This book manages to be both heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Britt-Marie was here is, in itself, a fairly straightforward story about the downtrodden wife who is out on her own finally discovering who she is after years of pretending to be someone she wasn't to make other people happy. There are three things that make this book stand out. Firstly the characters, Backman creates a sea of characters that are instantly identifiable and completely unforgettable. Secondly there is Borg itself, the very epitome of a small village that sticks together no matter what, a true community. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, there is Britt-Marie herself. We all know someone like her. Following her journey is worthwhile in so many ways because you are guaranteed to learn something about yourself through it. Truly a must-read in my opinion.

Am Anfang hatte ich das Gefühl, dass dieses Buch mich nicht so bewegen wird, wie die anderen Zwei. Aber ich wurde glücklicherweise eines Besseren belehrt. Oh wie ich es doch liebe. Wie auch immer er es schafft, dass man die Figuren so liebt und mit ihnen mitfühlt. Wie auch immer er einen so abholt, dass man am Ende weinend vor dem Buch sitzt und nicht möchte, dass es aufhört. Und wie auch immer er es trotzdem schafft, dass man am Ende Glück verspürt. Richtig begreifen werde ich das wohl nie, aber das einzig wichtige ist dabei nur zu wissen, dass ich mich bereits jetzt auf das nächste Werk freue und nur sagen kann, dass ich hoffe, dass noch tausende danach folgen.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but not quite as much as "My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises" by the same author that I read before. Britt-Marie is a character from that book, so I would recommend everyone to read "My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises" first. And yes, I can also recommend "Britt-Marie was here", no doubt about that. The story is set in an environment that is very different from most books I read - a neglected village with a lack of perspective for the inhabitants. I see this as an advantage because it makes the book different, but also as a downside because the atmosphere is not as bright and I rather read books that cheer me up. But the author definitely has a great talent for creating stunning, different characters! Everyone has a strong personality and you can understand the different attitudes of people, even though they might be completely different from yours. I'll surely read more books of Fredrik Backman.