Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Beartown

Wow. Some writers can make you fall in love with a story, even if nothing wild or exciting happens, simply by their writing. Fredrik Backman did that here.

The story started a little slow - with so many characters, it was hard to keep everyone straight at first. Yet, it crept up on me slowly in a way that was simple, yet beautiful. I often had to set it down and really absorb everything I was feeling. That’s how hard this story hit me.

‘Beartown' addresses some difficult content and warns about the hazards of blind idolization. From rape culture, to homophobia, to groupthink, to personal integrity and collective morality, this book forces readers to take a candid look at problems that plague all societies.

I'm sure some may find this book too slow or meandering. But my rating reflects the fact that this book engaged all of my thoughts and emotions at every turn. It so beautifully illustrates the complexity of humanity and the capacity that we have, both to hurt and to uplift each other. It made me feel seen, both as a woman and as a human.

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isaarusilor's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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eule_und_buch's review against another edition

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challenging tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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catunbound's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Went into it thinking it would be like A Man Called Ove but turned out to be 13 Reasons Why.

SPOILER: She should have killed Kevin. He doesn’t deserve to live much less be happy. Lyt family. Kevin’s dad, mom. This was a shit show ugh.

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teamoxfordcomma's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Reading this book made me feel physically sick. My face the entire time: ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

It's certainly a well-written (and, dare I say, all too realistic) commentary on toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and misogyny. Although I knew that going in, I guess I didn't know the extent to which these pages would detail the numerous ways to hurt & hate all sorts of people, including but not limited to women. This is so far removed from everything else I've read from Backman – usually his are stories that make me cry, but ultimately have some uplifting or poignant through line. This was not that, and I'd be lying if I said I had a good time reading it.

I appreciate what the author was doing and commenting on. His ability to create a wide cast of characters which each felt incredibly round and substantial is more than commendable. The noxious culture of this remote hockey town pollutes everything and everyone it touches, and it was great to see the town become a character of its own in a sense. I didn't enjoy my experience not because it's a poorly-written book or anything like that, but because it felt like being punched over and over and over and over again with no reprieve. I'm sure that's partly what Backman wanted when he chose to tackle this subject in this manner. In its own way, it's rather effective. It mirrors what living through misogyny is really like: unrelenting ignorance with no end in sight. But I didn't relish spending my free time in such a hostile environment not unlike what I've actually experienced, and although it made it more realistic of an ending (sadly),

when the rape charges were dropped and there was not even a little growth on behalf of the players or the town, merely a relocation of the same poisonous spirit? Well... cue the ☹️.

For my own sanity, I will not continue the series.

All of that to say: my feelings about Beartown are complicated. The writing & craft of it? The author's intent to write a book about toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and misogyny? Easily in the 4-5 star range. My enjoyment? Considerably less so. Boiled down, it's about misaligned expectations and the style of the concept's execution not working for me. I'm glad it has resonated with so many others, but I am unfortunately not in their number.

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