Beartown by Fredrik Backman
What is it about?
Reading Beartown was like standing in the middle of a frozen lake, hearing the cracks beneath your feet and knowing something is about to break (yes I felt immersed to the hockey of Beartown).
At a glance
Original Title (Swedish): Björnstad
Published: 2016 (Sweden), 2017 (English translation)
Genre: Literary fiction, contemporary drama, coming-of-age, sports fiction
Themes: Moral compass, power dynamics, how to act in a community, loyalty, silence, trauma
Set in a remote, snow-covered town surrounded by forest, Backman’s novel starts with a portrait of a place where hockey isn’t just a sport : it’s the town’s identity, economy, and last shot at survival. Everything (schools, local businesses, even the town’s morale) rests on the fragile success of its junior hockey team, which finally has a real chance at winning championship.
In the first part of the book, we’re introduced to the townspeople: their routines, their hopes, their families, and the way their lives intertwine. It’s a slow but immersive build-up. You’ll feel the quiet desperation of each person you meet. There's a sense of hope, centered on the rink and its players, no matter the cost (the cost being a lot of pressure on the different parties involved: players, manager, coach, families and the rest of the town too).
Once you are right into the story and find yourself yearning for the team and the people who depend on them (being literally the whole town), something happens that makes the whole story shift: everything and everyone will be affected. Because everything and everyone is intertwined in this community.
(Minor spoiler about this big event if you want to go in without knowing like me please stop reading here) : One of the teenage girls we meet accuses the star hockey player (the town’s golden boy) of rape. As you can imagine, everything shatters. Especially because those young boys from the team are constantly told how great they are, how their abilities and sport will revive the town and so they’re put on a pedestal. And they behave like it.
From there on, Backman describes an unflinching exploration of power, silence, loyalty, and the devastating cost of speaking out. The town that once stood united behind its team begins to fracture, and every character must face who they are when the stakes are no longer about winning a game but about doing what’s right. But right for who? Backman's prose is simple, and raw. His insight into human nature on the other end is razor-sharp (in a sense where you won’t get away without a scratch). He doesn’t just tell a story, and you don’t just read Beartown. He asks what kind of person you are when it really matters, and you question yourself about how you’d have handled it (in those different POVs and people).
My review
It took me a while to get into Beartown and so it took me some time to finish it. The beginning is slow, and I went in completely blind. I hadn’t even read the synopsis (I fully trusted the thousand of strangers on TikTok who recommended this a million times).
So…I just dove in. And so when the turning point hit, I didn’t see it coming at all. The first half of the book focuses on the atmosphere of the town and slowly introduces the many characters. At first, I wasn’t sure where it was all going (I was like « ok this is about hockey but so what, what is all the fuss about »), but by the end, I was so grateful for that buildup : it’s what made the emotional impact land so deeply, you had time to get attached to the protagonists.
Backman has an incredible way of capturing the soul of a small town. His social observations are accurate, and every character (no matter how small their role) feels layered and real. They do not always have appropriate reactions, they are flawed and annoying and true. You don't just read about them; you feel like you know them. I found myself keeping a little note with all the names because there are a lot of characters, and at times it was a bit overwhelming to me. But every single one of them matters. They aren’t just thrown into the story like that, they have a dynamic that needed details, building.
Yes, the start is slow, but once you're in, you’re in. The story grips you, makes you angry, breaks your heart, and leaves you emotionally drained, even hopeless. The story is not just about what happens, it’s really about how people respond, how a community fractures, protects, or fails one another.
I finished Beartown feeling sad and empty (dare I say I liked it that way). It’s not an easy read.
Should you read it?
I liked the book, it was emotionally packed and sad and gave many insight about human reactions and behaviour. So be warned you won’t come out of it without a scratch. If you’re someone who loves character development and emotional complexity then yes, you should absolutely read it. It’s a novel that takes its time, but it does reward your patience with one of the most raw and honest portrayals of a community in crisis. It’s not a told story, it’s felt. It’s not a story about hockey (even when it is). It’s about us and our moral compass: what should we do? what would we do?
I have to admit, I can't quite imagine how this will turn into a full trilogy; I just finished the first book. But everyone keeps saying all three are great, so I'm willing to give it a shot.
Quotes that stuck with me:
“Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else’s forehead, and pulled the trigger. This is the story of how we got there”
“She’s fifteen, above the age of consent, and he’s seventeen, but he’s still “the boy” in every conversation. She’s “the young woman”. Words are not small things.
"... most people don't do what we tell them to. They do what we let them get away with."
My character tracker
Maya : Peter and Kira’s teenage daughter, passionate about music, dreams of getting out
Ana : Maya’s best friend, spirited and protective.
Kevin : Golden boy, the team’s star player
Benji : Kevin’s best friend and teammate, fiercely loyal
Amat : young, gifted hockey player from a really modest background. In love with Maya
Zacharias : Amat’s closest friend, and also from the struggling Hollow district.
William Lyt : hockey teammate, loyal to the team and his leader (Kevin)
Bobo : teammate, aggressive player. Son of Hog and Ann-Katrin.
Peter Andersson : General manager of the Beartown hockey team and former NHL player. Husband to Kira and father to Maya and Leo.
David : Head coach of the junior team who is focused on winning
Sune : former to be coach of the professional team, 70-year-old. Ex-mentor to many, with deep roots in Beartown.
Kira Andersson : lawyer from out of town and Peter’s wife and mother to Maya and Leo.
Leo Andersson : Maya’s younger brother, 12 years old and observant.
Fatima : Amat’s hardworking single mother, employed as a cleaner at the hockey rink.
Ramona : witty bar owner and lifelong Beartown resident, who’s seen it all
Mr. Erdahl + Mrs. Erdahl: Kevin’s controlling father and major financial backer of the hockey club and Kevin’s mother.
Tails : Owner of a local supermarket chain and childhood friend of Peter.
Club President of Beartown’s hockey club, he is representing the institution's political side.
