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okiecozyreader 's review for:
My Friends
by Fredrik Backman
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I definitely didn’t begin this expecting a road trip (on a train), but that’s largely where this story takes place.
Louisa ran away from a foster home to see her favorite work by a famous artist. She discovers someone she assumes is homeless behind the church (having the art sale), to whom she shares her story of the painting and her love of art. This all begins her journey of learning the history of the painting.
This story is for those who love:
Found family
Art
Road trip stories
Coming of age
The story alternates between this train trip and the history of the figures in the painting. It tells each character’s back story. They were all from a rough area of town and have tragic stories. But she is a girl who understands tragedy, and they all recognize her as one of them.
“Because in an ugly place, he was born with so much beauty inside him that it was like an act of rebel-lion. In a world full of sledgehammers, his art was a declaration of war.” P20
“Oh, those are all our very best moments, when we're wasting our lives. It's an act of magnificent rebellion to do meaningless things, to waste time, to swim and drink soda and sleep late. To be silly and trivolous, to laugh at stupid little jokes and tell stupid little stories.” P39
“We never get that age back again, when every friend is a childhood friend, we measure all infatuations throughout our lives against that.” P78
“When sufficiently wealthy people want something bad enough, it becomes invaluable, because then art isn't experienced through the eyes, but by the ears, they're not paying for a picture but for its name and his-tory. In their world it isn't the artist who should be admired, it's the owner, because only something which has a price can have any value.” P96
“…nothing is more valuable at auction than an unfulfiled life." P111
“…he and Mom weren't like two magnets. They were like two colors. Once they were mixed together, there was no way of separating them.” P319
“…how life is so fragile, coincidence decides so much, it takes so little to change everything.” P377
Louisa ran away from a foster home to see her favorite work by a famous artist. She discovers someone she assumes is homeless behind the church (having the art sale), to whom she shares her story of the painting and her love of art. This all begins her journey of learning the history of the painting.
This story is for those who love:
Found family
Art
Road trip stories
Coming of age
The story alternates between this train trip and the history of the figures in the painting. It tells each character’s back story. They were all from a rough area of town and have tragic stories. But she is a girl who understands tragedy, and they all recognize her as one of them.
“Because in an ugly place, he was born with so much beauty inside him that it was like an act of rebel-lion. In a world full of sledgehammers, his art was a declaration of war.” P20
“Oh, those are all our very best moments, when we're wasting our lives. It's an act of magnificent rebellion to do meaningless things, to waste time, to swim and drink soda and sleep late. To be silly and trivolous, to laugh at stupid little jokes and tell stupid little stories.” P39
“We never get that age back again, when every friend is a childhood friend, we measure all infatuations throughout our lives against that.” P78
“When sufficiently wealthy people want something bad enough, it becomes invaluable, because then art isn't experienced through the eyes, but by the ears, they're not paying for a picture but for its name and his-tory. In their world it isn't the artist who should be admired, it's the owner, because only something which has a price can have any value.” P96
“…nothing is more valuable at auction than an unfulfiled life." P111
“…he and Mom weren't like two magnets. They were like two colors. Once they were mixed together, there was no way of separating them.” P319
“…how life is so fragile, coincidence decides so much, it takes so little to change everything.” P377
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent