🎨 Book Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
A poignant, beautifully layered novel about friendship, art, and the invisible threads that connect us across time.
Fredrik Backman, beloved for A Man Called Ove and Beartown, returns with My Friends—a deeply emotional and quietly powerful story that blends his signature empathy with a touch of mystery and artistic wonder. With a Goodreads rating of 4.47/5 from over 135,000 readers, this novel has quickly become one of his most celebrated works.
🖼️ Plot Overview
The story centers around Louisa, an 18-year-old foster child grieving the loss of her best friend, Fish. Louisa’s life takes an unexpected turn when she attends an art auction and becomes the caretaker of a famous painting—one she’s loved since childhood and carried as a postcard in her backpack.
The painting features three small figures on a pier, often overlooked by viewers. But Louisa knows there’s more to it. Her journey to uncover the story behind the painting leads her to the lives of Ted, Joar, Ali, and the enigmatic artist C.Jat, who were once inseparable teenagers in a seaside town 25 years earlier. As Louisa’s path intertwines with theirs, secrets unravel, and the healing power of friendship and art takes center stage.
💫 Why It Resonates
- Found Family & Emotional Depth: Backman masterfully explores how friendships formed in youth can shape lives decades later.
- Dual Timeline Structure: The narrative shifts between Louisa’s present and the boys’ past, creating a rich tapestry of memory and meaning.
- Art as Metaphor: The painting becomes a symbol of love, loss, and rebellion against time—“Art is coincidence, love is chaos,” as one character says.
- Backman’s Signature Style: Expect lyrical prose, dry humor, and moments that will make you laugh through tears.
🧠 Themes Explored
- Grief and healing
- The foster care system and emotional resilience
- The transformative power of art
- Friendship as a form of survival
⭐ Reader Praise
- “A warm hug in book form.”
- “Backman at his most tender and profound.”
- “I laughed. I cried. I reread passages just to feel them again.”
Some readers noted that the pacing is deliberate and reflective—typical of Backman’s style—but the emotional payoff is worth every page.
🏁 Final Verdict
My Friends is a stunning meditation on how the people we love—and the art we create—can echo across lifetimes. If you’re drawn to stories that celebrate quiet resilience, deep connections, and the beauty of imperfection, this novel will stay with you long after the final chapter.
