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Fredrik Backman Quotes

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Grief is a luxury for those living an easier life.
Disappointment is a powerful thing. Used correctly, it is stronger than fear, more terrible than physical pain, if you see it in the eyes of the one you love, you'll do almost anything to make it stop.
From My Friends
The planet knows no greater silence than two dozen hearts after a loss.
From Beartown
That tendency exists in all sports: parents always think their own expertise increases automatically as their child gets better at something.
From Beartown
Soccer forces life to move on. There’s always a new match. A new season. There’s always a dream that everything can get better. It’s a game of wonders.
From Britt-Marie var här
There's an old saying in Hed: "Tell a stranger you hate Beartown and you'll have a friend for life." The smallest child in Hed is quick to learn that it's important for Hed Hockey to do well, but that it's even more important that things go really badly for Beartown. Partly in jest, obviously. The stands are full of screamed threats about "hating" and "killing" each other, but of course they aren't serious. Until all of a sudden they are.
Winners have a tendency to be forgiven in this town.
From Beartown
A time like that comes for every man, when he chooses what sort of man he wants to be. And if you don't know the story, you don't know the man.
From A Man Called Ove
That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
What can the sport give us? We devote our whole lives to it, and what can we hope to get, at best? A few moments... a few victories, a few seconds when we feel bigger than we really are, a few isolated opportunities to imagine that we're... immortal. And it's a lie. It really isn't important.
From Beartown
Humanity has many shortcomings, but none is stronger than pride.
From Beartown
This has been a story about ice rinks and all the hearts that beat in and around them. About people and sports and how they sometimes take it in turns to carry each other. About us, dreaming and fighting.
It takes the boy an hour to half crawl, half stagger to the locker room. It's empty. The heating has been switched off. His shoes have been shredded and his clothes are lying soaking wet on the floor of the shower. It's the best day of his life.
From Beartown
The only thing the sport gives us are moments.
From Beartown
Those of us who love sports don't always love sportsmen and women. Our love for them is conditional on them being on our side, playing on our team, competing in our colors. We can admire an opponent but we never love them, not the way we love the ones who represent us, because when ours win, it feels like we win too. They become symbols of everything we ourselves want to be.
From The Winners
It's only a hockey game. An ice rink packed with people, two locker rooms full of players, two teams facing each other. Two men in a basement. Why do we care about that sort of thing?

Perhaps because it clarifies all of our most difficult questions. What makes us shout out loud with joy? What makes us cry? What are our happiest memories, our worst days, our deepest disappointments? Who did we stand alongside? What's a family? What's a team?

How many times in life are we completely happy?

How many chances do we get to love something that's almost pointless entirely unconditionally?
From Us Against You
Hockey isn't the past, it isn't yesterday, it's always next. The next line change, the next game, the next season, the next generation, the next magical moment when something we didn't think was possible becomes a miracle. The next chance to fly up from your seat and yell with joy. Next.
From The Winners
I just mean ... damn ... this might sound a bit crazy, but sometimes you can't help wondering if we don't take all this a bit too seriously. If we aren't putting too much pressure on the juniors. They're not really much more than ... kids."

...

