Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

371 reviews

chronologically_charlie's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Oh my god?  Oh my god. You’re telling me this was a debut? It’s been days since I finished A Man Called Ove and I still haven’t recovered. I bought it after reading Anxious People over a year ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf. I simply couldn’t pick it up because I knew I wouldn’t like Ove.

In fact, I immediately disliked Ove — obviously. But, just as Backman intended, by the end I couldn’t imagine a different voice leading me through this journey. Ove and I share a lot. Too much. I see myself in Ove, or least…I saw myself grow from Ove. I disliked Ove — obviously — and I liked him as much as I like myself.

With simple prose and stark themes, this book is easy to consume yet each chapter presents an emotional blow.

From complex side characters to expansive backstories, the neighbourhood where Ove lives is alive with world-building.

I look forward to picking up my next Backman book very soon!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death and Miscarriage

Minor: Homophobia

chelle22's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

allydee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

stephintoadventure's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Suicide attempt

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

kirnet's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

Really ended up enjoying this, though I found the pacing of the middle to be a bit of a slog, and then at the end it was very fast. Was only really invested in the flashback bits up until the end, and then I was crying lol.

It reminds me of the street I grew up on, with a lot of inter-generational friendships and a more found family mentality.

I thought this was going to be a more lighthearted read than it was, and while there are many lighthearted moments, it's mostly a story focusing on grief and human connection. TWs for multiple on page suicide attempts, terminal illness, miscarriage, car crashes, and also just a weird amount of fatfobia from the author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

krivas91's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted reflective 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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage

bgmccloud's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide

gillzzzo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very lighthearted, heartwarming, book. Charming and a lovely read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Pregnancy

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was almost a DNF for me. I'm glad I finished it, but I honestly did not like it until I was at least 80% of the way through. I simply did not like Ove. I know you're supposed to grow to love him, but I didn't. Maybe that makes me a monster, and I can accept that. His curmudgeonly traits were fine and a little endearing by the end, but sometimes he was flat out mean. I can't get behind that. 

I'm also fairly convinced that Backman has never met a cat before in their entire lives. A cat that licks steering wheels passive aggressively, happily wears socks, and calmly sits on bar stools in cafes they've never been in before was so out of left field. The rest of the book is very realistic, so the cartoon cat threw me in every scene they were in. 

The use of similes to describe every single disgruntled expression this man has ever had in his life drove me mad as well, but that's clearly a personal writing style preference, so to each their own.

The overall message of the book is... nice. And I think it gives the reader a nuanced perspective of what it's like to be a senior that society seems to have given up on. But the road to get there was gritty and uncomfortable. I mean I was rooting for Ove getting what he wanted for the vast majority of the book because it felt like his right to make that decision. At least I appreciated the ending, though. I don't think it's a book I would recommend to friends, but it was different from other books I've read recently, so that made it worth it for me in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

patheher's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The fatphobia was unexpected and unfortunate. It would be hard to finish this book if the supporting cast was less present or less enjoyable. I didn't find the situation of

Ove constantly getting interrupted when he tries to kill himself

as funny as I think the author intended. Overall, I did like that

Ove became slightly less of an asshole by the end, but I was really hoping for more.

I didn't hate the book, but I certainly never felt anything warmer than pity for Ove. All his neighbors are saints for putting up with him, and they make the book worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Miscarriage