Hues and Dews Poetry

A Backman Classic! After reading and enjoying " Anxious People " and " A Man Called Ove ", I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of "Beartown". Despite the high praise I have heard, a hint of skepticism lingered. The earlier works I have read by Fredrik Backman have been phenomenal and have generated so many emotions in me that I didn't think it would be possible to top that. But little did I know, I was about to be proven delightfully wrong. The author has poured his soul into every word, creating a piece of fiction that transcends boundaries and creates a world of its own in a town called Beartown. As I started reading,  in the beginning it felt like there might be a lot of characters in the plot and that  it might create some confusion in following through. But in a true Backman fashion, each character ends up bringing something unique to the story and actually staying in the reader's mind for a long time.  The author has taken the time ...

   When coming across an elderly individual, the vast majority of today’s younger generation, including myself, express a complete lack of regard for them, perhaps even ignoring them completely. We just view them as uptight, grumpy individuals that find today’s trends and cultural events unfathomable and ridiculous. For the most part, they do view today’s society with contempt and scornfulness but don’t you ever feel that there might be a reason for that? We only see their ageing skin and slowing minds, never really thinking about what it might have felt like to be them, growing up half a century or more before us. Did the older generation back then also feel scornful about them? And if so, is this a never ending generational cycle?  As the world is continuously turning more darker and evil, I felt like it was more appropriate to read a homely, light hearted yet heart touching novel. Since this world is blessed with Fredrik Backman and his amazing works, I felt it was tim...

After thoroughly enjoying and being emotionally invested in the Beartown series, I have concluded my journey with its final installment, "The Winners." This novel has continued to keep up with the ethos of ice hockey and how it isn't just a sport for many but rather a way of life; maybe even life itself. “A hockey club isn't a hockey club, it's everyone you know. It's your grandparents' club, your mom and dad's club, there's a pub in town that used to be owned by a crazy old woman and a nice old man and it was their club too. It belongs to your neighbors and friends and the girl at the supermarket checkout and the mechanic who mends your car and the teacher who educates your children. It belongs to lawyers and general managers and firemen and midwives. A hockey club is the girl you played with in the forest and slept back-to-back with throughout your childhood, even though she doesn't even like hockey. It's the most handsome, wildest boy w...

     Since I loved the novel " BEARTOWN ", it was an absolute no-brainer for me to continue on with the series. I picked up a copy of "US AGAINST YOU" from my public library, and it quite literally picked up where "BEARTOWN" left off.      The memories and events are still fresh in the minds of all the Beartown inhabitants. They haven't moved on completely and it just shows us how a single horrific event can have exponential and reverberating effects on the minds of people and in the conscience of society as a whole.     There are sad and horrific events juxtaposed with heartwarming and hopeful moments. Since this is the second book of the BEARTOWN Series, the readers are already attached to the characters and plot. This attachment makes the events that unfold in this novel even more heart wrenching and personal. Through the power of his writing, Backman has inadvertently  made us BEARTOWN citizens too. And this honorary citizenship ma...

     This truly hilarious and heartfelt novel was recommended to me by my sister. She had taken it with her on vacation to Mexico. If she had time to enjoy the book even while having a great time vacationing at beach shores and pool sides, I knew this novel would be worthwhile. And indeed it was.      The story is about odd friendships made between unlikely group of people and even animals. Similar to "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole and " Anxious People " by Fredrik Backman , this novel with its comedic elements felt like a wholesome slapstick comedy film.      The descriptive dialogues and intricate backstories made me feel like I too had just met and became friends with these characters, ultimately making me feel like I was part of this new friend group as well. Thanks to the detailed writing, a palpable bond between the group can be felt. This bond is evident through their mutual understanding and love for each other. The w...

Image courtesy: Goodreads Wholesome and Wonderful      After hearing so much about this novel, I decided to give it a read and I am beyond glad that I did so. The plot takes a little bit of time to build in order to establish characters and for the reader to get familiar with each of them. And then the novel takes one on a wonderful journey; a journey through the ordinary, every day lives of a handful of strangers. The novel is well written with situational comedy and wholesomeness.  The subtle changes in the atmosphere inside the apartment, going from tense to languid are very well layered and laid out by the author. The  imagery and description are topnotch that even the reader feels like they are one of the hostages stuck in the apartment viewing. The novel leaves one feeling content and gives an appreciation for the beauty of everyday "boring" life. I would even say that the novel goes as far as restoring the faith in humanity that is dwindling in this world...