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
I could not put this book down! Here’s Ove the cranky, rigid rule enforcing neighbor from hell, the kind of person everyone wants to avoid as much as possible. Then, along comes a couple with kids who move in the neighborhood and turn his orderly world totally upside down. How dare they do that? He actually has to interact with those rule breaking upstarts and that’s when the fun begins. I truly enjoyed watching Ove evolve from a miserable depressed man into a caring man that finds what he’s needed for a long time…a sense of belonging, friends and a purpose not driven by rules. Simply beautiful!
“A Man Called Ove” is a character study of a Swedish curmudgeon who wants nothing more than to die in peace. Unfortunately (or fortunately), his many death attempts are interrupted by a steady stream of neighbors who urgently need his help. What I enjoyed most about this novel was THE VOICE. I admire how Backman skillfully achieved an intense, exacting, and (at times) formidable voice using a third-person point of view. I also liked that the main character—grumpy ol’ Ove—is beloved by the very people who annoy him the most.
A Man Called Ove was recommended to me by so many people that event though it didn’t look like a book I would love, I gave it a try. I’m glad I did, because it truly surprised with with its charming curmudgeonly protagonist. We all know someone like Ove– and sometimes we are Ove.
Fredrik Backman perfectly captures the layers and nuances of a man who is misunderstood and carries a weight of sadness. His cantankerous personality is pushed even further by his new neighbors who aren’t quite sure what to make of this man called ove. We never know how our presence, or our kindness, might impact another person. Ove discovers a whole new world that is messy, but full of love, friendship and connection.
I’ll be watching for Backman’s next novel, as he has such a delightful storytelling style and voice. This is a “gift” book for sure– one to share with friends and family and the Oves in your life.
Like another reader I pictured Ove as being a man in his eighties but in reality he was only on his late fifties… He just seem like an elderly person who had given up on life and the human race. Ove certainly had some misfortunes but really not enough to foster the anger ,hurt and despair he carries. Ove is bang on many instances when he describes people and events . When a family moves into his neighbourhood his cranky demeanour is replaced by a man who really has a big heart. Ove discovers his usefulness and a purpose to life.The characters in this book were engaging and the author added humour to make this a pretty good read.
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This book will make you laugh and cry.
It reminded me of how as we grow older we tend to see black and white. We lose adaptability.. but Ove gets it back!!
This book made me laugh and cry. More laughing than crying. When you finish you’ll wish Ove was your friend.
Stories of redemption and hope are sure to satisfy me. Ove is such a crusty old codger when we meet him, everyone he knows has written him off. But as we learn about his life and see him slowly, reluctantly, open up to the new young family next door, we learn to love him as much as they do, proving that no one is ever beyond hope.
I may be able to write a review once I am done ugly crying. Then again, I may not be able to as trying to write one will bring on ugly crying again. I loved this book. Every. Single. Second. Of. It.
Wow.
Wow!
A Man Called Ov, is like a breath of fresh air. What a wonderful book. This one is going to endure through the ages. I have always advocated that voice is the “everything,” in writing and Ov is just about all voice. The high level-superior writing craft made the voice work so well. The chapters alternate between past tense and present tense seamlessly and add to the level of craft and storytelling. Another amazing thing about this book is that it’s all about Ov’s grief and depression over the loss of his wife Sofia and yet the author holds the reader entranced with the old curmudgeon as he continues to evolve through the story. There are minor subplots and micro-conflicts that service the plot all the while the evolution of the character services the theme. There is only one thing I did not enjoy about the writing; the over use of adverbs and I wonder if it happened in translation.
This one took a little longer because I wanted to savor the craft, the story, the wonderful method the author utilized. It put me behind on my reader challenge on Goodreads. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
I really enjoy this story about this man named Ove who is known as a curmudgeon with staunch principles, has strict routines and a short fuse. Ove’s new next door neighbors find out behind his cranky exterior there is a story of sadness. Ove takes in a lost dirty cat that is comical at times and becomes heartwarming and has an unexpected friendship with his neighbors. This tells you that you shouldn’t judge someone you think wants to be left alone is bad because they might have had a lot of sadness and just needs compassion, empathy and love. We all need these three things now and always.
Loved loved loved! This book made me laugh and made me cry. It was so beautiful and pure. I recommend it to everyone!
