Which one would you recommend I try next?
