Benny & Shrimp
A Novel
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4.8 • 5 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The bestselling "offbeat, down-to- earth love story"(The Observer, London)- now available in the United States
An international sensation, this addictively readable tale asks the question: Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Shrimp, a young widowed librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy that her jam jars are in alphabetical order; Benny, a gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the village's Old Bachelor; and an unlikely love that should not be as complicated as it seems. Reminiscent of the works of Carol Shields, this quirky, humorous, beautifully told novel breathes new life into the age-old conundrum that is love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mazetti's debut, a bestseller in her native Sweden, centers on two lonely, 30-something singles living in rural Sweden as they attempt to overcome the inner obstacles keeping them apart. The dialogue-heavy story is told in breezy, alternating first-person accounts that paint a vivid portrait of life in northern Sweden. Desiree, better known as Shrimp, is a quiet librarian with an intellectual streak dealing with the recent death of her husband. Benny is a dairy farmer too busy tending the family farmland to realize his loneliness. The two have a serendipitous first encounter at the graveyard and find an instant, irresistible connection between them. Early chapters are charged with their passionate, intense affair, but the story fizzles as the two loners clash over their stubborn idiosyncrasies. Though the writing is charming and at times poetic, the plot becomes tedious and the characters predictable. Short though slow, the novel should hold appeal for fans of quirky women's fiction and Swedish novels like Astrid and Veronika.
Customer Reviews
Benny&Shrimp
I loved this book. It ended so differently than I was expecting it to. I know there is a sequel to the story and I'm dying to read it although I don't know if it has been translated to English yet and really don't know the name of it. If it has been, I certainly hope you will make it available to your readers.
Incredibly underrated -- THE sweetest and most unique book I've read
I am so surprised that this book hasn't been reviewed! I picked it up by chance at a bookstore a few years ago and was so surprised to find it to be the sweetest book I have ever read. It's disappointing that it's categorized under "Romance" because that genre has a horrible connotation, at least for me. I'm not a fan of trashy romance novels -- I'm a lit and historical fiction kind of reader. So, maybe it's just my ego but this definitely doesn't go under "Romance" in my book (punny!). If there was a genre called "Sweet and Unique" this book would definitely be under that!