I read the first few pages and almost quit due to the main character’s early resemblance to my father. I didn’t want to go there. I forged on, and I’m so happy I did. I forgot all about my father.
I enjoyed following Ove’s journey, the heartache, humor, relationships, and witnessing the side of a man who kept his emotions inside and masked them any way he could. I found myself rooting for him. I won’t get into spoilers, so all I’ll say is…
“Thanks, Granddad.”
And…
“The cat lies at his side with its little head carefully resting in the palm of his hand.”
I’m sorry my father couldn’t emulate Ove. My life would have been drastically different.
Kudos, Mr. Backman. Kudos
I liked it so much better than I thought I would. A sweet story.
I’m glad I chose Frederik Backman’s novel, A Man Called Ove, as one of my summer reads. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I started the book. Instantly, struck by Ove, a 59-year-old, Saab loving Swedish curmudgeon, I immediately wondered: What’s made Ove so bitter?
“The town slowly wakes up around him with its foreign-made cars and its statistics and credit-card debt and all its other crap. And so this day was also ruined, he confirms with bitterness.”
The author’s well-written backstories delve into defining and illuminating moments in Ove’s life, all moments that shaped his principled, commonsensical approach to life, and his all-consuming grief: The strong relationship with his ethical father, close friendships forged years ago in the community before his tragic loss, and years spent with the love of his life, Sonya.
“He was a man of black and white. And she was color. All the color he had. The only thing he had ever loved until he saw her was numbers.”
As the story unfolds, my heart warmed and ached for a man whose heart is literally and figuratively, TOO BIG, though camouflaged beneath a crotchety exterior. But behind his gruff exterior is kindness though delivered harshly at times. A brashness that leaves most people speechless, with cheek twitching reactions.
“People said he was bitter. Maybe they were right. He’d never reflected much on it. People also called him antisocial. Ove assumed this meant he wasn’t overly keen on people. And in this instance he could totally agree with them. More often than not people were out of their minds.”
However, Ove’s behavior has the opposite effect on Parvaneh, his new neighbor, and a stubborn stray cat that shows up repeatedly on his doorstep. The two won’t leave him be.
When Parvaneh and her family move next door, she insists on involving an unwilling Ove in her family life, an effort that forges a tight bond and earns Ove the title of granddad with Parvaneh’s two daughters. A title forever stripped from him by a tragic accident.
“They can call me whatever they like. No need for you to stick your bloody nose in.” And then he puts up the drawings one by one on the fridge. The one that says “To Granddad” gets the top spot.”
Increasingly, Ove becomes an indispensable member of the community. Suicidal attempts he’s made to join his deceased wife halts now that life has given him something to live for.
“And when time no longer lies ahead of one, other things have to be lived for. Memories, perhaps. Afternoons on the sun with someone’s hand clutched in one’s own. The fragrance of flower beds in fresh bloom. Sunday’s in a café. Grandchildren, perhaps. One finds a way of living for the sake of someone else’s future…”
Told in the third person POV, this humorous and heart-warming novel garnered both laughter and tears. I have only good words for Mr. Backman’s story, with one minor complaint, Ove’s age. Fifty-nine seems young for the character the author has depicted. Regardless, this story touched my heart in many ways with its realistic view of what seniors who’ve suffered loss and loneliness cope with.
What I took away from this story is even at the lowest depths of existence there’s always hope. For Ove, love came from the unlikeliest of places when he least expected it. Ove’s name is fittingly one letter away from LOVE, given wholeheartedly from Parvaneh and her family.
Mr. Backman’s story delivers wit, cynicism, grief, love, laughter, and tears I confess to having shed in a few scenes. I highly recommend this touching story. Grab a tissue, for surely, your eyes will tear in laughter and sorrow.
https://edenisebillups.com/2019/07/29…
This heartwarming book is all about character and character development. It’s a simple story of a principled man who manages to win friends and influence people while resisting it all the way. Very humorous book.
I adore this unusual and refreshing novel!
This book…. Pure greatness. It was easy to full dive into. A must read!
Ove is a PERFECT holiday book! Funny,sweet, sad and wonderful, stuff your stocking with it right now!
WONDERFUL characters. They seemed so real to me. I didn’t want to “leave them” when the book was over. 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed the many different personalities in this book and how they interacted. It was heartwarming and comical at the same time.