First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

A tiny community deep in the forest, Beartown hasn’t been the best at anything in a long time. But down by the lake stands 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 semifinals – 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 semifinal match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.

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.

Happy Friday everyone! It is finally the weekend. It also means that we have made it through another work week. Thankfully, we had a one-day break in between in celebration of the Philippines’ 126th Independence Day. Regardless, how has your work been? I hope the week went the way you wanted it to and that you are ending it on a high note. I hope you were able to complete all the tasks you set out to complete at the start of the week. I hope that, after a long week at the office, you will be able to recharge and regain some of the manna you’ve lost during the weekend. I hope that you will be able to rest, relax, and reflect. I hope that you were able to pursue things that you are passionate about. More importantly, I hope that everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit.

However, before I could dive into the weekend, let me cap another blogging week with a fresh First Impression Friday update, my second for the sixth month of the year. Time is indeed flying fast. Imagine, we are nearly midway through June. Even before we realize it, we will be welcoming a new month in a couple of weeks. Anyway, let us just enjoy the ride. In terms of reading, my foray into the works of European literature is in full swing; this was a journey that commenced last month. While May focused on the works of Nobel Laureates in Literature, this month will focus on the rest of the vast European literary landscape. As always, the journey has, so far, been wonderful and insightful. This journey has taken me to another familiar name in Swedish writer Fredrik Backman and his novel, Beartown.

It is rather funny when I look back to when I first encountered Backman. His novel, A Man Called Ove, was ubiquitous. Because of the blurb surrounding it, I was ambivalent about reading any of his works. It would take me a couple of years before I finally dipped my toes into his oeuvre. I was ruing the near miss I had with his works. I loved A Man Called Ove and the reticent main character. This led to two more of Backman’s novels. I also loved Anxious People which was released during the pandemic; it is, in fact, one of my favorite all-time reads. My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises, on the other hand, was a book I was not really a fan of. Then comes my fourth Backman novel.

I have listed Beartown in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. Actually, the thought of reading the book only crossed my mind when I heard about the publication of The Winners, the last book in the Beartown trilogy; I was not aware that it was a trilogy. Anyway, learning about it made me want to read the entire trilogy, hence, the inclusion of Beartown in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. Anyway, the title pertains to a town located in the icy Swedish landscape. It was a town that could easily escape one’s notice. It was forgettable and the town’s denizens were well aware of it. However, the interest in the town started to escalate after its junior hockey team made it to the semifinals of the national games. To any other town, such an achievement would be brushed off but for the denizens of Beartown, it was momentous.

It does not take a brilliant mind to figure out that the heart of the novel is hockey. The town and its denizens’ lives revolved around it; at least, the majority of the townspeople. Making it to the semifinals of the National Games was in itself an honor and a great achievement. The entire town was celebrating. However, the novel does not reduce itself to a mere story of celebration. From the onset, it was palpable that Backman was taking on a different route, one that is akin to Anxious People. While an attempted robbery brought together an eclectic cast of characters in Anxious People, in Beartown a hockey event brought together an equally interesting cast of characters. The opening pages of the novel laid out the landscape of the novel, introducing the main characters and providing their backstories. Again, this is a similar approach I noted in Anxious People.

By noticing the parallels between the two novels, I can surmise what Beartown is trying to accomplish. It is more than just about reviving a town’s waning spirit. What I expect are psychological portraits of the characters. Sune, for instance, is the aging coach of the senior hockey team. His position in the team is compromised because of the junior team’s success; should the junior team succeed, David will replace him. David, on the other hand, was the coach of the junior team. He used to play hockey but did not have the natural inclination for the sport. Just when he thought he was a failure as a player, Sune redirected his destiny. He made him believe that he can be a coach. And he was. Peter was the general manager of the team. He also used to be a player and was a talented one. He even played for the NHL. Like David, Peter was discovered by Sune.

On top of these characters, Backman introduced more. Seventeen-year-old player Kevin Erdahl was the star of the junior team. Not only was he good at sports, he also excelled academically. He was also born into an affluent family. However, his parents barely notice him and his achievements. Benji was his best friend. Kevin was the offensive backbone of the team, Benji backed him up on the defensive end. We read about adult concerns and also student concerns. School bullying, for instance, was underlined in the story. The neglect of parents was another. On the more mature side of things, I can foresee a shaky marriage. Familial dynamics, it seems, is also a recurring theme.

With just a little over a hundred pages done, there is a lot I am looking forward to in the novel. While it mirrors Backman’s other works, Beartown stands on its own. I think this is going to be a quick read so I just might be able to finish it over the weekend. How about you fellow reader? What book or books are you going to take with you this weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!