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Beartown: A Novel (Beartown Series) Paperback – February 6, 2018

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54,706 ratings

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Now an HBO Original Series

“You’ll love this engrossing novel.” —People

Named a Best Book of the Year by LibraryReads, BookBrowse, and Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People, a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are 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.

Under that heavy burden, the match becomes 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.

This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
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From the Publisher

Us Against You Winners A Man Called Ove Anxious People
Customer Reviews
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Also by Fredrik Backman

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR BEARTOWN

"Compelling characters and a wrenching story, beautifully told." ―
The New York Times Book Review

“Backman is a masterful writer, his characters familiar yet distinct, flawed yet heroic. . . There are scenes that bring tears, scenes of gut-wrenching despair, and moments of sly humor. . .Like
Friday Night Lights, this is about more than youth sports; it's part coming-of-age novel, part study of moral failure, and finally a chronicle of groupthink in which an unlikely hero steps forward to save more than one person from self-destruction. A thoroughly empathetic examination of the fragile human spirit, Backman's latest will resonate a long time.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“Lest readers think hockey is the star here, it’s Backman’s rich characters that steal the show, and his deft handling of tragedy and its effects on an insular town. While the story is dark at times, love, sacrifice, and the bonds of friendship and family shine through ultimately offering hope and even redemption.” ―
Publishers Weekly

“The sentimentally savvy Backman...takes a sobering and solemn look at the ways alienation and acceptance, ethics and emotions nearly destroy a small town and young people.” ―
Booklist

"[A] slow burn of a novel about a community that pours all its hopes into a youth hockey team. Think
Friday Night Lights for Swedes." ― O, The Oprah Magazine

"As popular Swedish exports go, Backman is up there with Abba and Stieg Larssson." ―
The New York Times Book Review

"Backman is the Dickens of our age, and though you'll cry, your heart is safe in his hands." ―
Green Valley News (Arizona)

“There are, in the end, real acts of bravery and sacrifice in this appealing novel.” ―
Wall Street Journal

“Mr. Backman cements his standing as a writer of astonishing depth and proves that he also has very broad range plus the remarkable ability to make you understand the feelings of each of a dozen different characters. . . . The story is fully packed with wise insights into the human experience causing characters and readers to ponder life’s great question of who we are, what we hope to be and how we should lead our lives.” ―
The Washington Times

“This novel was well worth reading, and I embrace what I learned from it.” ―
The Missourian

About the Author

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, Anxious People, The Winners, My Friends, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and X @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Reprint edition (February 6, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 150116077X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501160776
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 840L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54,706 ratings

About the author

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Fredrik Backman
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Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, as well as one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His books are published in more than forty countries. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September 2020. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @Backmansk.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
54,706 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the author's understanding of human behavior and how we relate to each other. The characters are well-defined and interesting. Readers praise the writing style as wonderful and clear. They find the hockey content relatable and mention it's an in-depth look at small town mentality, especially a failing small town.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

1,555 customers mention "Readability"1,489 positive66 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it engaging with its well-crafted characters and realistic storyline. The witty touches and charming moments draw readers into Beartown.

"...stage, develops the characters, and plots the story so the reader is viscerally engaged...." Read more

"...The multiple characters grow on you in each their own way. Truly a great read!" Read more

"...Because it has a very simple and fluent language. The story is also very effective" Read more

"...Backman is a magnificent writer, and this is a praiseworthy book. I enjoyed it, and will definitely be reading more of his novels. Strongly recommend." Read more

1,056 customers mention "Thought provoking"906 positive150 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the author's understanding of human behavior and society. The book focuses on the impact of violence on a community and how people relate to each other. Readers find the characters relatable and find the inter-relationships fascinating. While some felt the world-building was slow at times, overall it was considered a well-crafted story.

"...Does a great job explaining characters and has an interesting story line. Can’t wait to see how it ends." Read more

"...author will not bore the reader with long scenes but carefully gives a few bits of information and cuts to another scene or two before returning to..." Read more

"...Definitely not likeable. The writing and story line is enough to keep you interested, but I must admit I seriously considered putting down as I..." Read more

"...I loved the narrative style. It was almost as if the story was being told orally, from the memory of an observer, with little snippets of wisdom..." Read more

658 customers mention "Writing style"556 positive102 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find it clear and relatable, with a narrative approach that allows them to feel the familiar stages of hockey. The author conveys the pressure well through character backgrounds and sayings. Some readers found the book easy to read while others found it difficult. Overall, they appreciate the depth and details in the story.

