“It’s an act of magnificent rebellion to do meaningless things, to waste time, to swim and drink soda and sleep late. To be silly and frivolous, to laugh at stupid little jokes and tell stupid little stories.”

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is, in simple terms, a story about a painting. The book follows a fictional painting, The One of the Sea, a highly sought-after piece of art known for being the first work done by C. Jat, a world-famous artist. What many don’t see, however, is that it is not really a painting of the sea, or a beautiful landscape. Instead, it is a painting of three friends, standing out on the pier, with the artist all around them. Backman’s newest novel follows 18-year-old Louisa as she learns the story behind the painting, the people in it, and through their lives, finds herself along the way.

 After reading several of Fredrik Backman’s books, I love his writing style and the way he embeds messages on the human experience within his stories. I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and the illusive summary of the book. I have been anxiously anticipating reading this new release and was thrilled when I received the advanced copy from Atria Books.

Synopsis

My Friends is a dual timeline, coming-of-age story about friendship and art. The book follows Lousia on her quest to learn all about her favorite painting and the three figures in it that no one else seems to notice. Twenty-five years earlier, we follow the group of friends in that painting through the summer that changed all their lives and led to the creation of the world-famous piece. This novel dives into difficult childhoods, the beauty of friendship, and the complexity of what makes a happy ending.

The Writing

“When you get old, gravity pulls the corners of your mouth down, the road to a smile grows longer.”

To start off, I have to say that the way this story is told is one of the most satisfying, page-turning formats I’ve ever read. I was on the edge of my seat, reading “just one more chapter,” and thinking about this book every time I set it down. I was frantically anticipating, yet afraid to reach the end. Backman had me so attached to the characters that I felt like I was right there, living that summer with them. There’s an underlying theme of death throughout the book that’s haunting and introspective without ever feeling overdone.

“That’s all of life. All we can hope for. You mustn’t think about the fact that it might end, because then you live like a coward, you never love too much or sing too loudly. You have to take it for granted, the artist thinks, the whole thing: sunrises and slow Sunday mornings and water balloons and another person’s breath against your neck. That’s the only courageous thing a person can do.”

Fredrik Backman is well known in the book community for his beautiful writing and his talent for showing, not telling, a story. In my opinion, this novel might be some of his best writing yet. The way he bleeds the two storylines together while keeping the emotional weight of each plotline intact is masterful and adds a depth that few other writers could have achieved with the same story.

The Conversation Around Art

I loved the way art is depicted in this book, and while I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself an “artsy” person, I connected with and was completely enamored by the way the author speaks about art.

“The artist who painted all that must have been in so much pain, but he must also have been the world’s happiest person… He must have felt every single feeling inside himself all at the same time, and it must have been almost unbearable.”

The drawings and paintings throughout this book feel almost like their own character, and the motifs that carry throughout the book within the art add so much meaning to the story. Lousia’s connection to the painting shows how art can hold memories, emotions, and whole stories, even for someone who wasn’t there and adds this subtle emotional weight that makes the story feel more complex and layered.

Characters

“Our teenage years have to simultaneously be the brightest light and the darkest depths, because that’s how we learn to figure our horizons.”

As I touched on already, I was extremely attached to and invested in these characters. Each member of the friend group from the painting was so fleshed out and unique, and their flaws and attributes left a little something for any reader to relate to.

In the book, the friends meet someone with the same brash, enthusiastic, complex view on the world as them and say, “they’re one of us.” As the reader, you just know exactly what they mean. While the group isn’t purposefully exclusive, their bond is so strong—and the overall (for lack of a better word) vibe of their group is so niche—that feeling like you’re a part of it while reading is absolutely delightful.

Lousia was also such a fun character to follow. She fits so naturally into the little group, just born 25 years too late. She’s a perfect medley of all the friends from the older timeline, and I loved reading about her experience learning their story from that summer. When someone tells her she shouldn’t be sad about things that happened 25 years ago, she responds, “But for me it’s happening right now!” And honestly? I couldn’t agree more. Even though it’s purely fictional, it felt so visceral and intense, and going through it with Lousia was the perfect cherry on top.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved this novel and will be thinking about it for a long time. It’s one of those rare books that feels like it changes something in you quietly, without asking permission. It made me laugh, cry, and completely fall in love with the characters and their story. If you enjoy books about friendship, art, and the kind of quiet moments that stick with you, I really can’t recommend this one enough.

Final Rating — 4.75/5

Book cover image from Simon & Schuster

Buy My Friends either online or at your local bookstore!

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