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lucasgarner 's review for:
The Winners
by Fredrik Backman
This is more of a 3.5 that I’m rounding up to a 4, only because I have so much damn respect for Frederik Backman as an author. The Beartown trilogy is incredible and definitely worth everyone’s time, I’m just not convinced this was the best send off for the beloved characters. There were so many plots happening at once, it felt like I was reading 10 books simultaneously, which was even more frustrating when you realize at the end that about half of the plots were absolutely meaningless. They could have cut about 200 pages, and still be left with a hefty novel, as this one clocks in at nearly 700 pages. When you sift out the pointless sections, however, you are left with everything a fan can love with Backman. His narrative voice that is vaguely reminiscent of a Swedish version of the narrator from Desperate Housewives, the constant shift between comedy and tragedy, and lovable characters. I can’t say I was disappointed by the book, but I just think a little bit of editing and a little bit more dedication to the characters we started the journey with could have made this perfect. If you read the first two Beartown books don’t hesitate for a second, and if you are a Backman fan I recommend the entire trilogy, and if you haven’t read Backman at all, this series is a great place to start (or Anxious People, which is my favorite of his novels).