NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: LibraryReads BookBrowse Goodreads “You’ll love this engrossing novel.” –People The bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream–and the price required to make it come true. People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground … true.
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever-encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
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One of the best novels I’ve read in years. Brilliant writing; flawed, sometimes heroic, realistic characters; unique, interesting story line. Most impactful is the author’s insights into the human psyche with few words but spot-on observations. If you’ve read other Backman books, as good as they are, Beartown is head and shoulders above them. If you haven’t read Backman’s works,and you enjoy reading, Beartown needs to be at the top of your list. It’s that good.
One of the best books I’ve ever read but wait, there is a saga called US AGAINST YOU, as good , as fantastic as BEARTOWN, a must read
Very different from Backman’s earlier works. Learned about hockey and how sports can be wonderful fir a town and awful at the same time.
It took awhile to get into this book because the author started each of the early chapters in the point of view of a new character. But he develops them nicely giving insight into each of them and their behavior. By the end of the book, I was sorry to leave them. Not to worry. There is a sequel. Backman has a way with words that is witty and fun to read.
Beartown was definitely NOT what I expected—a book about a junior hockey team in a small Swedish town. The hockey is central to the theme of entire book, but it’s so much more. The intersecting story lines weave their way through the novel. Could never have predicted where the story would go, and Beartown and its sequel will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page.
my favorite last year
Full disclosure, I’m almost afraid to review this book because we were a hockey family, and I don’t know how much that colors my perceptions. The story is about a dying town that hitches its wagon (and its daily life, for that matter) to a hockey team. This also gives a maudlin, almost desperate, tone to the story. Among other things, it’s an excellent analysis of crowd psychology because a serious event divides the town. The book ties up the loose ends as to what happens to some main characters in the end, but is stingy on specifics. Still, the book is a page turner in that you want to know how things play out for this strange cast of characters. I look forward to reading Us Against You which also takes place in Beartown because I’m certain the characters and story line will be as interesting as those in this book and as those in A Man Called Ove.
This book was a bit dark compared to the previous two I read from Backman (A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry). It was at times difficult to keep the characters straight because of the writing style of having several story lines running at once and skipping back and forth between them. It was a hard book to get through because there wasn’t much of a plot to grab you. That being said… I am glad I read it because the second part (Us Against You) of this overall unhappy story is a much more interesting read. As with all Backman characters I’ve fallen in love with them and their town. The end of Beartown left me with some hope for the futures of his immensely lovable characters. Read it and move on to Us Against You — it’s definitely worth it.
Friends and family have been getting on me to read this for at least a year. I hesitated because I had started A Man Called Ove and abandoned it (don’t hate me). I just didn’t like it and maybe I’ll try it again another time. I listened to the audiobook of Beartown and I’ll admit, I still wasn’t crazy into it until the first few chapters were over with. And then I start to become attached to these kids. Amat, who fights so hard for what he loves, and his mom. Benji, who is described so beautifully, you cannot help but love him fiercely, just as Backman describes others do in the book. I think he might be my favorite character. Him and Ramona, the old, crazy, brokenhearted pub owner who takes no lip from anyone, not even the Pack, her regulars at the Bearskin.
I had emotional reactions to this book. I honestly felt protective of some of these kids, hurt with some of the parents, and laughed just as quickly as I teared up. Sometimes just in one conversation in the book. This book makes you feel.
Beartown is a book about a hockey town. I think if you’re a fan of hockey, you may even understand it a bit more. Not that it’s technical, but there is a fierce passion for a sport sometimes. Especially for a small town that depends on it. I think hockey fans will understand that passion. And for some fans, you might hear a name mentioned offhandedly when describing a child’s room (YEA Crosby! GO PENS!).
It’s about way more than hockey though. It’s about the town. The people. If there were a fictional book that really gets into the heart of sociology, this is it. Small towns have all kinds of people and those people have secrets. And heart. And loyalty. Beartown has it all.
I highly, highly recommend this. To everyone. I now understand the urgency in which this was recommended. I relay that same urgency to you.
****SPOILER/TRIGGER WARNING BELOW THIS LINE*****
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This book has a rape scene involving a high school aged girl and what she experiences following the assault.
Not a hockey book, I’m a woman not interested in hockey. But more about how a town can pressure young athletes, how parents raise children and how s dying town struggles to stay alive
A hockey coach in a hockey town experiences something that causes him to question the lessons he’d taught to his teams’ boys for years. Very contemporary subject written in an engaging and interesting manner. I recommend!!
I loved this book and the sequel, “Us Against You”. The writing is wonderful, I noted down many quotes that I found wise and witty. The characters are wonderful, but more so are the relationships and loyalties between characters.
As usual Backman is flawless in his character development
Mr. Blackmon has a flair for making his characters endearing and tragic all at once. I highly recommend this book and the sequel “Us against you”. I am now a fan for life.
Loved the authors use of vocabulary.
Quite slow to start out (I almost put it down due to this) but definitely worth finishing. Once it picks up you are left in the middle of a tale that will rip at your heartstrings while at the same time helping you to see people in a way you might not have before.
A powerful story that will stir your emotions and make you think. I can hardly wait to read the sequel.
Could not put down Beartown or its sequel Us Against Them.
This book centers on a small town that puts their homes and dreams on their hockey team making it to the winner’s circle. You learn how the men that played together are now the fathers that push their sons to be the best. Most don’t handle the pressure well, with a parent’s love is connected to how well the player does. I do understand that in isolated towns with winter being the norm throughout the year, people focus on hope and how to achieve being winners. Lots of son and father relationships, mixed in with money and lack of it, and how it defines us.