My Friends

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Describe your experience with the nonlinear, dual timeline structure of the book. Which timeline did you prefer, and why?

2. What scenes or parts of the story emotionally resonated with you the most?

3. If you have read other books by Fredrik Backman such as A Man Called Ove, Anxious People, or Britt-Marie Was Here, how does this story compare to his other work? If this is your first book by this author, do you plan to explore his backlist?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. My Friends is, among other things, an homage to the power of friendship. How did the book’s portrayal of friendship align with or challenge your understanding of what it means to be a friend?

2. Art and creativity are fundamental parts of many of the characters’ lives, including Louisa, Kimkim, and Christian. How do you express yourself creatively? Who in your life has most affirmed your creativity, and what role does it play in your life?

3. The novel follows its characters as they work through their experiences of being considered outsiders in their communities. Have you ever had a similar experience? How did the characters’ experiences of loneliness, abandonment, and alienation reflect or refute your own?

4. Do you have specific memories from childhood, adolescence, or your teenage years that stand out as memorable because of the people with whom you shared them?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Discuss the book’s attitude toward masculinity, vulnerability, and male emotional expression in contemporary society. How does its exploration of these issues reflect contemporary conversation on this topic?

2. The novel portrays the social dynamics of small-town life and the lack of care for social issues such as school bullying, substance use, and domestic violence. Consider its value in the larger societal discussion of these issues.

3. What is the book’s message regarding the value of art and artists and their place in society?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the impact of the narrative voice and the non-linear structure of the story. How do the dual timelines support the themes of the novel?

2. Although Joar doesn’t appear in the present timeline until the end of the novel, he is an important character. Trace Joar’s character arc over the course of the novel, discussing how he is the most changed of all the friends.

3. Explore the role of family dynamics in the story. How does generational trauma affect each character’s present and future?

4. Explore the role of mothers in the story. Consider the differences between Christian, Joar, Ted, and Kimkim’s mother and the impact they had on their children.

5. Discuss the rhetorical effect of Backman’s use of repetition of words and phrases, such as “One of us” and “Tomorrow,” and the cyclical pattern of the storytelling as the story circles and loops back on itself.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could freeze a memory or moment in time on a canvas, what would it be and why? What images and colors would you use to represent the feelings you had in that moment?

2. Several of Backman’s works have been adapted for the screen. Cast the roles of Louisa, Ted, Kimkim, Joar, and Ali in a movie or series adaptation of the book. How would you handle the dual timelines? Are there scenes or situations you would leave out of an adaptation?

3. Throughout the story, Backman defines art in different ways. Finish this sentence: “Art is …”