Review by wastelander - Beartown

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wastelander 's review for:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

It's hard to explain why I love this book. A large part of it is because of how relatable the characters and situations are. As a parent, it reminds me of how easy it is to miss out on your kid's life in favor or whatever it is you would rather be doing (or feel like you should be doing).

“The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments?”

Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing.

So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side, because that’s easier than trying to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe—comforting facts, ones that permit life to go on as normal. The third is that we dehumanize our enemy. There are many ways of doing that, but none is easier than taking her name away from her.

When I was little, my dad used to hit me if I spilled my milk, Leo. That didn’t teach me not to spill things. It just made me scared of milk. Remember that.”

Content Warnings