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A review by julessssss
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really do think the published description of this book does not do it justice in the slightest and that it is misleading. If I had been aware that a detailed rape would be the main conflict of this whole slow-paced novel, I would not have wanted to read it.
I cannot say that it is badly written, which is part of why I gave it two stars as opposed to one, but I also have no idea what the point of this book was. Backman's ability to bounce between characters while also making them real in some ways should be recognized at the very least.
With that said though, I could not care about most of the characters, and even though they felt like they could be real people, everything they gave to me felt like it was being filtered through Backman as the author, to the point of it feeling ingenuine. I also really hated the Facebook-status-like altruisms that seemed to follow every emotional or important scene. Honestly, in some ways, it felt like I was being talked down to, as if I couldn't just take what was being given to me and understand it.
Overall though, it seemed like a lot of nothing and too much of a rape story I have heard too often, and one that seemed to have no discourse in the text about it other than the same feminist notions I hear all the time. The book is fine, read it if you'd like, but I would not recommend it.
If you are going to make me read a detailed rape scene, make it worth it.
I cannot say that it is badly written, which is part of why I gave it two stars as opposed to one, but I also have no idea what the point of this book was. Backman's ability to bounce between characters while also making them real in some ways should be recognized at the very least.
With that said though, I could not care about most of the characters, and even though they felt like they could be real people, everything they gave to me felt like it was being filtered through Backman as the author, to the point of it feeling ingenuine. I also really hated the Facebook-status-like altruisms that seemed to follow every emotional or important scene. Honestly, in some ways, it felt like I was being talked down to, as if I couldn't just take what was being given to me and understand it.
Overall though, it seemed like a lot of nothing and too much of a rape story I have heard too often, and one that seemed to have no discourse in the text about it other than the same feminist notions I hear all the time. The book is fine, read it if you'd like, but I would not recommend it.
If you are going to make me read a detailed rape scene, make it worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Bullying, and Child death
Minor: Grief, Self harm, and Addiction