Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different
Britt Marie Was Here
by Fredrik Backman
- Used
- Paperback
- Condition
- Used Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 1473617235
- ISBN 13
- 9781473617230
- Seller
-
Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Sceptre. Trade Paperback. Used Very Good. We carry new and used books in our storefront. We want you to be satisfied with your purchase. Please contact us if you have questions regarding this item.
Reviews
On May 16 2016, CloggieDownunder said:
"'Welcome to Borg', Britt-Marie reads, while she sits on a stool in the darkness and looks at the red dot that first made her fall in love with the picture. The reason for her love of maps. It's half worn away, the dot, and the red colour is bleached. Yet it's there, flung down there on the map halfway between the lower left corner and its centre, and next to it is written, 'You are here'. Sometimes it's easier to go on living, not even knowing who you are, when at least you know precisely where you are while you go on not knowing."
Britt-Marie Was Here is the third novel by Swedish blogger, columnist and author, Fredrik Backman, and is flawlessly translated from Swedish by Henning Koch. Britt-Marie, now sixty-three, will be remembered as a pedantic, officious, overbearing secondary character from Backman's second novel, My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises. She has had to face some unpleasant facts about her husband, Kent, and presents herself (for quite an unusual reason) at the unemployment office, seeking a job.
Britt-Marie is sent to Borg, a remote town in the process of shutting down, where she is to act as temporary caretaker at the Recreation Centre. Britt-Marie arrives alone, but finds herself forced to interact with the (not-altogether-welcoming) townspeople, many of whom she is eventually proud to call friends. She finds herself somehow appointed trainer/coach of a group of muddy children who play football in the car park, including a sassy girl and her entrepreneurial younger brother, a boy who admires Britt-Marie's hairdo, another who can almost kick goals and a young Somalian.
Somebody who "…has one of the worst hairstyles Britt-Marie has ever laid eyes on, as if she's combed her hair with a terrified animal", runs the Borg Pizzeria which also serves as a Post office, grocery store, off-licence, car repair and health centre; cranky Karl visits to collect parcels; a pair of grumpy, bearded men spend days there drinking coffee; Sven, the multi-talented (by virtue of courses completed) cop keeps an eye on things; Bank, of generous body and impaired vision, apparently has a room available; Fredrik turns up regularly (with son Max) to flaunt his big BMW; and a certain Snickers-loving rodent also plays a role.
Britt-Marie has firm beliefs on many topics: how the cutlery drawer should be arranged; why dead bodies start to smell; writing lists in pencil; keeping appointments; the importance of a quality window cleaner; the power of bicarbonate of soda; and the correct time for dinner (6pm sharp!). She may be faced with uncooperative bureaucrats, football-obsessed children and rude townspeople, but Britt-Marie is a force to be reckoned with. And "She may not know a lot about football, but even the gods know that no one is more skilled at lists than Britt-Marie".
Backman once again combines an abundance humour with heartache and plenty of words of wisdom as he touches on a variety of topics: loneliness, loyalty, the need to feel useful, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the superstitions of football fans, infidelity, guilt, grief, pride, insecurity, and community spirit. His quirky characters and the charming logic of the children make this moving and uplifting novel a delight to read, and fans of his earlier books will not be disappointed.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Firefly Bookstore LLC (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 433180
- Title
- Britt Marie Was Here
- Author
- Fredrik Backman
- Format/Binding
- Trade Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 1473617235
- ISBN 13
- 9781473617230
- Publisher
- Sceptre
- This edition first published
- 11/17/20
- Pages
- 296
- Bookseller catalogs
- Fiction/General;
Terms of Sale
Firefly Bookstore LLC
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives mis-described or damaged.
About the Seller
Firefly Bookstore LLC
Biblio member since 2013
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
About Firefly Bookstore LLC
Located in downtown Kutztown, we are an independently-owned and operated New and Used bookstore. Started in 2012 by two book aficionados, Firefly Bookstore strives to provide the best in diverse products and customer services. In addition to books on almost any subject, Firefly carries a large range of products including cards, bookmarks, audio books, and family tree charts. We carry over 60,000 items in 3000 sq/ft of space.Additionally, we have a large tabletop game selection, including board games, dice and card games, and Role-Playing titles. We have a wide selection of puzzles from Pomegranate and others. We have in stock new, each year, a large collection of current year Calendars with 100s of titles and styles to choose from, always discounted.We buy and trade books and games whenever the store is open, and we are looking for material for every section. Store credit can be used on new and used material. We are interested in large purchases, such as collections and estate sales. We are particularly looking for gaming books, metaphysics, history, cooking, science, Pennsylvania history and children's books.For current news and announcements, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fireflybookstore.We carry new and used books in our storefront. We want you to be satisfied with your purchase. Please contact us if you have questions regarding this itemStore hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Trade Paperback
- Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...