Britt-Marie Was Here

The Tea:

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Back with Backman. Britt-Marie by Fredrick Backman is the second book of his I’ve read. While it didn’t hold the same feelings for me that A Man Called Ove did, it was still an enjoyable read. And have no fear, like with Ove this is relatively spoiler free. I do discuss the main theme but it’s hard to not talk about the theme Backman is covering in a review.

Britt-Marie is quite the quirky main character. She comes off a little harsh or rough but overtime we learn her struggles and why she has some of the behaviors and attitudes she does. The story is classic Backman and deals with things real people have and continue to struggle with. Britt-Marie is a story that discusses the effects of emotional manipulation in a relationship. An unhealthy marriage and what it takes to realize that’s what’s happening and what it takes to get your life back or if you can. It’s definitely a moving story.

Quick summary:

Britt-Marie leaves her husband and attempts to get a job. When she is successful she is taken to a town struggling just about as much as she is. It’s a quirky town with not many people still around. But soccer is still important, especially to the kids. Which is where Britt-Marie comes in. She becomes the manager or caretaker of the local rec center, that like everything in this town, is on it’s last legs. It’s rocky start for Britt but she is determined to do the best job that she can. Britt also takes on the role of soccer coach and she and the townsfolk will help each other out in unexpected ways.

So what didn’t work? Why did I feel it didn’t quite stand up to Ove? For me, a lot of it came down to the characters. One or two quite quirky characters in a book still reads well but when almost all of the characters in your book are a bit overtop in some way it can be jarring and take me out of the story. They don’t always feel like they could be real people. And that’s what I felt happened in Britt-Marie. I was taken out of the story often because the characters felt too fantastical or quirky.

BUT it still had that great Backman story-telling that I loved. The progression of Britt-Marie’s story was heartbreaking but also had me rooting for her and her success in her new life. I also was rooting for the community she spends most of the book in. The town had fallen on a lot of hardships and Britt-Marie and the town were essentially getting a chance on a new life at the same time. So while I wasn’t as drawn to the characters specifically, the story was still one that was done well. I’d recommend it be a Backman read, though I’d still say read A Man Called Ove first, but definitely give Britt-Marie Was Here a try.

7/10 Biscuits