Skip to main content

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Frederik Backman

"A unique way of learning about a person's past and also how all our lives intersect with one another, told in true, heartfelt, emotional, Backman style." 
3 Stars
Pros: Has the same light-hearted but deep felt empathy that Backman brings to all his stories/Learning more about the Grandmother through Els's adventure in delivering her letters is a unique and touching way of going about it.
Cons: The protagonist, Elsa, is a 7 year old, so the narrative has a tendency to be a bit scattered.

Full Review:
Granny is Elsa's best friend. She's messy, disorganized and doesn't put with anyones BS. She's the only friend Elsa has since the others kids at school torment her. And so any minute that she gets to spend with Granny is an adventure. But the biggest and most heartfelt adventure happens when Granny passes away and leaves Elsa with the task of delivering letters to people, explaining to them that she's sorry.

The truth about Elsa's grandmother starts into focus as Elsa delivers the letters and we learn that she may have been a great Grandmother but she wasn't the best mom. Elsa is angry at her Grandmother for being away so often when her Mother was growing up, even though Elsa's mother tries to explain that it wasn't out of meanness. Her mother was a doctor and traveled around the world saving lives. But Elsa is still angry with her Grandmother and as she continues in her adventure of delivering the letters, she hopes that the last person her Grandmother will apologize to is her Mother.

Protected in her quest by a Monster (a stranger with OCD) and a Wurse, a creature from her Grandmother's make believe world of the Land of Almost-Awake (in reality it's just a really big dog), Elsa continues in her quest with determination and curiosity. And as the story unfolds and we learn more about Elsa's grandmother, we also learn more about the people in the building in which Elsa lives.

As with all of Backman's books, the narrative is so wrapped up in all the characters that there is no single character that stands out. Though Elsa is the protagonist, she is simply another character is a vast ensemble and if you were to take one of the characters away, it would all fall apart.

This was a quick, heartfelt read that left me feeling both happy and sad at the same time. Backman has a wonderful knack for making the reader feel included, as if he's pulled you into his own world and made you a part of it. And when the story is done you find yourself feeling rather lost and wishing it could go on forever. And though this wasn't my favorite of his novels, it was still emotional and deep and it also led up to the events of Britt-Marie was here, which was an interesting bit of information to learn after the fact.

I would recommend this book to anyone who's already a fan of Backman and also to anyone who likes stories that are told in parts, pieced together intricately bit by bit and as the reader, you're brought along for the ride and you can't guess how it will all end until the protagonist figures it out as well.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood  clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage.   2 Stars Pros:  Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel.  Cons:  Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end.  Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...
Post a Comment
Read more

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars.  Pros:  Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place.  Cons:  The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact.  Full Review:  When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone."  5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way.  Cons:  Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager.  Full Review:  It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...
Post a Comment
Read more