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4.52 AVERAGE
4.52 AVERAGE
I can't really place why, but in the previous book a little and in this book a lot things just feel a lot more forced. Beartown is one of my favorite books, but I like the rest of the series significantly less. It feels like things are the way they are just to get an emotional response from me. Which I guess is true of all of Backman's books. I don't know why the other ones feel real and these feel fake to me. This book is also too long.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
He did it again! He told me exactly what was going to happen & then even though I knew, it still got me & I cried. I enjoyed reading about these characters again, but I think this one was too long & there was too much repetition of what they went through in the previous two books. If I could just rate Benji's story, this would be a 5 star series/book, but because it was so long in the middle of this book, it's a 3.5 I think.
In The Winners, the final installment of the Beartown series, the small town continues to grapple with the lasting effects of tragedy, rivalry, and loyalty. Old wounds are reopened as Beartown’s and Hed’s residents face love, loss, and the complexities of human connection, all while hockey remains a unifying yet divisive force. Fredrik Backman masterfully weaves together the stories of individuals and a community, showing how they rise and fall together in their shared pursuit of hope and healing.
a great ending to a great series!! i really enjoyed getting to follow such an extensive set of characters. maja, mira, tess and benji are my favorites <33
i will def continue to read through backman’s backlist.
i will def continue to read through backman’s backlist.
I didn't decide to give this book 5 stars until I got to the very end. It was pretty much a 4 star read for me for most of the way, but the ending was worth the extra star.
If you haven't read the 1st two in the series, you should do that before reading this one. While it does work as a stand alone novel, you'll get more out of it if you know the backstory.
If you haven't read the 1st two in the series, you should do that before reading this one. While it does work as a stand alone novel, you'll get more out of it if you know the backstory.
I live his writing and the series. I just thought this final book needed a good edit. It was just too long and repetitive but I still enjoyed it.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a wide-eyed teenager in 1977, I saw Star Wars for the first time. As the end credits rolled, I sat in the darkened movie theater, craving more. I wanted to know what happened to Darth Vader as he spun into space. What would happen to the plucky Rebels? I needed more Han and Chewie. Star Wars was such a captivating story, and I was greedy for more.
These days, my taste for good storytelling is more stoic. I now hold the rare opinion that George Lucas should have moved on in 1977 and stopped with the one great film. I would argue that Godfather II was unnecessary (great, but unnecessary). And don't get me started on Godfather III. But Hollywood is a capitalist machine, and good stories can make the cash register sing—especially when the story has "extensibility."
I loved Fredrik Backman's Bear Town. I enjoyed the characters, the omniscient narration, the growing tensions between two hockey towns, and the gut-punch event at the center of the narrative. It was a solid book and a great story. When I finished the book and saw there was a sequel, "Us Against Them," I admit my earlier greed for more rose to the surface, and I eagerly picked it up.
It was a good book, but unnecessary. You see where I'm going, don't you?
When The Winners was announced, I couldn't help myself, I pre-ordered it. I'm a bit of a completionist—what can I say?
It's a good book, but unnecessary.
The book's final chapters are heavy on artificial sweeteners and rival The Return of the King for the longest wrap-up/ending—warning: they may induce a diabetic coma in some readers.
My advice: read Bear Town and move on.
These days, my taste for good storytelling is more stoic. I now hold the rare opinion that George Lucas should have moved on in 1977 and stopped with the one great film. I would argue that Godfather II was unnecessary (great, but unnecessary). And don't get me started on Godfather III. But Hollywood is a capitalist machine, and good stories can make the cash register sing—especially when the story has "extensibility."
I loved Fredrik Backman's Bear Town. I enjoyed the characters, the omniscient narration, the growing tensions between two hockey towns, and the gut-punch event at the center of the narrative. It was a solid book and a great story. When I finished the book and saw there was a sequel, "Us Against Them," I admit my earlier greed for more rose to the surface, and I eagerly picked it up.
It was a good book, but unnecessary. You see where I'm going, don't you?
When The Winners was announced, I couldn't help myself, I pre-ordered it. I'm a bit of a completionist—what can I say?
It's a good book, but unnecessary.
The book's final chapters are heavy on artificial sweeteners and rival The Return of the King for the longest wrap-up/ending—warning: they may induce a diabetic coma in some readers.
My advice: read Bear Town and move on.
The first book was still the best. I liked this one but it was VERY long (almost 700 pages!) and with so many characters/stories it was a lot to keep track off. Right away we know benji will die by the end and so when it happens it’s not shocking at all. Also did the boy really have to kill a dog? That seemed ridiculous to add in on top of everything else! There was just… a lot going on. A scandal Peter is tied to, Hannah and Johnny’s story, Ruth and her brothers story, Amit, Ana, Benji, lev and big city all have their own sections of the book with their story which is probably why it was 700 pages!
The second book almost had me not reading the third but I am SO glad I did. Beautiful writing from Fredrik Backman yet again