Ever since the first Fredrik Backman book, he became one of my all time favorite authors. I love his dark humor, his very empathetic character building and how observant he is of little things in life.
This is a short review of the 5 Backmans I’ve read so far. enjoy!
Anxious People
Anxious People was my 2020 best fiction choice. The story unfolds like an onion, with each layer offering more back story and makes you question how different people really are from each other.
I was extremely impressed with how Backman was able to create so many characters and give them distinctive purposes in the main story. The suspense of the burglary turned hostage situation adds even more thrill. I love the ending so much it’s so heart warming and such a great lesson.
“It was a long story. All stories are, when it comes down to it, if you tell them from the start.”
I also find it very interesting that different cultures all have words for arrogant assholes who think they are better than everyone else. In Swedish it’s “the Stockholm people”. In Taiwanese mandarin it’s “天龙人” or “sky dragon people”. In Chinese mandarin the closest I think is “赵家人” or “the Zhaos”, with the extra the implication that the arrogance is rooted in being high up in the CCP hierarchy, thus allowing them to live above the law.
Not sure what the American English equivalent is though, has to be some opposite version of the “redneck”. (Let me know if you have thoughts on this!)
A Man Called Ove
A Man Called Ove made me laugh and cry so hard I couldn’t get out of it for weeks. I don’t think I’ve cried harder reading a book ever since Dumbledore died.
The story is about love and loss, and also friendship, kindness, humanity, and healing and all the things you need for a good cry and warmed heart. The parallel stories between the past and current timeline and the mix of tragedy and comedy is just perfectly done.
I found Ove a very interesting character because he is so stoic and stubborn and seemingly distant from emotions but he has so much love for his wife and writes the best love letters:
“But if anyone had asked, he…
