As I mentioned earlier, Fredrik Backman is a writer whose books need time to leave an aftertaste. Therefore, no matter how much I enjoy the books I’ve already read, I’ve made it a rule to give myself a break before starting a new one, even if they are interconnected.
Britt-Marie Was Here is exactly that kind of book. It tells the story of one of the characters from the novel My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. The events of the new novel begin almost immediately after those of the previous one, although they are mostly unrelated. This is expected, as Britt-Marie is a secondary character in the first book—one you cannot forget because of her obsession with order and extreme meticulousness about every little detail. She is perceived by everyone as a “pain in the neck,” someone who is not just difficult to negotiate with but even hard to talk to.
Partly because of this character trait, I took such a long pause between the two books. I simply couldn’t convince myself that the story of this woman would interest me. Especially since my wife told me that she liked this book significantly less than A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother… But it’s always important to form your own opinion.
The book begins with Britt-Marie, having left her husband after decades as a housewife, deciding to find a job. In her visit to the employment office, her character is fully revealed. From the very first pages, you feel your entire being resisting her presence. You find yourself thinking that if such a “client” came to you, you’d struggle not to lose your patience entirely. Britt-Marie, however, believes she is doing everything correctly, politely, and for the benefit of her conversation partner—which, paradoxically, makes her even more exasperating.
Without any experience and at an age far from young, she still manages to secure a job of some sort. She doesn’t care about the quality of the work or the pay; what matters to her is that she won’t be a burden to anyone and can support herself independently. She arrives in a small, dying town where nobody hopes for anything anymore—they simply exist. And unexpectedly, Britt-Marie not only becomes responsible for the local sports club but also quickly takes on the role of coach for a children’s street soccer team, a group in which no one seems to believe. Yet public opinion has rarely concerned Britt-Marie, so this is not a problem for her. Now the children’s future depends on her, whether she likes it or not.
The main downside of this book is, in fact, a tremendous strength of the author. Britt-Marie is initially portrayed as so thick-headed and stubborn that you can physically feel how difficult it would be to deal with such a person. It makes you want to put the book down and not continue reading. But it takes real talent to so vividly convey a character’s personality and then make the reader radically change their perception of that character. Gradually, about a third of the way through the novel, your initial aversion to Britt-Marie softens as you get to know her better—her story and the reasons behind her habits and personality. By the end of the book, the once-hated character transforms into an eccentric but admirable and respectable woman.
This is Fredrik Backman’s signature style—leading the reader from strangeness and alienation to empathy and understanding.
Nobody likes Britt-Marie (this was well-portrayed in My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry), and nobody believes in the small town or its residents who are merely enduring their lives. But Britt-Marie doesn’t care about rules unless they are her own. For her, no task is impossible. And it’s thanks to her that the children’s team begins to flourish, and soon after, even the adult residents start to notice moments of joy in their lives. What’s more, this seemingly petty and unpleasant woman ends up rekindling hope in people and in life itself. Most importantly, she revives hope within herself, giving herself a second chance after many years to live her life differently—not just sacrificing herself out of a sense of duty to someone else she supposedly loved.
At first, I agreed with my wife’s opinion that this book was much less enjoyable than Backman’s other works because I found Britt-Marie downright repulsive, to the point of rejection. But over time, my attitude toward her began to change. I became increasingly absorbed in the story and eventually couldn’t put it down. A similar experience happened with Backman’s previous novel. Moreover, I gradually realized that Britt-Marie actually shares many traits with me—just not as vividly expressed (though, of course, I resemble Ove much more; that book is practically about me in my old age).
I finished the last page of the novel with the thought, “That was magnificent!” For me, Fredrik Backman is an author who knows how to maintain a high standard—at least three outstanding books in a row.
My rating: 4.75/5
P.S. Inspired by the novel, I decided to watch its film adaptation. However, I lasted only 20–30 minutes before giving up. For some reason, the filmmakers completely altered Britt-Marie’s character, her motivation, and even the townsfolk. It became an entirely different story with entirely different characters. All that remained from the original were the title and the general framework. I don’t understand why they chose to change so much.
