The Winners: A Novel (Beartown Series) Paperback – September 12, 2023

Before starting the Beartown trilogy (BEARTOWN, US AGAINST YOU and WINNERS) I read everything else Fredrik Backman had written as he is one of my favorite authors. Each book is unique with different characters and a different story angle. To those who compare him to Dickens, I agree that Mr. Backman will withstand the test of time just as Dickens has--perhaps our grandchildren will be reading him in the next century! Indeed it is an absolute pleasure to find an author who can give us readers so many characters with such distinct and unique voices. Once one starts reading it is easy to keep track of which character is which by their unique personality. Not only that but Mr. Backman's understanding of human nature is astounding.To be sure the Beartown trilogy is about more than hockey, it is about the essence of being human. And what better location to show this than in a very small out-of-the-way town next to a remote forest--Beartown. One of many reasons hockey is so important to Beartown residents is because there are two anemic summer months before winter with its bitter winds and considerable snow takes hold for the rest of the year. Hence practically everyone learns to skate almost as soon as they learn to walk. Even during good times and especially during bad times, hockey is an important part of life for the youngsters, their parents, their grandparents and most all other residents.I highly recommend all three books as they are a continuation of the lives of Beartown residents along with their interactions with their arch rival Hed, the small town on the other side of the forest. It was much appreciated that the second and third books started with recaps of the previous books so that when the new story started we were then up to date. Others have summarized the books but it cannot be stressed enough that, regardless of the character and his or her circumstances, Mr. Backman gets it right. And, by the way, it is not just in Beartown that winning matters. I ended up at every game due to my child's participation in high school activities and it seemed numerous students as well as their parents were as devoted as Beartown residents. Well, okay, almost! But many do believe the point of playing is to win and when losing, then play harder next time. Giving up is not an option especially for those seeking to move on up or perhaps to move away.Most who read these three books will long remember them. The characters who are coping with difficulties and working hard to struggle their way through them and into better mental places will touch your heart. Some will not live and those residents will also be long remembered but with great sadness. It was a privilege to read THE WINNERS so that we can leave Beartown knowing what happened to all the people we grew to care so much about. As an aside, someone mentioned Mr. Backman was considering retiring so let us hope that it is just a rumor because if and when he stops writing it will be a colossal loss to quality literature.

Fredrick Backman is a one-of-a-kind writer. Always unexpected, always entertaining. He has become one of my favorite authors. Makes me laugh out loud and makes me cry. Can’t ask for more than that.

Backman’s The Winners completes his Beartown trilogy. Each book builds upon the story, which is as multi-faceted as the characters. To me, the strength of Backman’s writing is his depicting his cast without any particular prejudice. They are who they are, and they develop naturally into what they become in terms of their importance in the narrative.As a clinical therapist, I was impressed with Backman’s depiction of and sensitivity to the nature of trauma. For instance, I have worked with adult women who still suffer from their own rapes. There is at least one part of them—as with Maya—that is stuck in that event and is sensitive to it until they receive effective trauma therapy, or, if not, the rest of their lives. It was Backman’s treatment of the characters’ traumas and their lack of self-worth that made the series both so painful to read and so difficult to put down.The only downside for me was the narrative became somewhat repetitious and redundant, as if Backman’s had to make sure that we reader’s understand what he’s trying to convey about violence and ignorance and love and endurance.

Oh my, how I am going to miss this wonderful series: Beartown, Us Against You, and Winners. I have been immersed in this series for the last several days to the exclusion of all else. And what an enchanting experience. I cried with them, hated them, and loved them -- all of them, especially Benji and Suni and Peter and Amat and Maya. I'm going to miss them but I'll never forget them. F. Bachman is a wonderful writer, I've loved everything he has written. Hoping for lots more in the future.

Great book! Love the Beartown Series. Such great story telling.Fredrik Backman is onto something with this series.Well worth the read!

“The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments?”To me, this quote from Beartown sums up this series perfectly. There’s plot and characters and it feels all over the place at times, but it’s essentially a series of moments in the lives of people who live in a forest, and it is a very profound and powerful view on humanity, relationships and culture.In all three books, it took me a bit to get into them, I found them a bit slow and easy to put down at the start, but there were these particular moments that kept me coming back for more. And then about midway through the plot would start to pick up, and next thing I’d know I’d be glued to the page, just waiting for the next gut punch to come because I knew it was thanks to his clever and prevalent use of foreshadowing (although he sneaks in surprise punches too).The Winners was the most powerful of them all for me. By then I knew and loved so many of the characters, and knowing that I was about to say goodbye to the series made it that much harder. We get these far into the future teases in all books, but in this one it was actually the final at end, and that hit even harder. I feel like these people are my friends, and I’m sad to say goodbye to them.“This hurts too much to touch with words.”I think I’m going to need a break for my emotions before I dive further into Backman’s back catalog, but I am so glad that I stuck with this series, as it will stay in my heart forever.