And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

"短編です。カバーから見て取れるように「グランパと孫のノア君」をメインにお話しが進みます。ノア君のパパも出てきますが表紙のまま想像して良いと思います。お船にも意味があります。本の中にも可愛い挿し絵が2人に寄り添うように描かれています。アルツハイマーのグランパ。頭の中に「スクエア」と言う場所があり、そこにはノア君にあげたオモチャがあったり、先に逝ってしまった愛しいグランマとも会話が出来ます。それにグランマが好きだったヒヤシンスの香りもいっぱいします。ただ このスクエア(脳)がだんだんと小さくなり…本のタイトル通りお家(現実)に戻るまで/思い出すまでの距離がだんだんと長くなっていきます。昔は仕事一筋で息子に自転車の乗り方さえ教えなかったグランパ。変わり果てた父親の姿を見て息子(ノアパパ)は胸を痛めます。内容はとてもシリアスで悲しいお話なのですが、そこはバックマン。ユーモアが加わり思わず笑ってしまう場面も。ノア君はいつでもグランパを優しく包み温かい言葉をかけます。
うーっ！泣いてまうーっ... 悲しいけど心あたたまる1冊です..."

"I am in awe of the way Backman writes - his perspective is so unusual and yet so universally understood. Like other reviewers, I read this novella in one go, having bought it after reading what is now one of my favourite books, A Man Called Ove.You would think that everything on the subject of aging had already been written by now, but I was sobbing through this at 1am despite being the least outwardly emotional person you will meet. The conversations between Grandpa and Noahnoah make you smile and leave a lump in your throat. Ultimately. it is an uplifting book despite the emotional punches. It's rare that I will give a book five stars but to me this little book is nigh on perfect and I've been recommending it to friends ever since I finished it ..."

FREDRIK BACKMAN을 좋아하는 독자들이 많을 것이다. 그의 책을 읽고 나면 여운이 꽤 길게 남는다. 특히 '오베라는 남자'는 인상적이었다. 이 책은 소설이지만 '시' 같은 느낌의 작품이다. 가벼운 마음으로 선택한 책이지만 읽으면서 인생에 대해서 가족에 대해서 늙어가는 것에 대해서 기억에 대해서 등 이런저런 생각을 했다. 책의 페이지만 보면 쉽게 보이지만 내용은 결코 쉽지 않다. '요즘 사람들은 죽는 것보다 늙는 것에 더 두려움을 느낀다.'라는 어느 작가의 말이 떠오른다.