First, let us start with this.
The attack of the federal government on the citizens of Minnesota has made it impossible to concentrate on even the simplest of things. Taking out the garbage, cutting a tomato, brushing one's teeth -- all take an effort of steely will. Writing this summary of our book club discussion is no different. But as the lyric from The Minnesota Anthem (linked below) states:
We are the North Star blazing in the cold.
We are the stories that the mountains told.
From every tear we forge a flame.
We call their names. We call their names.
Together we rise.
Together we cry.
We gathered at Steve's to discuss Backman's book, but it was clear from the start that we would not be able to separate our analysis of the book from what we were experiencing in our community. When we met on January 19, circumstances were already dire. Masked gunmen were going door to door, without warrants, taking people into custody for the crime of not being white. We had no inkling of how much worse it would get. We shared with each other stories of what we knew personally, who we had talked to who seemed unaware, news coverage being sparse, and shifts in what we were seeing on social media, comments like "Usually, I'm not political, but..." and a sudden presence on LinkedIn, heretofore focused on business connections, of concern about federal over-reach.
So, apologies to Backman for what will be a less-than in-depth analysis of his book.
Getting Back to the Book
Title: My Friends
Author: Fredrik Backman
"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."
Insights and Opinions
+ Steve brought us back to the book, which he characterized as a paean to art and to the poet, quoting this line from the text: "Art has the power to make you care about strangers."
+ Backman's main characters are rich and many-layered. "I cared about each of these people. Each of them is endearing in their own, odd way." Each of them is a misfit, which is a common theme in Backman's writing. Shirley pointed out, however, that the characterizations of "rich people" were thin caricatures, and Liz agreed, providing Backman some leeway here as these were Louisa's opinions.
+ The book cycles back and forth between the past and the present. The friendship formed by this group of thirteen-year-olds is unbreakable and relatable. Lois said: "Everybody feels odd at 13 and it's hard to find friends. If you connect with someone, that connection becomes really crucial to who you become."
+ Young Louisa, whose life has been a hard one, is expert at comic/sad awareness. On the train watching Ted try to laugh and fail, she thinks "When you get old, gravity pulls the corners of your mouth down. The road to a smile grows longer."
+ Backman's young characters survive their desperate lives because they have faith in each other. He writes "The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else's belief in them."
+ Linda pointed out the importance of the book's dedication. "To anyone who is young and wants to create something. Do it." What follows this dedication is a quote from Anton Ego: "The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends." Backman has stated that these two thoughts are the reason for this book.
+ Linda was stopped along the way by "some terrible metaphors," such as "Ted blushes so hard that you could have cooked waffles in his wrinkles." Liz agreed, saying "he's great with metaphors, but he just uses too many. Most of them are hilarious." As Chris noted, even the best writers need a good editor.
+ A few of us felt the ending was a bit too neat. Per Margy: "To me, it felt like the ending had been changed to give a happy resolution to these kids. I thought it was preposterous, but heart-warming."
+ Overall, our group gave a hearty thumbs up to this novel and feel like it's a worthy addition to the Backman canon.
Our Next Digression
Unable to continue having a meaningful conversation about this book, we were each asked to answer this question: Between your volunteer work and activism, how are you taking care of yourself during this difficult time? Our answers:
Jocey: "Reading like crazy. Lying on the couch reading reading reading. Novels. And watching movies. Escapism.
Shirley: Listening to Mexican music, especially Alejandro Fernandez.
Steve: Hanging out with friends, exercising a lot, Nordic skiing, news blackouts.
Linda: Reading for distraction and exercising. I decided yesterday to stop watching CNN and the evening news. My phone is in the other room so I'm not constantly checking the alerts.
Lois: Losing myself in book after book. I almost don't judge them. I just go down my stack.
Chris: I wish I were doing better. I travel, spend time with friends, don't look at the phone right away in the morning. No news until night.
Margy: The solace of nature. It's just wonderful to be out here (in California). I go out first thing in the morning in my sandals and look at the mountains, and bike riding.
What We Will Read Next
Our book club selection for February is:
Title: Buckeye
Author: Patrick Ryan
Location: TBD
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