A Town Unraveling

2012 marked the assent of a literary star. Fredrik Backman was a writer for the Swedish newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad and for the Swedish men’s magazine, Moore Magazine. In 2012, he took a leap of faith and worked on his debut novel, En man som heter Ove. Upon its publication in his native Sweden, it was a sensation. A year later, it was made available to the Anglophone reader as A Man Called Ove. It reached the New York Times Best Seller list where it remained for 42 weeks, marking his assent to global recognition. The book was also adapted into film, first in Sweden in 2015 and as A Man Called Otto in 2022. No less than Tom Hanks starred in the Hollywood adaptation. From this point on, there was no looking back for Backman.

Backman was the product and the continuation of the long and established tradition of Swedish literature. Building on the momentum of his sensational literary debut, Backman followed up A Man Called Ove with equally humorous works that captured vivid portraits of the Swedes. Among these works is Beartown. Beartown was originally published in 2016 in Swedish as Björnstad and a year later, the novel’s English translation was released. The eponymous Beartown is a small rural and isolated town in the Swedish countryside. Nothing about the town makes it stand out, except for one thing. Beartown is the quintessence of a hockey town. To the town and its denizens, ice hockey was more than just a game; it was a way of life.

When the town’s junior hockey team made it to the semifinals of the national youth tournament, the entire town was in an uproar. For years, the town has been losing jobs and people. It was also losing position in the hockey standings. All over town, signs of decline were palpable. The unexpected success of the junior team got everyone’ hyped up’s spirits up. The once-waning spirit has been rejuvenated by a group of young men. There was so much to look forward to. There was also a lot hanging on the line. A victory at the national championship would mean the inflow of resources to the team, a total reversal of fortune for the whole town. The planned ice hockey academy would also be built in Beartown, further cementing its stranglehold as a top ice hockey destination. Anticipation was running at a fever pitch.

“The love a parent feels for a child is strange. There is a starting point to our love for everyone else, but not this person. This one we have always loved, we loved them before they even existed. No matter how well prepared they are, all moms and dads experience a moment of total shock, when the tidal wave of feelings first washed through them, knocking them off their feet. It’s incomprehensible because there’s nothing to compare it to. It’s like trying to describe sand between your toes or snowflakes on your tongue to someone who’s lived their whole life in a dark room. It sends the soul flying.”

~ Fredrik Backman, Beartown

The heart of the hockey team was 17-year-old Kevin Erdahl. Born to an affluent family, he was a prodigy as early as when he was seven. He singlehandedly carried the team to the semifinals, with the team’s play and spirit built around him. An only child, he was raised by his parents to pursue excellence. This, in turn, made him a town commodity. Not only was he an outstanding athlete, but Kevin also excelled academically. Benji, his best friend, was his antithesis. Benji was born into a big family and has a happy-go-lucky disposition. He was not as keen on his studies as his best friend was. He also has no qualms about going head-to-head against authority figures. Nevertheless, Benji was a loyal friend and had Kevin’s back whether it be on or off the court.

Peter Andersson was the junior team’s general manager. Like Kevin, Peter was a native of Beartown and a talented ice hockey player who, at the peak of his career, played at the NHL in Canada. He returned to Beartown with his wife, Kira, and his daughter, Maya, after their son, Isak, died of a childhood illness. Meanwhile, the team’s coach was David after the council fired the previous coach for not focusing on winning enough. He also used to play ice hockey but did not excel like Kevin and Peter. He was, however, passionate about the sport. His perspective was changed by Sune, the coach of the town’s A-Team. Sune made him see his potential as a coach; he became his protege. Sune was also credited for discovering and mentoring Peter.

On the eve of the semifinals, Sune noticed that the junior team was lacking speed. To address this, he urged David to consider 15-year-old Amat who Sune saw practicing sprints on the ice. Amat was raised by Fatima, a single mother, in the poorer section of the town. Compared to the other members of the junior team, he was not as physically imposing. However, he possessed what some of the more senior members of the team don’t: speed. He has also shown a natural talent for the sport. After careful consideration, David invited Amat for practice. Amat’s resolve was immediately tested as David faced him off against one of the more massive members of the team. Amat, however, was not one to back down on such challenges. His tenacity made him a shoo-in for the team’s semifinal match.

Beartown, however, does not reduce itself to a mere sports novel. The crux of the story, however, occurred after the semifinal match. A resounding semifinal victory by the Bears sent the town into a euphoria. It also meant celebrations, the biggest of which took place at Kevin’s house; his parents were out of town. Members of the junior team and their peers gathered at the Erdahl household. Everyone was in, literally, high spirits. Everyone was drunk. Members of the junior team were boasting about their sexual adventures. Everyone felt like breaking the rules Oh, the follies of youth. As the night was about to reach its climax, things started getting out of control. A series of tragic events – the heart of which was Maya, Peter’s daughter – would send the members of the junior team, and consequently, the entire town, tail spinning.

“All their lives, girls are told that the only thing they need to do is their best. That that will be enough, as long as they give everything they’ve got. When they themselves become mothers, they promise their daughters that it’s true, that if we just do as well as we can, if we’re honest and work hard, look after our family and love each other, then everything will be all right. Everything will be fine, there’s nothing to be frightened of. Children need the lie to be brave enough to sleep in their beds; parents need it to be able to get up the next morning.”