"That depends what we want from the kids. And what the kids want from hockey.
From Beartown
I don't have the words to describe it, but it was like going on a journey with someone. Where didn't matter. To outer space. It went on for a long time. I started to fold down the corners of pages when there was a bit I really liked, and he started to write little comments in the margins. Just the odd word. 'Beautiful.' 'True.' That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
Not an emotional person? That's pretty much all he is! Maybe she talks a lot about her feelings, but he's entirely governed by his, that's the difference. But that's what makes him a good fireman, and a good dad too, and it was his emotions she fell in love with. And it's emotions that have made their sons good hockey players and their daughter a fantastic figure skater, because you can't get good at a sport if you're not sensitive enough for it to mean everything to you, if you don't take every setback personally, if every loss doesn't feel like dying.
From The Winners
Sports creates complicated men, proud enough to refuse to admit their mistakes, but humble enough always to put their team first.
From Beartown
Grief is a luxury for those living an easier life.
Disappointment is a powerful thing. Used correctly, it is stronger than fear, more terrible than physical pain, if you see it in the eyes of the one you love, you'll do almost anything to make it stop.
From My Friends
The planet knows no greater silence than two dozen hearts after a loss.
From Beartown
That tendency exists in all sports: parents always think their own expertise increases automatically as their child gets better at something.
From Beartown
Soccer forces life to move on. There’s always a new match. A new season. There’s always a dream that everything can get better. It’s a game of wonders.
From Britt-Marie var här
There's an old saying in Hed: "Tell a stranger you hate Beartown and you'll have a friend for life." The smallest child in Hed is quick to learn that it's important for Hed Hockey to do well, but that it's even more important that things go really badly for Beartown. Partly in jest, obviously. The stands are full of screamed threats about "hating" and "killing" each other, but of course they aren't serious. Until all of a sudden they are.
Winners have a tendency to be forgiven in this town.
From Beartown
A time like that comes for every man, when he chooses what sort of man he wants to be. And if you don't know the story, you don't know the man.
From A Man Called Ove
That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
What can the sport give us? We devote our whole lives to it, and what can we hope to get, at best? A few moments... a few victories, a few seconds when we feel bigger than we really are, a few isolated opportunities to imagine that we're... immortal. And it's a lie. It really isn't important.
From Beartown
Humanity has many shortcomings, but none is stronger than pride.
From Beartown
This has been a story about ice rinks and all the hearts that beat in and around them. About people and sports and how they sometimes take it in turns to carry each other. About us, dreaming and fighting.
It takes the boy an hour to half crawl, half stagger to the locker room. It's empty. The heating has been switched off. His shoes have been shredded and his clothes are lying soaking wet on the floor of the shower. It's the best day of his life.
From Beartown
The only thing the sport gives us are moments.
From Beartown
Those of us who love sports don't always love sportsmen and women. Our love for them is conditional on them being on our side, playing on our team, competing in our colors. We can admire an opponent but we never love them, not the way we love the ones who represent us, because when ours win, it feels like we win too. They become symbols of everything we ourselves want to be.
From The Winners
It's only a hockey game. An ice rink packed with people, two locker rooms full of players, two teams facing each other. Two men in a basement. Why do we care about that sort of thing?

Perhaps because it clarifies all of our most difficult questions. What makes us shout out loud with joy? What makes us cry? What are our happiest memories, our worst days, our deepest disappointments? Who did we stand alongside? What's a family? What's a team?

How many times in life are we completely happy?

How many chances do we get to love something that's almost pointless entirely unconditionally?
From Us Against You
Hockey isn't the past, it isn't yesterday, it's always next. The next line change, the next game, the next season, the next generation, the next magical moment when something we didn't think was possible becomes a miracle. The next chance to fly up from your seat and yell with joy. Next.
From The Winners
I just mean ... damn ... this might sound a bit crazy, but sometimes you can't help wondering if we don't take all this a bit too seriously. If we aren't putting too much pressure on the juniors. They're not really much more than ... kids."

...

