Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - A Man Called Ove

I was hoping this would be a five star book for me based on reviews I’ve read but alas, it’s only a 3. I was really enjoying it at first but it started to become very repetitive and quite frankly, Ove kinda sucks. He has some good qualities! He’s saved lives! He does eventually help his neighbors! But he comes across less like a grumpy old badger who just is lonely and more like an outright bigot. He’s super misogynistic (and never really changes that). He’s racist (and never really changes that). He lets a gay man stay with him after he’s been kicked out of his home which is lovely! But he refers to him as (I’m presuming based off of Pervana’s reaction to the phrase) a slur 80% of the time. And I think the most annoying is that he is (but also quite frankly the author is too) WILDLY fatphobic. Like disgustingly so. And Backman himself also seems SUPER fatphobic as he can’t write about Jimmy at all without calling him a slob, talking about whether or not his clothes fit, constantly making him pester everyone about food, etc. It’s gross. I do like the overall message and there are moments that are sweet here but even in flashbacks to life with his beloved wife, Sonja, I can’t help but wonder why she stayed with a man who belittled her pretty frequently and also was just so nasty to others. His hatred of bureaucrats makes sense! His racism, sexism, and other casual bigotry really does not. None of that factors into his backstory and I feel like it’s odd that the author made certain qualities of Ove so repugnant when he could have just been a crotchety old man and loner who thinks everyone else is incompetent. The story would have been just as impactful. It all ties itself up by the end with a neat little bow but there are portions of this that are genuinely draining to get through.

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paperbackvacation's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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peachythi_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Frederick Backman has this wonderful ability to write people as people. People are ridiculous, stupid, vindictive, cruel, and at the same time kind, wonderful, creative, and beautiful. The characters in this book have such a wide range of complexity that Backman managed to write in such compelling ways. Ove is so much more than a grumpy old man. He is deeply scarred by the life be had been put through and upholds this harsh personality as a matter of principle, but also because he sees no reason to be close to anyone anymore.

The switch between past and present gives such a wonderful insight into the character of Ove and what were originally annoying character traits became things I found wonderfully endearing.

Almost every single character turned into someone I became extremely attached to. Especially Ove and Parvaneh. Their adorable budding friendship that turned into a found-family felt so natural and that’s what makes it so beautiful. A grumpy traumatized old man who becomes steadfast friends with a witty and bubbly young woman who sees past his rough exterior.

There are many moments where Ove displays suicidal tendencies. Which I think are written in a way that is realistic. There are no flowery prose describing his agony and no long monologues describing the depths of his turmoil. He just says, “I just want to die.” It’s powerful in its simplicity.

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