Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
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Masterful character building and development
Conscientious and nuanced exploration of complex and pertinent themes
That conversation between Bobo and his dad (if you know, you know)
Beartown was my second encounter with Backman’s writing. I read Anxious People in 2021 and thought it was charming but not too remarkable. Carolyn Marie mentioned in a recent video that Backman was one of his favorite authors so I decided to give it another go. Boy am I glad I did?
The first 25% of the book was painstakingly detailed. It felt a bit meandering and lacking momentum. The only plot point propelling the story forward was the approaching semi-final match. There is a surprisingly large ensemble of characters in such a small town. Backman provided each of them with unique personalities and circumstances. As the main event of the story occurred, the build-up paid off. Bachman crafted each character in a way that forces you to empathize with them, to see things from their perspective, to understand their motives. You may not agree with their actions, but you cannot say that you don’t see why they did it. Even though the main event is conspicuously foreshadowed, I found it hard to allow my mind to contemplate its eventuality. I didn’t want tragedy to befall the bears from Beartown.
I’ve always had a fear of small towns. Having always lived in big cities with the exception of my college years has taught me to take comfort and refuge in anonymity. But in Beartown, there is nowhere to hide.
Crises bring out the best of people and the worse. We all like to believe that we are kind, empathetic, dignified, generous, and courageous, until we are forced to make hard choices, until picking the ‘wrong’ side risks jeopardizing our own interest. The book used one single catalytic incident to explore conscientiously themes of hypocrisy, self-interest, pack mentality, loyalty, empathy, and resilience. This is where the masterful character development shined.
The following contains spoilers.
I felt my insides swell with silent rage at the all-too-familiar narratives around rape. All the sanctimonious judgements parroted from one person to the next: she shouldn’t have given him the wrong impression; she shouldn’t have worn that; she should’t have had that much alcohol; she shouldn’t have gone to the police so late; she shouldn’t have showered… all but the simplest judgement of all: he shouldn’t have committed rape.
Maya is the ‘young woman’ but Kevin was only a boy. When people say “It’s his words against hers” what they actually mean is that “I believe his words over hers because that’s how it’s always been.” The status quo is such that it is so much more likely for a woman to lie about rape than it is for a man to commit such a crime. The scale is even further tipped when the man in question is considered brilliant and full of promise. As Chanel Miller said in “Know My Name”, “My pain was never more valuable than his potential.” I doubt I can add anything groundbreaking to this issue that hasn’t been already argued by people far more brilliant and experienced. I can only recommend both these books with the hope that we can finally change the narrative.
P.S: The awkward but sweet conversation between Bobo and his dad provided the much needed levity in the midst of the turmoil. I still chuckle when I think about it. Oh Bobo…^^
