This is actually my most fav Backman book so far. I felt connected to the characters, especially Jack, and intrigued by the plot and the structure of the book right from the beginning. I know this book can be confusing and the characters can feel forcefully annoying at times to some people but I actually love that? Maybe it’s because I’ve seen glimpses of people like that in my life so I felt related to the situation even more haha? Thanks for the review btw :D
I just finished this book about half an hour ago and I loved it! To be honest I only looked up a review while waiting for an appropriate time to call my mother to talk about it, in case she decieded to sleep in for once. I've read the Beartown trilogy as well as My Grandmother (whatever the english title is) and I can't rank them in any order, it's like picking a favorite child. I really love Backmans writing style, as you said, it's very distinctive. I've read all his books in swedish and as I see it he captures something very, well, swedish in his writing. I'm glad to know it translates well. Something I found funny with your review is that all your cons was positives for me. Isn't it beautiful how we're all like snowflakes? What you described as a barrier brought me closer to the characters. Kind of like Nadias desk between Zara and her. As an example, when the line "You wouldn't do that, you're a decent person" was repeated in variations I wasn't pulled away, it made me realize what I already knew about myself. I'm only a few bad days away from doing something incredibly stupid. I took the characters on even more strongly because that got me invested in the school of thought that life makes us do crazy things and I'm nothing but an idiot trying to pretend I'm one of the sane ones. The repetion in this book was also a positive for me, I can't really motivate what made me like it but I did. I do fully agree that the repetition in Beartown was more effective but it didn't take anything away from my experience. I think the way it slows down the story a bit builds it, makes me wallow in it a bit. (I hope I used wallow correctly, I'm not looking it up) The way this book wrapped up so neatly is somewhat a neutral for me as well, I would have liked to leave a little to speculation but also I really liked to get all the information. I got tired of writing now so I'm leaving my review I left on goodreads: "The way Fredrik Backman writes people is for me unmatched. That, in league with his thought trough and captivating storytelling makes this book something really special. There's no evil forces in this book. Only people. And well, idiots. Read it, love it and weep." Thank you for this great video Connor. I loved to hear your thoughts and you have a voice that's easy to listen to (both figuratively and literally). Have a great day!
I literally finished this book today and I really enjoyed it! I listened to the audiobook so I feel like maybe my experience was a bit different, but I do agree with a lot of your pros and cons. I enjoy stories that intertwine characters as the story progresses so that was a nice surprise. I do agree with there being a disconnect between the reader and the story, but think that it was meant to be that way on purpose. I really enjoyed how many various topics or beliefs are mentioned that most people see as black or white, but can be manipulated into some shade of gray (idk if that makes sense). It was a really good story and I look forward to reading more of his books soon!
I'm currently 30% into this book and so far I'm really liking it! When I first read the synopsis, maybe a year ago, I expected it to be more lighthearted and funny, so I was very surprised how depressing the beginning was. I'm reading another book at the moment as well, but hopefully I can finish it in the next few days! I actually found your channel because I was looking for reviews of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and because of your reviews I've wanted to read all of Backman's books. Somehow I still haven't read Ove (only saw the movie, which was my first time discovering Backman), nor Beartown and Us Against You. Will be correcting that in summer!
aahh I was waiting for your review of his new book! I'm commenting before I've even watched it, but after my classes are done for today I can't wait to watch this!
Nice!! I'm happy that you liked it so much! If you are continuing your Backman journey, I recommend picking up My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry or And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer next!
@@ConnorOBrien It is my favorite Backman's book so far too! Ive read also A man called Ove and started My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell Upi She is sorry but the latest is by far way less engaging than the other two. I read them in the original language as Ive been living near Stockholm, and knowing how Swedish people speaks, its really cool to feel like you know this people. Such actual times too. :) Just wanting to share, I never comment on anything haha
Thank you! I had to wake up super early and drag my husband there to take the picture lol Hmm I think My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is a great place to jump in. Though, I cried when I read And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer which is a novella and is a very quick dip into his writing style. Either one of those! Beartown is my favorite, but I think the other two are more narrow in scope.
I’d like to read this book, and then this book, and then this one also, while watching Connor’s book review. After a few minutes of negotiation with myself, I end up buying my copy 😅😅. Might end up adding all of your reviewed books on my TBR. 😅😅
I have only read A Man Called Ove by Backman and I liked it. I was wondering whether you would do a review of this. I do like the premise but I don't know if I will ever get to it. I think I'll probably read Bear Town first.
Thank you! Beartown is my favorite book by him, but I started with My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I really like the order I’ve read his books in though, so I say My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I have individual reviews of all of his novellas and novels linked in my description if you want to check them out. I believe they’re even in order that I read them in the playlist.
