Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Benny and Shrimp


Beeny and Shrimp
By Katarina Mazetti

Benny and Shrimp is written by a Swedish author, and is a international bestseller.
The book opens up with both man ad woman middle aged and lonely and meet each other. Both are looking for companionship.

Benny is a middle aged dairy farmer, on his parent's farm. He is very old fashioned in his ways. He is messy, disorganized. He's parent's farm still has his mother's cross stich hanging on the walls.

Where Benny aka Shrimp is a librarian, she is a widow and childless. she lost her husband about 5 years ago. He was hit by a truck.

They both live in Sweden amd meet each other at the cemetery bench. They both are sitting at the cemetery bench, and visit daily. They become attracted to each other. One day Benny asks to eat lunch with her.

They are totally opposite of each other. She is cultured, a book worm, and her looks of a librarian.

Benny is stuck in a time warp of his parent's home of the 1950's. A old home that sure needs a paint job. He is not a tidy person. He sings to his cows on Christmas Eve, he is very much a country boy. He is looking for a woman that can help him take care of his farm and his needs.

Desiree(aka Shrimp) is a cultured book person. Living in modern times, is very much a city girl, and very neat. She sacrafices her modern day culture to live in his world of non-modern times.

This is a simple story, quirky, and off beat. About a man and a woman of opposite worlds. How they react to each other. They do try to overlook each other's faults, without success.
Benny and Shrimp are told in alternate chapters Shrimp and Benny. They are both worried about their biological clock ticking. Benny is worried about being a old bachelor.

I had a hard time following the story. Unfortunately this story did not capture my interest. I had to force myself to read and finish the book. When I read a book, I like a book with sub-plots going on at the same time. There may be a difference in writing style from another country maybe that is the reason it did not capture me. I have seen other blogs that raved about it.

Thank you FSB Associates for allowing me to review.

2 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Sometimes things get lost in the translation. Sorry this didn't work for you.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I read this one too. It was good, buy not great IMO.