Read the New York Times bestseller that has taken the world by storm Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon–the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile … around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.
A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year, ’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review).more
At first glance, not that interesting, but as one continues it becomes a fascinating insight into the character Ove.
One of the best books I’ve ever read.
A Man Called Ove is a wonderful book. Reiterates the expression….Don’t judge a book by its cover!! Ove IS a grumpy old man, but one that you will grow to love!
Just loved this book. Laugh, cry…. can’t stop reading. My favorite book.
Ove really just wants to die. He’s not picky about how; really, he’ll try anything: hanging, carbon monoxide poisoning, being hit by a train, pulling the trigger…and yet, every time he gets close to carrying out his plans, something goes wrong. Or rather, someone needs something, and Ove, in his cantankerous, hilarious way, is the only one who can do it right.
There is, for example, the new neighbor who is so incompetent as to be unable to back up a moving truck without crashing it into Ove’s mailbox. To say nothing of the community recycling room that must be monitored constantly for the least transgression. Who but Ove can ensure that the metal caps are unfailingly separated from the glass bottles? (Oh, those Scandinavians!)
Ove is charmingly, lovingly curmudgeonly. He is also desperately sad since the death of his wife, and longs for nothing but to join her in the hereafter, although this must certainly be done properly: subscriptions canceled, affairs in order, the lights shut off. Ove is nothing if not firm in his principles, a staunch believer in routines, in the world being a black and white place, in order, and the belief that right must always prevail. Have I mentioned that I loved Ove?
Yes, I loved Ove, and I loved A Man Called Ove. I especially love Fredrik Backman’s voice, the inappropriate hilarity that crops up regularly, yet unexpectedly, the layers and layers of Ove that Backman reveals almost begrudgingly. In both the hilarity of non-hilarious situations and the depth of emotion, all emotions, that Backman strikes so well, I was reminded of one of my old favorites, A Prayer for Owen Meany.
If I have read a better book anytime recently I cannot recall it.
(This review was originally published at http://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2017/06/a-man-called-ove.html.)
I loved the characters in this book which I have recommended and bought for many friends! Also a fantastic Book Club selection as it makes for great discussion!
This was at first confusing but quickly made me love all the characters and by the end I really found Ove to be much more than expected
Great story. Thought-provoking. Charming.
Memorable characters.
Fredrick Backman is my go-to author. Wonderful characters.
Loved this story and the characters. Was not sure first few chapters, but stick with it the book is funny and touching. Great ending too!
I kept seeing this book recommended and thought, “Why would I want to read about a cranky old man? I know too many of those!” But I finally broke down and got the book – and am so glad I did. As Ove’s present is intertwined with his past, you come to know and understand why he is the way he is. His edges start to soften with the introduction of the young family next door. I honestly didn’t want this book to end but, alas, all things end. And I was blubbering like a baby by the end of this wonderful book!
I’ve listened to the audiobook twice!
Absolutely loved this book. Ove reminded me of some of the men in my family. Found myself laughing out loud several times.
It was the one book this year everyone in my Book club loved(ages 50-92)
Fun view of a man stuck in his belief system.
fun book
I really, really enjoyed this story, but I did not start enjoying this story until the end of chapter four. I can give curmudgeons leeway, but it was getting to be exhaustive. There’s always a reason a curmudgeon is a curmudgeon, and this whole story slowly and patiently reveals why Ove has a peculiar personality. Ove’s really not a curmudgeon; he just stopped living, but then, he starts living, again. It takes many, funny and kind people to help Ove begin living again. I also loved that the story’s beginning is more the end of the story, not the beginning of the story, but letting us see Ove’s character layer by layer really helps the reader bond with Ove. Plus, “Ahhhh” moments are always good, and there are many of those, too.
What does one call a fifty-nine year old man who is opinionated, irreverent, cantankerous, and pessimistic about the world around him? Ove, of course! When we first meet Ove he is about to undertake his daily inspection of the housing development where he lives. This occurs at precisely six o’clock every morning, rain or shine. He is a man of strict routine and doesn’t like anything disturbing the peace of the neighborhood. As Ove goes about his business the reader will find himself laughing out loud in bursts of acknowledgement as he realizes that he knows someone just like Ove or is, perhaps, himself a bit like the central character. Throughout the progression of the story we learn that Ove has been recently released from his position at work (too old most likely), has also recently lost his wife (the one shining beacon in his world), and is about to leave this world (failing miserably at several suicide attempts). Just when Ove has things in hand, or so he thinks, he’s forced to care for a stray cat because that’s what Sonja, his wife, would have liked. Having made arrangements for the cat in his last directive he is about to attempt suicide once more wanting nothing more than to join his wife on the other side. This time it is the new neighbors, a foreign pregnant lady with an idiot husband and two young daughters who intrude into Ove’s reality.
Finely drawn complex characters, a plot that unfolds in flashbacks and long talks with a deceased spouse, comedic moments that resound with hilarity, all come together in this fun look at life. Charming, endearing, heartwarming, funny, witty, and wise all at the same time, this book should be on everyone’s to be read list. Not only did this reviewer enjoy the book, it was one that my husband (a rather Ove-like man himself) and I took pleasure in reading aloud. While the story is set in Sweden its message is global. We are a product of our upbringing and there isn’t much that will change as we age. Adaptation to one’s changing circumstances may not be easy, and we may not be able to make the adjustments, but it certainly is worth the try.
One of the five best books I’ve read this year. Highly recommended for all age groups.
This is a book that takes your breath away!!
I’d give it more stars if I could, what a wonderful debut. Sit down in a quiet corner and move into Ove’s neighborhood and see how just one person can make such a difference in so many lives.
A story about a man, a simple, honest, hardworking man. Quiet, introverted, shy, and determined. Meets and marries Sonja, an outgoing, fun, extroverted,colorful and also determined woman.
Build a life, deal with tragedies and live their lives. One dies, one carries on till he decides to kill himself…has the worst luck though as people keep coming into his life.
No poetic language or visuals are needed to convey this story of Ove …a simple story deserves simple words. A man of quiet dignity, planning a quiet death …if only he could just be left alone…but life has plans for him.
It is a hoot and a tear jerker but oh, please read it! Poor Ove can’t kill himself with a pregnant neighbor relying on him, as well as her hubby, “the lanky one”. And his neighbors and the children and then the angst ridden teens that appear and the “cat”, Ove refers to it as ” The Annoyance”. Think of the moody but funny movie Fargo.
It is am uplifting look at people of all ages with different backgrounds and lifestyles trying to make a life with the help of grumpy old Ove. You need the Kleenex but honestly, this is laugh ,out loud, funny with some of the best, quirky, and just weird ways Ove tries to end his life and not make friends while doing it.