@@ConnorOBrien Thank you very much for the recommendation! I will follow your advice and hope I will enjoy them as much as you do. It would be very interesting to compare my impression of the books with your reviews. Your videos are always fascinating to watch. Looking forward to new videos by you! 😀
@@ConnorOBrien Just wanted to say thank you! 🙏🏼 I finally read Beartown and really loved it! I’m very grateful for the recommendation and looking forward to your new videos. Hope you are doing great 😀
I agree with you on this one. While I have devoured all of his books, this one was the only one I had a hard time reading. The writing in this one was too hard to keep everything straight. I had hard time keeping up the characters. The storyline seemed to jump all over the place. I felt it was just very jumpy and not fluid. I do appreciate his writing as he nails characters and peoples feelings so well. I just had a hard time reading this one.
which books would you recommend that are easy to read and have a nice flow? i been wanting to get into reading but with adhd i tend to lose my train of thought quickly if its all over the place.
@@Findingsuitcase I have struggled lately with focus while I read as well. I find that audiobooks are a good option. If I am doing something mundane like chores, driving, gardening while listening to an audiobook, it really helps my focus. I have also worked on puzzles or diamond painting while listening to audiobooks. If audiobooks are not your thing- just read a few chapters at a time and take breaks. If the book doesn’t hold your interest, you don’t have to finish it. Keep trying new ones until one grabs your attention. Hope that helps.
This was a really great review but leaves me a little less excited! Beartown was my favorite book of 2019 and I have a few of his other books on my shelves including Anxious People.
Beartown is my favorite, so I probably compare his work to my love of that book somewhat lol it’s still an entertaining read, but I just love some of his other books more if that makes sense.
This is actually my most fav Backman book so far. I felt connected to the characters, especially Jack, and intrigued by the plot and the structure of the book right from the beginning. I know this book can be confusing and the characters can feel forcefully annoying at times to some people but I actually love that? Maybe it’s because I’ve seen glimpses of people like that in my life so I felt related to the situation even more haha? Thanks for the review btw :D
I just finished this book about half an hour ago and I loved it!
To be honest I only looked up a review while waiting for an appropriate time to call my mother to talk about it, in case she decieded to sleep in for once.
I've read the Beartown trilogy as well as My Grandmother (whatever the english title is) and I can't rank them in any order, it's like picking a favorite child.
I really love Backmans writing style, as you said, it's very distinctive.
I've read all his books in swedish and as I see it he captures something very, well, swedish in his writing. I'm glad to know it translates well.
Something I found funny with your review is that all your cons was positives for me. Isn't it beautiful how we're all like snowflakes?
What you described as a barrier brought me closer to the characters. Kind of like Nadias desk between Zara and her.
As an example, when the line "You wouldn't do that, you're a decent person" was repeated in variations I wasn't pulled away, it made me realize what I already knew about myself. I'm only a few bad days away from doing something incredibly stupid.
I took the characters on even more strongly because that got me invested in the school of thought that life makes us do crazy things and I'm nothing but an idiot trying to pretend I'm one of the sane ones.
The repetion in this book was also a positive for me, I can't really motivate what made me like it but I did. I do fully agree that the repetition in Beartown was more effective but it didn't take anything away from my experience.
I think the way it slows down the story a bit builds it, makes me wallow in it a bit. (I hope I used wallow correctly, I'm not looking it up)
The way this book wrapped up so neatly is somewhat a neutral for me as well, I would have liked to leave a little to speculation but also I really liked to get all the information.
I got tired of writing now so I'm leaving my review I left on goodreads:
"The way Fredrik Backman writes people is for me unmatched. That, in league with his thought trough and captivating storytelling makes this book something really special.
There's no evil forces in this book. Only people. And well, idiots.
Read it, love it and weep."
Thank you for this great video Connor.
I loved to hear your thoughts and you have a voice that's easy to listen to (both figuratively and literally).
Have a great day!
I literally finished this book today and I really enjoyed it! I listened to the audiobook so I feel like maybe my experience was a bit different, but I do agree with a lot of your pros and cons. I enjoy stories that intertwine characters as the story progresses so that was a nice surprise. I do agree with there being a disconnect between the reader and the story, but think that it was meant to be that way on purpose. I really enjoyed how many various topics or beliefs are mentioned that most people see as black or white, but can be manipulated into some shade of gray (idk if that makes sense). It was a really good story and I look forward to reading more of his books soon!
I'm currently 30% into this book and so far I'm really liking it! When I first read the synopsis, maybe a year ago, I expected it to be more lighthearted and funny, so I was very surprised how depressing the beginning was. I'm reading another book at the moment as well, but hopefully I can finish it in the next few days!
I actually found your channel because I was looking for reviews of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and because of your reviews I've wanted to read all of Backman's books. Somehow I still haven't read Ove (only saw the movie, which was my first time discovering Backman), nor Beartown and Us Against You. Will be correcting that in summer!
