Reviews

Benny and Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

xjuwita's review against another edition

3.0

This is a story about two people in their mid-30s who begin an affair in the most unexpected manner. A farmer and a librarian. Do opposites really attract? Will they find happiness and common ground between their two extremely different worlds?

I thought the book was okay. It was an enjoyable read but I was not too keen on the ending. Heard there was a sequel.

jenunderhill's review against another edition

1.0

This was a book about two people who are polar opposites of each other. They find one another and fall madly in lust. The author would have you think it is love, but I disagree. This is because when their opposite personalities and lifestyles began to crash, neither was willing to compromise or learn from the other and they gave up. Disappointing as that may be, it was nothing to the final chapter where Desiree and Benny decide to have sex just 3 more times (despite his having a fiancee) so that she might become pregnant with his child. Presumably after this they will go back to living their separate lives. It was the most depressing and senseless book I've read in a long time.

mary00's review against another edition

2.0

Interesting, but ultimately too dark and contemporary for my taste. Also a bit graphic in parts. I ended up skimming through much of it to find out what happened and can't say that the ending redeemed the book for me. In fact, for me, the book moved down in my estimation the more that I read.

mycouscous's review against another edition

3.0

I'm a librarian; my boyfriend's is a (part-time) farmer. So are the characters in this book, which might have been my subconscious reason for picking it up. That and a patron whose reading tastes align somewhat with mine recommended it to me.

Benny and Shrimp are the thirtysomething title characters. They're somewhat neurotic in their own ways, narrating this novel in alternating chapters. Their stories are told in an almost frenzied manner, jumping from one point to another and throwing in names rather quickly within their short chapters. It was a little hard to grasp at first, but I eventually was pulled in. For me, though, the two characters' voices didn't differ too greatly, despite them being very different people.

Mazetti does an admirable job of charting grief (or the lack thereof) and a budding relationship. The lovers' chemistry is undeniable even in print, but as a reader I did get frustrated by constant sniping/bickering. Was this the point?

It's a bittersweet story and a relatively quick read. Not recommended for fans of traditional romance, but possibly for fans of something like High Fidelity.

whatsheread's review against another edition

2.0

"Described as seriously addictive, I found myself completely charmed by Benny and Shrimp, a.k.a. Desiree, and can attest to its addictive nature. Each character was thoroughly enjoyable because of their quirks. As a fellow bibliophile and intellectual, I found myself drawn to Shrimp because of her tidiness and need for culture. But Benny, who is still struggling with life after the death of his mother, is someone with whom the reader automatically sympathizes. The longing and attraction between the two makes you really hope that they can work through their issues and successfully stay together in the end.[return][return]The fact that the book takes place in Sweden added to its charm. Life as a dairy farmer in Sweden, even though the book is set in modern times, still feels antiquated and nostalgic. The traditions and cultural differences do not detract from the overall story but rather enhance it. In fact, I found it interesting to see how different our culture is from that in Sweden.[return][return]However, as a thirty-three year-old woman, I do object to the term ""middle aged"" to describe the two characters. Shrimp is only thirty-five, and Benny turns thirty-seven. To me, this is not middle-aged. Call it denial, but it just seems too young to use that term.[return][return]In spite of the details of life in modern-day Sweden that I enjoyed (and the objectionable term ""middle-aged"" to describe the two characters), at its heart this book is about love - what is it, what it means to be in love, the sacrifices necessary to make it work, and so forth. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an enchanting and quick read. Poignant, tumultuous, and charming - Benny & Shrimp take hold of the reader's heart and tug and tear at it, just as love tugs and tears at their own hearts, as they struggle to adjust their two very different lives to this thing called love.[return][return]Thank you to Caitlin Price of FSB Associates for the opportunity to read this ARC!"

canadianbookworm's review

4.0

This novel from Sweden is a charming story told from alternating points of view. Desiree (alias Shrimp) is a widowed librarian trying to come to terms with her young husband's sudden death and her own longing for children. Benny is a dairy farmer, whose mother has recently died from cancer. The two meet in the cemetery, with the graves they are each visiting next to each other. They come from very different worlds, and have very different interests, but are increasingly drawn to each other.
This novel is really about the characters and the choices they are up against. Once started, I found it hard to put down. It is not a conventional love story, but it is one that will grab your emotions.

jenzyrichards's review

3.0

I started reading this at my mom's house over the weekend -- she'd taken it out of the library -- and I was immediately hooked. I finished it in 2 days. It's bittersweet in the best way.

cansail's review

4.0

Strong beginning, ending left me hanging... but according to an interview with the author (included in the back), it ended too suddenly for her too and she wrote a sequel. Now I'm hoping the sequel gets translated into English too.

melerihaf's review

1.0

I guess I'm just not a romance reader. The only thing I liked about this book was that it was short.