"That depends what we want from the kids. And what the kids want from hockey.
From Beartown
I don't have the words to describe it, but it was like going on a journey with someone. Where didn't matter. To outer space. It went on for a long time. I started to fold down the corners of pages when there was a bit I really liked, and he started to write little comments in the margins. Just the odd word. 'Beautiful.' 'True.' That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
Not an emotional person? That's pretty much all he is! Maybe she talks a lot about her feelings, but he's entirely governed by his, that's the difference. But that's what makes him a good fireman, and a good dad too, and it was his emotions she fell in love with. And it's emotions that have made their sons good hockey players and their daughter a fantastic figure skater, because you can't get good at a sport if you're not sensitive enough for it to mean everything to you, if you don't take every setback personally, if every loss doesn't feel like dying.
From The Winners
Sports creates complicated men, proud enough to refuse to admit their mistakes, but humble enough always to put their team first.
From Beartown
Grief is a luxury for those living an easier life.
Disappointment is a powerful thing. Used correctly, it is stronger than fear, more terrible than physical pain, if you see it in the eyes of the one you love, you'll do almost anything to make it stop.
From My Friends
The planet knows no greater silence than two dozen hearts after a loss.
From Beartown
That tendency exists in all sports: parents always think their own expertise increases automatically as their child gets better at something.
From Beartown
Soccer forces life to move on. There’s always a new match. A new season. There’s always a dream that everything can get better. It’s a game of wonders.
From Britt-Marie var här
There's an old saying in Hed: "Tell a stranger you hate Beartown and you'll have a friend for life." The smallest child in Hed is quick to learn that it's important for Hed Hockey to do well, but that it's even more important that things go really badly for Beartown. Partly in jest, obviously. The stands are full of screamed threats about "hating" and "killing" each other, but of course they aren't serious. Until all of a sudden they are.
Winners have a tendency to be forgiven in this town.
From Beartown
A time like that comes for every man, when he chooses what sort of man he wants to be. And if you don't know the story, you don't know the man.
From A Man Called Ove
That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between two people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
What can the sport give us? We devote our whole lives to it, and what can we hope to get, at best? A few moments... a few victories, a few seconds when we feel bigger than we really are, a few isolated opportunities to imagine that we're... immortal. And it's a lie. It really isn't important.
From Beartown
Humanity has many shortcomings, but none is stronger than pride.
From Beartown
This has been a story about ice rinks and all the hearts that beat in and around them. About people and sports and how they sometimes take it in turns to carry each other. About us, dreaming and fighting.
It takes the boy an hour to half crawl, half stagger to the locker room. It's empty. The heating has been switched off. His shoes have been shredded and his clothes are lying soaking wet on the floor of the shower. It's the best day of his life.
From Beartown
The only thing the sport gives us are moments.
From Beartown
Those of us who love sports don't always love sportsmen and women. Our love for them is conditional on them being on our side, playing on our team, competing in our colors. We can admire an opponent but we never love them, not the way we love the ones who represent us, because when ours win, it feels like we win too. They become symbols of everything we ourselves want to be.
From The Winners
It's only a hockey game. An ice rink packed with people, two locker rooms full of players, two teams facing each other. Two men in a basement. Why do we care about that sort of thing?

Perhaps because it clarifies all of our most difficult questions. What makes us shout out loud with joy? What makes us cry? What are our happiest memories, our worst days, our deepest disappointments? Who did we stand alongside? What's a family? What's a team?

How many times in life are we completely happy?

How many chances do we get to love something that's almost pointless entirely unconditionally?
From Us Against You
Hockey isn't the past, it isn't yesterday, it's always next. The next line change, the next game, the next season, the next generation, the next magical moment when something we didn't think was possible becomes a miracle. The next chance to fly up from your seat and yell with joy. Next.
From The Winners
I just mean ... damn ... this might sound a bit crazy, but sometimes you can't help wondering if we don't take all this a bit too seriously. If we aren't putting too much pressure on the juniors. They're not really much more than ... kids."

...

"That depends what we want from the kids. And what the kids want from hockey.
From Beartown
I don't have the words to describe it, but it was like going on a journey with someone. Where didn't matter. To outer space. It went on for a long time. I started to fold down the corners of pages when there was a bit I really liked, and he started to write little comments in the margins. Just the odd word. 'Beautiful.' 'True.' That's the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people's.
From Anxious People
Not an emotional person? That's pretty much all he is! Maybe she talks a lot about her feelings, but he's entirely governed by his, that's the difference. But that's what makes him a good fireman, and a good dad too, and it was his emotions she fell in love with. And it's emotions that have made their sons good hockey players and their daughter a fantastic figure skater, because you can't get good at a sport if you're not sensitive enough for it to mean everything to you, if you don't take every setback personally, if every loss doesn't feel like dying.
From The Winners
Sports creates complicated men, proud enough to refuse to admit their mistakes, but humble enough always to put their team first.
From Beartown