"...Because it has a very simple and fluent language. The story is also very effective" Read more

"...Backman is a magnificent writer, and this is a praiseworthy book. I enjoyed it, and will definitely be reading more of his novels. Strongly recommend." Read more

"A great read, about sports, parenting and choices. I love the cadence of this author...." Read more

"...The story, the characters, the setting, the way Fredrick so clearly puts down in words the things we have been holding in our hearts for decades...." Read more

647 customers mention "Character development"589 positive58 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters. They find the portrayal of humankind deep and interesting. The characters are described as living, breathing, and interesting. There are no stereotypes in the book.

"...Does a great job explaining characters and has an interesting story line. Can’t wait to see how it ends." Read more

"...Backman brilliantly sets the stage, develops the characters, and plots the story so the reader is viscerally engaged...." Read more

"...The multiple characters grow on you in each their own way. Truly a great read!" Read more

"...The strong characters in the story (both good and bad) are the members of the Junior Hockey team, and their sense of teamwork and willingness to do..." Read more

197 customers mention "Hockey content"151 positive46 negative

Customers enjoy the book's hockey content. They find it relatable for anyone involved in the sport, and appreciate the honest look at the role of sports in small towns. The book plays a significant part in the story without being overly technical.

"...characters in the story (both good and bad) are the members of the Junior Hockey team, and their sense of teamwork and willingness to do whatever it..." Read more

"...The town has a small competitive hockey club which provides a social life as well as a source of pride for the town...." Read more

"A great read, about sports, parenting and choices. I love the cadence of this author...." Read more

"...Once I got into the story, I quickly realized that the story was not about hockey at all. It’s about people. Lots of deeply complicated people...." Read more

163 customers mention "Storyline"156 positive7 negative

Customers find the storyline engaging and profound. They describe it as a compelling look at small-town mentality, values, and culture. The book is described as heartbreaking and inspiring, tugging on every emotion. Readers also mention the book does them good by hitting them directly in the soul.

"...are the members of the Junior Hockey team, and their sense of teamwork and willingness to do whatever it takes to win is heartening...." Read more

"Immerse yourself in a world that tugs on every emotion. The more I read, the more I wanted to read...." Read more

"...The book is about loyalty, respect, team, and honor. It’s also about how the world works unfairly for those who are wronged by those in power." Read more

"...the series and continuing to explore the complexities of this compelling town." Read more

337 customers mention "Pacing"165 positive172 negative

Customers have mixed views on the pacing. Some find it fast and entertaining, while others say it starts slowly as they get to know all the characters. The book has many different perspectives and jumps around a lot, making it difficult to keep up with all the events.

"...doesn’t sound too interesting at first, but this one is a pleasant change of pace. The multiple characters grow on you in each their own way...." Read more

"...He also builds living, breathing characters, albeit too many to keep up with in this one book. I flipped back pages a few times to keep track...." Read more

"...The book starts very slowly, as we get to know all the characters. And there are a lot of them, a whole town's worth...." Read more

"Would've Given this one a Five Star; except the first 150 pages were blasé After that I felt like the Players were my dear friends...." Read more

134 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"43 positive91 negative

Customers have different experiences with the book. Some find it easy to follow, with well-developed characters and topics. Others find it difficult to get into, raw, and hard to read due to its honesty. There are also complaints about repetitive elements.

"...The writing is a bit different and harder to get used to but it is definitely worth it in the end...." Read more

"...An unpopular opinion here but this book was hard for me to get into...." Read more

"Although my English is not very good, I understand. Because it has a very simple and fluent language. The story is also very effective" Read more

"...It's hard. Hard on the heart. Hard on the blistering truth of it. Hits you and holds on for hours afterward. But it's also necessary...." Read more

Printing mistake
5 out of 5 stars
Printing mistake
The book was very good. It was hard to read though because the margins were all off. The words went all the way to the edge of the book and all the way down the page. This must have been a printing mistake and maybe Amazon got a deal on the books.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2025
    I’m about a 1/3 of the way done and it’s great so far! Does a great job explaining characters and has an interesting story line. Can’t wait to see how it ends.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2024
    Beartown had a sluggish start which I didn't expect from Fredrik Backman after reading several of his novels. But the pace picked up after the first 100 pages and didn't let up until the end. Backman tackles a challenging topic of a sports crazed community with sponsors and parents that will stop at nothing to ensure one of the best player's career isn't ruined by demonizing a young teen who has been raped and her father who happens to be the general manger of the team. But there are one or two unlikely characters who will stand against "Beartown" to risk their own safety and standing in the community.

