Reviews with content warning for Self harm - A Man Called Ove

Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

26 reviews

sandysmith's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

An emotional read, funny sad and thought provoking and a whole host of other emotions as you gradually fall in love with a grumpy old man. The only thing I didn't like was the fat shaming, but other than that it was wonderful

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emmah_1845's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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macliffe's review against another edition

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bandysbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

Going into A Man Called Ove, I was worried that this would be another overhyped book for me. I see it everywhere and it's always receiving rave reviews. I've read a few of Backman's other books and enjoyed them, but didn't find them mind-blowing. I was, therefore, blown away when this turned into an instant favorite.

Ove is an elderly curmudgeon of a man and also a recent widower. After his wife's death, life has lost all meaning and he is walling himself off from the world around him in preparation for his own death. Things don't progress as smoothly as he'd hoped because his interfering, nosy, well-intentioned neighbors keep showing up with minor emergencies for him to resolve.

The plot concept is simple and not entirely unique. (It certainly reminds me of the movie Up by Pixar which was produced a couple years prior to this book.) That said, Backman leans into that simplicity and just tells a really good, moving story. He doesn't try to make is surprising or twisty. Instead, he builds a relationship between the reader and Ove and the cast of characters that surround him.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see this book touch on topics like ableism, ageism, xenophobia, racism, social services and homophobia. I did not expect this book to take a stance on these topics, but each one is addressed by little plot points throughout the story.

The characterization was one of my favorite parts of the book. Each character from Ove himself to the minorest of supporting characters is vibrant, alive, and realistic. Not only could I imagine the interactions that occur, but I've actually witnessed similar interactions by similar people in my own life.

If you enjoy found family tropes, grumpy old men, and an easy to enjoy style of writing, this is the book for you! Don't be put off by the hype. This one is worth it.

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

I absolutely adore Backman’s writing. His characters are incredibly well developed and loveable. His stories are always more than meets the eye, which this definitely was. I like to go into his books totally blind and it always improves the experience of reading his books.

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