My Friends by Fredrik Backman
on May 6, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Friendship, Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / Literary
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
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Fredrik Backman does it again with My Friends—a deeply moving, sharply funny, and profoundly human novel about the enduring bonds of friendship and the quiet, powerful ways art can hold us together across time.
At the heart of the story is Louisa, an almost-eighteen-year-old aspiring artist who becomes obsessed with a painting that has long captivated her—especially the three tiny figures tucked in the background, barely noticed by most. Determined to uncover their story, Louisa sets off on a journey that leads her into the past, back to a summer more than two decades earlier when four teenagers—Joar, Ali, Ted, and KimKim (“The Artist”)—found solace, laughter, and meaning on an old seaside pier.
Backman’s signature blend of wit and wisdom is on full display here. The story flows between past and present with warmth and sharp emotional insight, capturing the raw edges of growing up, the ache of unmet expectations, and the magic of finding people who see you. From fart jokes to philosophical musings, Backman crafts moments that are laugh-out-loud funny one minute and utterly heart-wrenching the next.
What makes this book so special is its emotional honesty. Each of the four friends is struggling in their own way, yet their determination to help one of their own—ensuring KimKim can enter an art competition—speaks volumes about the power of chosen family. Their bond is messy, tender, hilarious, and deeply loyal. And through Louisa, a new generation is reminded of the importance of connection—of how art is never just about the canvas, but about the people and the love behind it.
My Friends is the kind of coming-of-age novel that leaves a mark. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It reminded me how friendships shape who we are, and how sometimes, a well-timed fart joke is just as meaningful as a heartfelt confession.
A must-read for Backman fans—and for anyone who believes in the lasting power of love, laughter, and a shared summer on a broken-down pier.
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