Top Ten Tuesday: Fredrik Backman Book Quotes

This week, we’re talking about book quotes. That’s a big topic, so I narrowed it down to quotes by one writer. Fredrik Backman is a Swedish author who writes humorous contemporary fiction about outsider characters. I’m always impressed by his compassionate, thoughtful, hilarious observations about the world. Here are 10 brilliant quotes from Fredrik Backman books.

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Fredrik Backman Book Quotes

Beartown

“Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion. The world becomes easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil. The easiest way to unite a group isn't through love, because love is hard, it makes demands. Hate is simple. So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side, because that's easier than trying to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe—comforting facts, ones that permit life to go on as normal. The third is that we dehumanize our enemy.”

Beartown

“There are two things that are particularly good at reminding us how old we are: children and sports.”

A Man Called Ove

“We always think there's enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like 'if'.”

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry

“'Only different people change the world,' Granny used to say. 'No one normal has ever changed a crapping thing.'”

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry

“Never mess with someone who has more spare time than you do.”

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry

“Elsa decides that even if people she likes have been shits on earlier occasions, she has to learn to carry on liking them. You’d quickly run out of people if you had to disqualify all those who at some point have been shits.”

And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer

“Isn’t that the best of all life’s ages, an old man thinks as he looks at his grandchild. When a boy is just big enough to know how the world works but still young enough to refuse to accept it.”

The Deal Of A Lifetime

“The greater the mistake and the worse the consequences, the more pride we stand to lose if we back down. So we don't.”

Britt-Marie Was Here

“An unreasonable amount of paperwork is required these days just to be a human being.”

Tell me your favorite quote-worthy author