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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I’m not sure I liked the ending, but I loved the rest of it. Backman is an excellent storyteller.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Backman has a way of taking the ordinary, be it a place or a person, and inundating them with a sense of such mundane specificity so as to be undeniably human and therefore impossible not to root for. Even characters that otherwise wouldn’t be very likeable. Even places that otherwise wouldn’t be very memorable. Britt-Marie and Borg are no exceptions. One a cleanly-obsessed, nag-bag of an old woman; the other a nowhere town with nothing but a single street and a rag-tag group of dirt-ridden kids who want to play football. The two are an unlikely pairing, but both come out the other end irrevocably changed by the other. Apparently it’s a recipe for story that I will continue to happily consume.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
I know lots of people love Frederick Backman and now, having read two of his books this year, I have to wonder which book they read first. I read Anxious People first and I loved it. It was loopy and weird and bittersweet. I had heard about Britt-Marie Was Here for so long and I like Anxious People so much, I think my expectations for it were very high.
It took a very long time for me to really appreciate it but, in the end, it was not really a book for me. I can see why people would like it but I really struggled with it at points. I couldn't decide if Britt-Marie was supposed to be on the spectrum, OCD or just a pain in the ass and at no point did the book make a stand about it. Not that it matters but since it's often hard to read tone in written words, I had to infer context and her motivation.
Also, I was hoping for a slightly more clear ending. Not "and they lived happily ever after" but that Britt-Marie made some decisions in her life. Instead, it was left very open ended which I found to be a bit annoying.
It took a very long time for me to really appreciate it but, in the end, it was not really a book for me. I can see why people would like it but I really struggled with it at points. I couldn't decide if Britt-Marie was supposed to be on the spectrum, OCD or just a pain in the ass and at no point did the book make a stand about it. Not that it matters but since it's often hard to read tone in written words, I had to infer context and her motivation.
Also, I was hoping for a slightly more clear ending. Not "and they lived happily ever after" but that Britt-Marie made some decisions in her life. Instead, it was left very open ended which I found to be a bit annoying.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Sexism, Toxic relationship
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Brit Marie is a quirky but loveable character.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Britt-Marie is one of Backman's timeless characters. I think she's up there with Ove and Benji, I am completely in love with her. She made me love football (but only the way she does), which is saying something.
A classic from my favourite author - laugh out loud funny, poignant, beautiful characters and more heart than I know what to do with. It feels like he was finding his voice in the earlier books (though having said that Ove is damn near perfect), and I can see how his writing has progressed from this book to his later work. But I just adore every word the man writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
sad
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As with most books by Fredrik Backman, this book doesn't disappoint. It just gave me all the feels. Britt-Marie is way out of her element, but set in her ways at the beginning of the book and slowly starts to come around by the end with the help of new people around her. The narrator of the audiobook does a great job with helping you get a read on what Britt-Marie is thinking and feeling. Wonderful read!