The Winners: A Novel (Beartown Series)

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.

“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.

Still can’t top the first book of the series—but wow, The Winners did me dirty in the best possible way. This final installment doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings—it rips them out, wraps them around your chest, and makes you feel every beat. If you’ve been to Beartown before, you already know: this series isn’t just a story. It’s a place. It’s a people. And by the time you turn the last page, it almost feels like a home. Backman doesn’t write characters—he writes souls. These people breathe, bleed, and carry the weight of their choices so vividly it’s like you’ve known them all your life. The book explores grief, loyalty, anger, and forgiveness with a depth that creeps up on you, then completely takes over. There’s darkness here, yes—but also so much light, so much quiet heroism in ordinary people. This is a novel about what binds us and what breaks us. It’s about hockey, sure—but really, it’s about everything else. Community, parenthood, growing up, growing apart, and the small moments that define who we are. As always, Backman delivers emotional gut-punches wrapped in poetic wisdom that had me reaching for a highlighter... and a box of tissues. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want to. And now that it’s over, I honestly feel a little lost. If you haven’t started this series yet—start. If you have... well, prepare your heart.

I would give this book 100 stars if I could! If I thought that Beartown ripped out my heart and broke it into a million pieces, then Backman’s latest instalment in the series just ground them to fine dust. At least now I know to stock up on tissues before starting any of his books! I don’t even know where to begin with a review because it’s difficult to express how much I loved this book. After the three Beartown novels, I almost feel part of the community. I’m not sure how Backman does it, but his characters are so well drawn that they are totally real to me. Often, characters remain a hazy outline, but this cast is as vivid in my mind as people I have known all my life. With the Beartown themes of community, parenthood, coming of age, friendships and the fine threads that connect us all to one another, there wasn’t many tissues left in the box by the time I finished reading. Backman’s writing resonates deeply with me, as do his characters. THE WINNERS is set 2 years after the events in BEARTOWN, and we get to find out how all our favourite characters have fared in that time. There are a few surprises in store, but one thing has not changed – the rivalry between the two hockey clubs of Beartown and Hed. As someone who knows nothing about hockey and isn’t particularly sports orientated, even I soon realised how much the sport reflected the hopes and dreams of the community, and was swept away by their love for the sport. As hockey gets embroiled in the political power games of influential people trying to make Beartown and Hed’s animosity work in their favour, the simmering tension is about to erupt into violence. With the constant foreshadowing in the story, I knew that something terrible was about to happen, which had me torn between reading quickly to find the answers and savouring the story. Backman injects so many snippets of insight and wisdom into his stories that touched me deeply, drawing out emotions that are often repressed or overlooked. I can confidently say that THE WINNERS is my favourite book for 2022 and one that I will revisit again when the open wounds in my heart are no longer so raw and I can savour the fine details I may have overlooked. Please note that this is not a stand-alone novel and needs to be read in the right order of the Beartown series to make sense and to get the full value out of this wonderful tale. I loved every minute of it and was sad to say good-bye to characters who feel like good old friends – I will miss them. A truly wonderful book! If you haven’t discovered this series yet, what are you waiting for?

Chegou rápido em perfeitas condições.

I don’t want to write this. I really don’t. How can I bring myself to say something bad about a book by Fredrik Backman, a giant among contemporaries, the author who brought us the incomparable A Man Called Ove? Winners is the final part of the Beartown trilogy, a tale of two small, feuding towns on the edge of a forest. The thread Backman uses to weave his saga of love, exclusion, tragedy and corruption is ice hockey. Yes, ice hockey - a sport most of us are content to know nothing about and consider as enthralling as crochet for beginners. Yet his writing is so beautifully constructed that he gets away with it. The huge cast of characters are unforgettable, with Backman’s ability to convey in a sentence what lesser-writers would need a chapter to get across. So what is wrong with Winners? It is too long. Far, far, far too long. Not if you’re someone who spends the whole of your lunchhour reading, or who sits in front of the fire every evening, glued to a book. But to those who read in bed for a few minutes before falling asleep, or make time in between the newspapers and watching telly, 684 pages is just too much. Your Mum’s roast potatoes might be wonderful, but you wouldn’t want a dozen on your plate. The brilliance of Backman’s writing compounds the problem. You don’t want to interupt by starting any of the other books which are queuing up. So you lumber on, day after day, week after week, until you reach the glorious end. And then you’re sad because such a fabulous story is over. But at least you can start on something else.

"The Winners" is the third book in a trilogy by this author. I've read all three books and have laughed and cried over all of them and am bitterly sorry to have to say goodbye to the characters. These books are about hockey on one level but on a different level about parents and children and being old and young and love and hate. But all told with real heart. Please read the trilogy in order and have patience to let the author tell his story. Highly recommended

Thoroughly enjoyed this volume and the entire trilogy.