    Backman brilliantly sets the stage, develops the characters, and plots the story so the reader is viscerally engaged. The author will not bore the reader with long scenes but carefully gives a few bits of information and cuts to another scene or two before returning to the carrot he so carefully dangled in front of you.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    A great read, about sports, parenting and choices. I love the cadence of this author. Blackman makes me feel as if I am listening to a song about life. Poetic prose at it’s finest.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025
    I’ll admit I was skeptical on this one - a book about hockey doesn’t sound too interesting at first, but this one is a pleasant change of pace. The multiple characters grow on you in each their own way. Truly a great read!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2024
    Although my English is not very good, I understand. Because it has a very simple and fluent language. The story is also very effective
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017
    This contemporary fiction / family drama has been a highly acclaimed bestseller in many countries. The message, clearly, resonates across the globe. It is relatable any place where there are 'haves and have nots,' or over achieving kids with overly competitive parents, or neglected kids, or over indulged kids, or loving parents, or great coaches, or tired teachers, or bullies and victims.

    SUMMARY
    The book opens with one teenager walking into the woods, pulling out a gun, pointing it at another teenager and pulling the trigger. The rest of the book explains the events leading up to this act.

    The book takes place in a small town on the edge of a forest called Beartown. I'm not sure exactly where Beartown is supposed to be located, but I think it's Sweden. The town has a small competitive hockey club which provides a social life as well as a source of pride for the town. Actually, that's an understatement. This town doesn't have a lot going for it at the moment; the local factory has eliminated a lot of jobs, people are moving away, those who stay don't have many employment options and to some people, the club is everything.

    The junior hockey team (made up of 16 and 17 years olds) is having an amazing season due, in large part, to their star player Kevin.

    Their coach, David, has been grooming them since they were seven years old, training them to become the stars they are today.

    Peter, a former Beartown Hockey star who made it to the NHL, returned to Beartown ten years ago with his family to serve as General Manager and turn the club into a national contender. Ten years of hard work has paid off and the team is about to play in they semi-finals for the junior NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!

    The town has so much riding on this. They are hoping that if they win the championship, the government will decide to build their new national training center in Beartown. Along with the training center would come more shopping, restaurants, commerce and JOBS. They NEED this. This is their time. The undefeated junior team just needs to make it through two more games.

    But, as the reader knows, it's not going to be that simple. We know that something is about to happen which will culminate in one teenager pulling the trigger of a gun on another...

    WHAT I LOVED
    Wow!!! So much to love! How could you not be riveted by a book with an opening chapter like that? Every time a new character appeared in the book, or when two characters interacted, I obsessively over analyzed the circumstances, looking for clues as to whether or not these characters were involved in the opening scene. Trying to determine if they were the one pointing the gun or the one with the gun pointed at them. Each slight made me read too much into the offended persons reaction. Would that be enough to trigger a tragic chain of events? I couldn't stop theorizing. I needed to know.

    I loved the setting; a snowy small town somewhere very far north. I both loved and hated that the country was never officially named. Loved because it gave me yet another thing to obsess over and hated because I never could get a straight answer.

    The book cover was LOVELY! The picture of the frozen lake and surrounding town was just what I imagined.

    I loved the narrative style. It was almost as if the story was being told orally, from the memory of an observer, with little snippets of wisdom and knowledge of future events which the narrator had witnessed.

    The characters were to compelling. They all had so many dimensions. There were several characters I was ready to write off as total 'bad seeds' in their first couple of appearances, who later redeemed themselves. On the flip side, some who initially seemed quite decent disappointed me.

    Benji and his family were very interesting; I loved how they very loudly loved each other while simultaneously calling each other out on bad behavior. They were all up in each other's business, they were always cramming themselves into small spaces so they could be together. On the polar opposite is Kevin's family. Cold, controlled, uninvolved. His parents started leaving him alone overnight when he was like twelve years old!! What the heck!!! On the outside, it looked like Kevin had everything; money and every advantage money could buy, intelligence and an excessive amount of talent. But did he really have more than Benji?

    There is so much to love in this book, I could go on for days, but I won't.

    WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE
    Too much hockey detail for me. I'm not anti-hockey, I'm just not obsessed. I understand the author was trying to create a feeling of an entire town living, eating, breathing hockey but it was too much for me. I get being in a town that loves its sports. I live in Texas. It's what we do. I felt like he could have created the feeling in fewer words.

