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Beartown
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
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Beartown
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Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Beartown by Fredik Backman, read by John Sackville.
Beartown is a small town in a large Swedish forest.
For most of the year it is under a thick blanket of snow, experiencing the kind of cold and dark that brings people closer together - or pulls them apart.
Its isolation means that Beartown has been slowly shrinking with each passing year. But now the town is on the verge of an astonishing revival. A bright new future is just around the corner.
Until the day it is all put in jeopardy by a single, brutal act.
It divides the town into those who think it should be hushed up and forgotten, and those who'll risk the future to see justice done. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear.
With the town's future at stake, no one can stand by or stay silent. Everyone is on one side or the other.
Which side would you be on?
Previously published as The Scandal.
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Critic reviews
"As popular Swedish exports go, Backman is up there with ABBA and Stieg Larsson." (The New York Times Book Review)
What listeners say about Beartown
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicky
- 15-11-18
Great story even if you don't like hockey
The book is well written and the plot moves at a good pace, while at the same time giving your the back story to each character. This review is more about the reading of the book. The book is well read except when it comes to the narrator reading the voices, he puts on the most awful accents that spoil the story. The book is set in Sweden yet his accents sound like some poor West Country accent from Cornwall, why did he do that? When he narrates the story in his normal voice it is extremely well read and a delight to listen to, but those accents are shockers!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- t k darienzo
- 01-05-20
Who knew, ice hockey can make a good story.
I had a little break halfway when things were heavy but glad I came back to it. A fascinating glimpse into this world, on many levels.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kim Driver
- 10-02-21
Fascinating story line, interesting style
A very thought provoking story. Narrators accents more west country than Nordic. Would recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-02-23
What a great book, performance and story.
I found the first few chapters harder to get into, but the reward after fully worth it. One of the best fiction books I have read for a long while.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- amalia
- 28-04-23
Slow start and amazing ending
I really liked this book. It started really slow, almost boring, but I think this helped creating the atmosphere of the town. As it went on, it become brilliant. The narration was a little weird, thought 🤔
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-01-24
Wooooow the intensity, the pace. Couldn't stop listening!
It's an incredible social commentary on patriarchal society, on socio economics and human psychology. It's got huge depth and an incredible story. Highly recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stuart Nelmes
- 05-07-19
Powerful Ice Hockey Town Insight
A compelling story about a hockey town and its struggle with justice and consequences after a shocking incident splits loyalties and asks some difficult questions of people obsessed with their team.
Very well read by the narrator, painting a dark cold world with strong characters.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Big fan of the author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shiwon
- 05-12-19
Another treasure from this author
A dark topic handled well with great insights as usual about the human condition. Don't be put off by the references to hockey in some reviews - I have no experience or interest in the sport at all, but found the focus of a team essential to the storyline. Kind of like rugby where I grew up. A wonderful story teller.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jackie
- 24-03-18
loved it
was in two minds about this one but it is his best book yet .
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- windy in wales
- 25-02-20
strong story but with a slow start
almost lost me with the hockey politics, but then became gripping with sporting and emotional drama, followed by very tough questions about small town survival. Thoughtful and engaging with well-drawn characters.
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