Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2009
224 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Paperback Original
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.
"An offbeat, bittersweet, moderately engaging little fable." - Kirkus Reviews
"Short though slow, the novel should hold appeal for fans of quirky women's fiction and Swedish novels like Astrid and Veronika." - Publishers Weekly
"A charming and funny love story, about two lonely people on the brink of middle age." - The Times (London)
"A bestseller in Sweden, this offbeat, down-to-earth love story is refreshingly light to read and becomes slightly addictive." - The Observer (UK)
"Is this funny? I ask, as one anxious to know. The book longs for you to laugh at it: it will be hurt if you don't. But the comic value of the endless cracks about manure, bad smells and the sexual urge .... seems limited in relation to the preposterous frequency of the quips." - The Guardian
"...there is a sad insight beneath the pair's wide-eyed sincerity which is visible beyond the disheartening clouds of fluff." - Time Out London
"Benny & Shrimp is offbeat, charming and fun – and also seriously addictive. Katarina Mazetti understands that crazy little thing called love!" - Claire Cook, author of Must Love Dogs and The Wildwater Walking Club
This information about Benny & Shrimp was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katarina Mazetti was nominated for the Prix Cevennes in France in 2007, and has worked as a journalist, teacher, and author of books for readers of all ages. For twenty years she lived on a small farm in northern Sweden, an experience that became the basis for Benny and Shrimp, her first adult novel.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