    OVERALL
    A great book. Touches on my many important topics.
    38 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2018
    I find it difficult to review this novel by a favourite author of mine, as it turned out to be quite unlike anything I’d been expecting from him. I’d gone through emotional times, losing my mother, and was not in the mood for anything heavy, so Fredrik Backman seemed to be a fairly safe choice.
    I couldn’t have been more wrong. Gone was the whimsy and humour of A Man called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.
    Instead I read a novel filled with unexpectedly dark issues like rape, violence and deprivation that left me depressed and wrestling with questions. So much so that I’ve once again reached the conclusion that books should definitely be rated, like movies, so readers have some advance warning of disturbing contents.
    Beartown is about hockey and takes a dark look at the lives of sports players and about how they think they are untouchable once they’ve made a name for themselves. They’re placed on pedestals, are idolised and it’s a whole arrogant hype around the sporting scene standing together as a team, even if one of the members defaults catastrophically, and winning, no matter what. It’s a lifestyle that consumes every waking moment on fields and television screens everywhere and it can become too powerful, destructive and dangerous.
    There’s no mistaking Backman’s mastery of storytelling and compelling writing. He retains that knack. He also builds living, breathing characters, albeit too many to keep up with in this one book. I flipped back pages a few times to keep track.
    Trouble is, I just found myself truly missing his old style and the almost naïve relationships between characters in his earlier books, combined with all the delightful touches of whimsy. It is that quality of writing that made Fredrik Backman a safe reference when anyone asked me for a good book to read.
    (Spoiler alert) Although Backman shows, in Bear Town, that he is able to break the stylistic mould of his previous books I struggled to adjust to the many jumps in point of view (sometimes several on one page), repetitive passages (“bang, bang, bang and “again, again, again”, etc.) and pages of narrative. Surprising too were the many instances of blasphemy and colourful language, even though, in some instances, they would probably be commonplace in a locker room.
    10 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • monica pinto da veiga
    5.0 out of 5 stars Histórias fascinantes, personagens ótimos
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 9, 2024
    O ponto forte das histórias do autor são seus personagens, nunca simples, mas sem essa crueza com a qual nos acostumamos na literatura atual. Cada livro já publicado em português é excelente e agora tive que partir para as versões em inglês, pq não temos a tradução.
  • LP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and gut-wrenching
    Reviewed in France on December 19, 2024
    I'm not sure I will recover from this book. Beautifully written, the author has a way like no other to make you feel every emotion. You'll become a part of Beartown and some characters will hold a special place in your heart only to break it when you least expect it.

    Check the TW - there is a difficult part to read in this book.
  • Carolyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars like me, you don't follow hockey
    Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2017
    4.5 stars
    The opening drew me right in and kept hold of me.
    " Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put a gun to someone else's head and pulled the trigger. This is the story of how we got there.
    Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang"

    This is a book where hockey plays a vital part. If, like me, you don't follow hockey, don't let that deter you. It is also the story of a small town in decline. Beartown is set deep in the Scandinavian forest, and could be the story of any small town undergoing economic decline. The town has high hopes that there will be a resurgence in fortune if the Junior Boys' team wins first place in the provincial finals, bringing with it a new rink, a hockey school, more businesses and maybe even a shopping mall. There is no girls' team and the girls want to date the hockey players who generally regard them as groupies or sluts. The older men sit around in the tavern, reminiscing of their glory days in hockey.

    The book delves deeply into the souls, hearts, minds and opinions of the characters. There are themes of friendship, parenting, friendships, prejudice, bullying and betrayal. It is rich in a large cast of characters and supporting cast. They are so well defined that we feel we know them, and through them know the town. High expectations and pressure are placed on the young boys to perform well in hockey. To win is essential. Second place is never enough. School rules and even the legal system gets bent to accommodate the star athletes. The hopes of the entire town rests on the young athletes and their hockey coaches. Winning would bring in more funds and sponsors.

    This is compelling, character driven writing, emotionally moving, incredibly sad and insightful. Something bad happens and we wonder will people stand for loyalty to the club or will justice prevail? Will there be redemption for some?
    At the ending I was left wanting more, wondering what would happen next. I was delighted to learn that a sequel will be released in Sweden this summer. I hope an English translation happens in due time. The translation of this book was superb, and I often forgot I was reading a book written in another language and set in another country.
  • Geraldine
    5.0 out of 5 stars sport come metafora di vita..bel libro e ben scritto
    Reviewed in Italy on December 13, 2018
    Ho amato moltissimo questo libro. L'ho letto in lingua originale: una scrittura asciutta e incisiva che arriva dritta al punto ed è facile da comprendere (per contro ho voluto leggere un estratto del primo capitolo in italiano e la traduzione è davvero terribile non c'è paragone) una storia interessante dove il tema centrale (la valenza dello sport/hockey in questo caso) diventa una scusa riflettere in modo altrettanto profondo su tante altre tematiche alle quali personalmente mi sono sentita molto vicina. I rapporti fra le persone, il mondo degli adolescenti, l'emarginazione/discriminazione, il valore dei principi, l'importanza della famiglia, gli equilibri di coppia. Insomma non è un tema nuovo..lo sport come una sorta di metafora della vita, però devo dire che il libro si legge volentieri anche se non si è appassionati di sport perché i personaggi sono interessanti e ben delineati e la storia ha un senso compiuto. Bello.
  • ダン・ケニー
    5.0 out of 5 stars best
    Reviewed in Japan on January 15, 2024
    best