MY RATING
Synopsis:
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.
Read More:
Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.
Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.
Content warning ❗:
Child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual assault (only mentioned, no graphics), death, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, grief
- Pages: 436
- Genre: Fiction
- Publication date: May 6, 2025, Atria Books
- Format: Paperback, Kindle, Hardcover
- Source: Owned
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO
THE REVIEW:
TL;DR: Beautifully dysfunctional with raw emotions, simply touching and thought-provoking. Not for the faint of heart, please check your TW before you dive into it. It will definitely help you make an informed decision about whether you should read this content. Although I must say that I did not check them beforehand, and I wish I had known certain topics would be discussed, so I could have mentally prepared for what was about to come. This story broke me, made me laugh, and made me hopeful at the same time. I absolutely recommend it, 5 out of 5 stars, but again, please read at your own discretion.
“Art teaches us to mourn for strangers.”
This is exactly what this book did for me. I mourn for all the characters, what they went through, what they couldn’t accomplish, what could have been and what it actually was. There are so many quotes that I highlighted throughout this story that I won’t have enough strength to go through all of them.
Backman did it again, and this book, these characters, this story were something else. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was happy, then I mourned… Words can’t help me articulate how deeply I was affected by all the characters here. Joar, The Artist, Ali, Ted, Louisa, Fish, Christian, Christian’s mom, Joar’s and the others’ parents, even the cat and the bird
The author created a beautifully dysfunctional, yet brilliant masterpiece that will stay with me for a very long time.
This is a story about friendship, about dysfunctional families, passion, compassion, learning how to trust others and learning how to let go. But there is so much more to it. This book has to be experienced, not only read. It will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, it will make you want to punch some of the characters in the face, and it will make you want to give others the biggest hug and take them in and protect them at all costs.
If you are a parent like me, this book hits different. And I have only admiration for those parents who do their best for their children; however, this also highlights how cruel we can be. How broken our system is, and that it is more convenient to close our eyes, block our ears and shut our mouths before the cruelties we see, instead of actually doing something to prevent a tragedy from happening. I cannot stress enough how difficult it was to read some of the passages, but I am so damn glad I did because I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience how beautiful it would be later.
Here, I should say, the writing was delightful. Backman has this way of painting a picture with a pen so haunting and yet so delicate, that it leaves you breathless just by reading it. It delivers gut wrenching proses, yet the very next thing he shows you is hope and perseverance. He is a master of poetic and delightfully written stories, and I am all here for it. Fredrik Backman writes = me byung and reading it all. I consume his content like a starving animal who needs to feel loved and protected but also needs some tough love. Do with that information what you will!
There were some minor issues I had with certain characters’ actions and behaviour, or rather, what they didn’t do. However, in retrospect, this is exactly why I loved this book so much: doing stupid things or saying stupid things is what makes us human. Sometimes we make poor decisions and should know better, but we still do them anyway. Out of fear, out of despair, or due to something else entirely. Who am I to judge? I am not perfect, either; everyone is flawed, and this is what makes us who we are. This is no way to provide a justification for those horrible things some of these humans did; no, it is merely a view of how I see us, ordinary people.
Without spoiling anything for those of you who are planning on reading this one, just keep in mind that this is not a light book. It will trigger something primitive in you, it will make you smile and laugh, but the very next chapter, it will make you rage and want to punch a lot of characters. Mostly the kind bystanders, because those are even worse than the monsters themselves.
“Fish always said that kind people were the worst, because at least with mean people you know what you’re dealing with. There’s no limit to how dangerous someone who seems kind can be.”
With that, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you ever pick it up. Also, let me know your take on it if you’ve already read it.
Happy reading!
Lin's Perspective 
Leave a comment