Fredrik Backman’s Britt-Marie Was Here
The book that took me by surprise
I was introduced to Fredrik Backman by the person who introduced me to the world of literature and books. She was reading Backman’s debut novel, A Man Called Ove and man! could she stop talking about it. She lent me the book later but to my ‘busy’ schedule, I couldn’t read it then. Soon, I found the time to sit with it and give it a go. I can say for sure that I was disappointed that I waited so long before reading that heartwarming book, with characters so real that I felt, at some point in my life, I’ve sat with them over a cup of coffee, laughed and discussed the things that concern us.
I read more of his works, one of them: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. This is where I first met Britt-Marie. And no, this is not a sequel but a standalone, and Backman took me by surprise.
Synopsis
Britt-Marie has never lived alone, definitely not after she got married to her husband, Kent, 40 years ago. Until one day, when she finally decides to leave and start a new life, without her husband. She gets a job in a recreation center that is on the verge of shutting down, in a city named Borg. Every tangible thing that can go wrong for her, things that she disapproves of, goes wrong. Her car breaks down, she’s hit by a soccer ball on her forehead, and the recreation center’s cabin doesn’t have cutlery arranged as it should be: Forks, knives, spoons. That being said, the recreation center isn’t only a recreation center, but a pizzeria, post office, general store, and a car workshop, all in one. The dedicated place for these were all shut down because Borg was hit hard by the financial crisis. Since then, the people of Borg are still living under the shade of crisis, struggling to make their way out of it.
The children there are the lifelines of Borg and playing soccer is what unites them all. And, they are all horrible at it. To Britt-Marie’s utter astonishment which later turns out to be a guiding light and the push she’d needed, she is appointed as the coach of the soccer team of Borg. If the facts are laid out, they are, by then, the farthest from winning the tournament. Britt-Marie agrees to be their coach.
Things seemed to be working out for her when suddenly, Kent shows up, asking her to come back home. Seeking redemption for his false deeds and accepting to her that letting her go, was a mistake he doesn’t intend to repeat. Hurting her is far from his intentions now, he is willing to understand and pursuing her to give him and their marriage another chance.
The question is: Does she know what she was lacking when she left Kent? Has she found her answer yet? Does she know any better? And, what will be her decision now, to stay in a city that has given her hope and made her feel important, or will she be going back to her husband and start everything under a new, bright light?
Characters
Backman does wonders with his protagonist and side characters too. Readers are slowly, steadily exposed to the characters’ thoughts and muses, despair and disappointments, likes and dislikes. All of which add layers and breathe life into them makes them all so very real.
Britt-Marie is a woman of idiosyncrasies, prefers her cutleries in a particular manner, likes them who follow the order. She is a woman who has had a mind of her own but often chose to suppress her thoughts because others didn’t value her, or even, seem interested in following her train of thoughts. She was never desired, never was she the first choice for anything, not even for her own family. This all added up to her being a person who didn’t know herself. Times in the past when she used to sit down and wait, she didn’t introspect and reflect on her own self. She is an example of the kind of people who have always lived for others and forget about themselves in the period. The mundanity and routine become their daily comfort and lifestyle.
Sometimes it’s easier to go on living, not even knowing who you are, when at least you know precisely where you are while you go on not knowing.
Kent is a man who’s been divorced before he married Britt-Marie. After their marriage, Kent immerses himself so much in his work, being an entrepreneur, that he loses track of time. Mostly, the time he’d chosen to spend at work and not with his family. But every night, when he’s home, he’s his warm dinner served, bed made. And every morning, he’s his shirts washed, his wedding ring cleaned and shining. People often forget that the smooth functioning of their lives is not always because of the money they do, but the backstage work put on by people who indiscriminately, determinedly want and work for their success.
When Britt-Marie left, Kent is stuck with the gravity his wife always had held in his life.
Kids of Borg seem like the only source of light in the pitch darkness Borg is engulfed in. Their love for soccer, even though, clearly enough, they are the worst players at it. Borg has been a place producing the best of soccer players for years then until it was hit by the financial crisis and their coach died. Since then, they’ve lived under the recuperation of both. Britt-Marie’s appointment and acceptance of being their coach rejuvenated a spirit of improvement in them.
Why should you read it?
Backman is hilarious, effortlessly. His stories are always filled with humor and sarcasm. Sometimes, the readers read a paragraph, put the book down, laugh while rolling on the bed. And so, are his characters.
“My husband has a jacket like that,” she says.
“Your husband has good taste,” says the man with a grin.
“Except his is the right size,” says Britt-Marie. There’s a long, long silence.
Britt-Marie was Here is a character-driven story, naturally, a story of self-exploration. The fine line between discovering what were self-imposed rules, and which ones were circumstantial. Giving life and yourself another chance. All the while focusing, can everyone start life anew? Do people really have the determination, sincerity, and courage that’s required for them to look at things with a new perspective, to answer some long posed questions? The will to face the truth?
The plot does have some inside jokes, which I’d have understood better if I even knew a bit about soccer, but Backman doesn’t let his readers feel the compulsion to put down the book because some jokes weren’t suited for all. Some parallels drawn using soccer as the inspiration are still legible and even, appreciable if handled with patience and time.
Backman walks on a fine line between what should be foreshadowed and what should be hidden from his main character and the audience as well. This has been one of the consistency that writers often try to achieve, and Backman masters it.
Personal Remarks
There’s an old saying that goes, ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’ Humans are the same. After years of living, we all have gathered some experiences and often take our decisions and following steps keeping past and future in mind, often juggling between our own thoughts.
From my experiences, I am not a fan of spin-offs or sequels that weren’t originally planned out by the authors, but choose to release it after some years. In my steadfast notions, I was adamant in not picking up this book thinking that it might ruin my experience of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I was just so skeptical about this one, that after 2 years of reading the first one, when one January evening I craved comfort from an author I already love, Backman popped up as the first and only suggestion.
I went into this book not expecting anything, reluctant in not letting it ruin my previous experience. He broke my prejudice just so easily that I was left in somber tears by the end of it.
I’ve been acquainted with open endings of novel and they aren’t my first choice, but for the reasons which become obvious Backman has given the end it truly deserved. Some prejudices need to be broken, some should be left for the future to work on. Some tales are needed to be told, some come with loose ends. In the hindsight, they all teach something, all add a layer of sophistication. A cross off from my TBR — one for my unbridled passion for books and literature, that calms me down when even I dive into it feeling otherwise.
All passion is childish. It’s banal and naive. It’s nothing we learn; it’s instinctive, and so it overwhelms us. Ovreturns us. It bears us away in a flood. All other emotions belong to the earth, but passion inhabits the universe.
