Fredrik Backman is best known for A Man Called Ove, but you won’t be disappointed if you pick up My Friends. I’d recommend this book to anyone who had close friends in childhood — the kind of friendships that shaped a whole era of your life. That said, don’t be fooled into thinking this novel is only for men; women will enjoy it just as much.
The story begins with a runaway teenager, Louisa, who carries an old postcard bearing a reproduction of a famous painting that was once owned by her deceased mother. She intends to disrupt an art auction as a kind of protest against hypocrisy. She believes rich collectors know little about art or God, beyond paying for art dedicated to God without any real interest in God at all. She also questions how the value of art can be measured beyond its price tag. When Louisa is thrown out of the auction, she encounters an old man outside the back door, and the two end up spray-painting graffiti on the building’s exterior together. The old man happens to be the artist who painted the masterpiece, and he decides Louisa is someone special.
That’s how the adventure begins. The artist asks his close friend Ted, who originally bought the painting, to repurchase the artwork, now worth millions, and to give it to Louisa to do with as she wishes. Ted sets off by train to visit another friend who will help sell it, and Louisa insists on coming along, despite his reluctance to accept her as a travel companion.
The train ride becomes the heart of the story, as Ted, a former teacher, and Louisa, a runaway foster child, share adjoining seats.
Backman weaves in timelines from the past, tracing the friendship at the center of the painting. As they travel, Ted answers Louisa’s questions about the children pictured on a pier by the sea. The character development is both humorous and captivating, and the writing builds slowly, layer by layer, keeping you interested.
I found myself thinking back to a time in my own life when the days felt endless and friendship felt like everything. It’s hard not to see yourself in one character or another as Ted tells Louisa how it all began. Who doesn’t remember getting into trouble with childhood friends, or the kind of adventures only an adult can look back on with a smile?
I laughed, I cried, and I thought about my own early friendships, probably some of the most meaningful of my life.
Fredrik Backman is a master of character development that feels both readable and deeply relatable. My Friends is a masterful look at how childhood friendships can last a lifetime and shape who we become.
I highly recommend this novel. Whether you love looking back or looking forward to the future, you won’t be disappointed.
