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Beartown

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Beartown

By: Fredrik Backman
Narrated by: John Sackville
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Beartown by Fredik Backman, read by John Sackville.

Beartown is a small town in a large Swedish forest.

For most of the year it is under a thick blanket of snow, experiencing the kind of cold and dark that brings people closer together - or pulls them apart.

Its isolation means that Beartown has been slowly shrinking with each passing year. But now the town is on the verge of an astonishing revival. A bright new future is just around the corner.

Until the day it is all put in jeopardy by a single, brutal act.

It divides the town into those who think it should be hushed up and forgotten, and those who'll risk the future to see justice done. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear.

With the town's future at stake, no one can stand by or stay silent. Everyone is on one side or the other.

Which side would you be on?

Previously published as The Scandal.

©2017 Fredrik Backman (P)2017 Penguin Audio Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Small Town & Rural Sports Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime

Critic Reviews

"As popular Swedish exports go, Backman is up there with ABBA and Stieg Larsson." (The New York Times Book Review)
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I was slowly dragged into the lives of this small ferocious community. Felt sad to say goodbye to the many well-drawn characters .

A well written tale

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great story, spellbinding end, well worth listening to. it was really well read! thanks

beartown

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I came across Anxious People by Bachman and was blown away. This is just as good. I’ll make my way through his works and recommend it strongly.

Stunning

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Another Backman book with great observations of people. Good chartacters. Good stort that takes you on an emotional journey. You will sometimes feel angry, worried and uncomfortable, but always hopeful.

Tough but worth it

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Not sure why I gave this book a shot, it’s completely out of my comfort zone, but I could not stop listening. The story, the narration, the characters - divine. Beautifully written and beautifully executed. If you liked A Casual Vacancy you’ll like this one.

Loved it

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While I was aware this was a sport team based book the detailed world building for the first half did make it a very slow start for me. Sticking with it was the right call as the story line really did pick up and deliver right to the very end.
This book hits close to home, but was so well told due to the character backgrounds being so detailed. Very much looking forward to book 2 as I'm now invested with how the town recovers from that awful night and the sides that were chosen after the fact.

A journey worth taking

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Blackman writing is insightful and flows well. He is unpredictable and therefore it is hard to tell how the story is going to end.
The narration is good in general, especially if you listening in a quiet environment. However, if you travel in a car or in areas of moderate ambient noise, his change of tone makes it hard to set the volume correctly. Too high becomes unpleasant, while too low makes you miss the end of sentences.

Interesting concept

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Amazing audiobook ! I love all the books from this author. Great performance by the narrator.

Loved it

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He draws you in and engages you with the characters and their lives. Fabulous writer and stories which slowly build and take you along on the journey.

Another great Backman story

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Great narrator, brilliant story. I couldn't put it down and listened to the whole thing in less than 3days.

excellent

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