~ Fredrik Backman, Beartown

The story started slow, with the earlier chapters laying out the landscape of the town, its denizens, and their values. As the story moves forward, the novel delves more into the dynamics of the community, the catalyst of which were the events that transpired on what was supposed to be a jubilant evening. The story picks up pace following the tragic incident. This tragic event left an individual traumatized. However, the consequences and the implications of the incident reverberated across the community. Just when the town’ collective spirit was about to rise, it was dampened by the incident. The incident divided the town, the adults, and the junior team alike, with everyone wanting to give a piece of their mind.

While the investigation into the incident took its due course, the fault lines lidded by the community’s stoic façade started to manifest. Ideals stereotypical of small towns were intricately captured by the novel. For one, victims of violent acts often hesitate to come out or voice out their concerns because they are cognizant of the uphill climb, particularly if the perpetrator is considered a model citizen by everyone. This was exacerbated by the community’s cultivation of the vow of silence. Sure enough, when the scandal broke, most of the town’s denizens were in disbelief about the allegations being leveled against the perpetrator. They categorically rejected the claims while some saw it as an attempt to besmirch an individual’s spotless record. Most of the town was willing to throw in the gauntlet for the individual they believed was exemplary. As the din rose, those who bore witness to the crime were muted by the hubbub.

These were indicative of the myopic vision pervading small towns. They refuse to accept pieces of evidence that will confront what they were taught to believe and understand. Anything that will disrupt the harmony existing within the community is rejected. These are facets not local to Beartown but resonate on a global scale. The novel also captured the adverse impact of the culture of winning being cultivated by those in power. Everyone was weary of losing and in winning they were pinning their hopes and dreams. However, this culture of winning, as depicted through the story of the junior team, can create lofty expectations and undue pressure. Kevin, the golden son, was the epitome of this; there was immense pressure for him to always perform at his best. The junior team also transformed into automatons who live and breathe victory.

This winning culture exposes the power dynamics that persist in contemporary societies and even in sports. Those who do not foster the winning culture or at least advocate for it are pushed to the gutters. They are replaced or are threatened to be replaced by individuals with the winning mentality. The characters were forced to make difficult choices as they were cognizant that how they acted and react will reverberate across the community. There were some who were trying to protect their own interests. In probing the dynamics of communities and the sporting culture, Backman also underlined the traditional subject of gender roles and dynamics. As one character remarked, gender role is pared down to boys being groomed to play ice hockey and girls crushing on the hockey players.

“Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion. The world becomes easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil. The easiest way to unite a group isn’t through love, because love is hard, It makes demands. Hate is simple. So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side, because that’s easier than trying to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe – comforting facts, ones that permit life to go on as normal. The third is that we dehumanize our enemy.”

~ Fredrik Backman, Beartown

The dichotomy between social classes was intricately woven into the novel’s rich tapestry. The town was divided into three major sections, each signifying one’s social standing; the denizens were conscious of where each lived. The affluent, like the Erdahls, reside in the upscale Heights while those who belong to the lower rungs, like Amat, reside in the Row. Those who belong to neither end of the social spectrum, like Benji and his family, reside in the Hollow. One’s prospects are also dependent on one’s social status. Apart from Kevin’s talent, he was backed up by privilege and affluence. Benji, on the other hand, was as talented as his friend but was not receiving the same support. He had to scrape by and rely on his friend. The same goes for Amat whose talent would not have been discovered had Sune not seen him.

The exploration of family dynamics, the most basic unit of society, was also inherent in the story. Different family dynamics were illustrated by Backman. The values fostered within the household are integral in nurturing the personalities and the moral compasses of the characters. Beyond morality and the exploration of the nature of truth, the novel explores lighter themes; this was in contrast to the darkness that permeates the story. The story is infused with tender moments as Backman underlines loyalty and the wonderful nature of friendship. In the face of adversity, friends and families are great support systems. Their values and loyalties will be tested but they will always be the constants in one’s life.

With Backman’s masterful strokes, the resilience of the human spirit was captured. As he has accomplished in his other works, Beartown was a soaring and incisive exploration of the intricacies of human nature. He has an innate understanding of the contours of the human soul and spirit that allowed him to confront inconvenient truths about ourselves and the people around us. Through familiar and flawed yet distinct characters, he provoked the readers’ minds and provided them a deeper understanding of our capacity for both darkness and light. Backman strikes a balance by embedding into the story his trademark humor. This texture was enriched by philosophical maxims conveyed by an omniscient narrator.

Beartown is the hallmark of everything that makes Backman’s prose and storytelling soar, further underlining his status as one of Sweden’s, if not the world’s compelling writers. He ventured into the depths of the human spirit to provide a thought-provoking and insightful story about the intricacies of communities sent spiraling by a scandal. In turn, he delved into what makes individuals tick. Beartown is a dynamic and multifaceted story masquerading as a sports story. As various elements converge and diverge, what emerges is a coming-of-age story that doubles as a study of moral failure and a sly social commentary riddled with moments of affection and tenderness, despair, and Backman’s signature humor.

“So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side, because that’s easier than trying to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe—comforting facts, ones that permit life to go on as normal. The third is that we dehumanize our enemy. There are many ways of doing that, but none is easier than taking her name away from her.”

~ Fredrik Backman, Beartown
Book Specs

Author: Fredrik Backman
Translator (from Swedish): Neil Smith
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Publishing Date: February 2018 (2016)
No. of Pages: 415
Genre: Literary, Sports Fiction

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.

About the Author

To learn more about Fredrik Backman, click here.