Loved this book. Sad when it ended!! 😞 I fell in love with all the characters and his prose was sublime.
very good review of this book. I enjoyed this book alot. I am slowly reading each one of his novels after reading a man called ove.
aahh I was waiting for your review of his new book! I'm commenting before I've even watched it, but after my classes are done for today I can't wait to watch this!
Sorry it took me so long to get it out! I hope your classes went well and that you enjoy the video when you get to it!
You did amazing job job review. EFFING love your book review.
I love this book! It is my favourite Backman's books so far. I've read A man Called Ove, Beartown and Us Against you
Nice!! I'm happy that you liked it so much! If you are continuing your Backman journey, I recommend picking up My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry or And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer next!
@@ConnorOBrien It is my favorite Backman's book so far too! Ive read also A man called Ove and started My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell Upi She is sorry but the latest is by far way less engaging than the other two. I read them in the original language as Ive been living near Stockholm, and knowing how Swedish people speaks, its really cool to feel like you know this people. Such actual times too. :)
Just wanting to share, I never comment on anything haha
Sounds like an interesting book! I still have to dip my toes into Frederick's work but I am excited to try him out eventually!
Nooks face towards the end is everything!
Hahah he knows my intros and outros, so he knew his time to say bye was coming up!
@@ConnorOBrien 🤣🤣
🤩🤩 just received my copy and I’ very excited to read this.
i really like the way you talk about things!
Thank you!! 😊
That shot with you on the beach, book in hand and Nook next to you is GORGEOUS! Is there a specific Backman book you would recommend starting with?
Thank you! I had to wake up super early and drag my husband there to take the picture lol
Hmm I think My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is a great place to jump in. Though, I cried when I read And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer which is a novella and is a very quick dip into his writing style. Either one of those! Beartown is my favorite, but I think the other two are more narrow in scope.
I’d like to read this book, and then this book, and then this one also, while watching Connor’s book review.
After a few minutes of negotiation with myself, I end up buying my copy 😅😅.
Might end up adding all of your reviewed books on my TBR. 😅😅
Thanks for sharing your book review. Enjoyed watching
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!
I love everything about your review. I'm with you 100%%%%
Thank you!! It was an odd one to plan since I'm such a huge fan of Backman's.
I love this book. Stupendous!
Very good Connor! Hi Nook!! 😍🙋♂️
Thank you! Nook says hi back! Now, he ran off to play with Jett.
I have only read A Man Called Ove by Backman and I liked it. I was wondering whether you would do a review of this. I do like the premise but I don't know if I will ever get to it. I think I'll probably read Bear Town first.
Nice review! 👏 I’ve never read any Backman books, but thinking about giving this author a try. Which book would you recommend to begin with?
Thank you! Beartown is my favorite book by him, but I started with My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I really like the order I’ve read his books in though, so I say My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry.
I have individual reviews of all of his novellas and novels linked in my description if you want to check them out. I believe they’re even in order that I read them in the playlist.
@@ConnorOBrien Thank you very much for the recommendation! I will follow your advice and hope I will enjoy them as much as you do. It would be very interesting to compare my impression of the books with your reviews. Your videos are always fascinating to watch. Looking forward to new videos by you! 😀
@@ConnorOBrien Just wanted to say thank you! 🙏🏼 I finally read Beartown and really loved it! I’m very grateful for the recommendation and looking forward to your new videos. Hope you are doing great 😀
I agree with you on this one. While I have devoured all of his books, this one was the only one I had a hard time reading. The writing in this one was too hard to keep everything straight. I had hard time keeping up the characters. The storyline seemed to jump all over the place. I felt it was just very jumpy and not fluid. I do appreciate his writing as he nails characters and peoples feelings so well. I just had a hard time reading this one.
which books would you recommend that are easy to read and have a nice flow? i been wanting to get into reading but with adhd i tend to lose my train of thought quickly if its all over the place.
@@Findingsuitcase I have struggled lately with focus while I read as well. I find that audiobooks are a good option. If I am doing something mundane like chores, driving, gardening while listening to an audiobook, it really helps my focus. I have also worked on puzzles or diamond painting while listening to audiobooks. If audiobooks are not your thing- just read a few chapters at a time and take breaks. If the book doesn’t hold your interest, you don’t have to finish it. Keep trying new ones until one grabs your attention. Hope that helps.
This was a really great review but leaves me a little less excited! Beartown was my favorite book of 2019 and I have a few of his other books on my shelves including Anxious People.
Beartown is my favorite, so I probably compare his work to my love of that book somewhat lol it’s still an entertaining read, but I just love some of his other books more if that makes sense.
hmmmm . . . . I find to my dismay, that I don't want to hear someone else's review . . but I WILL read this book.
Comes out as series on Netflix Dec 29, 2021
That was good but a man called ove was a masterpiece
Yess!!! My favourite book!!💕💕
I never read a book by Fredrik Backman. I am getting impatient with myself lol.
DEAN! lol jk take your time. But, Backman can weave a really good story.