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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
fast-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
An endearing and comical book, The Man Called Ove is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. Ove, a "cranky" old man who more so grunts and yells than speaks, is forever changed by new neighbors and an ill-parked trailer. I haven't laughed so much at a book, and really enjoyed reading. I loved how the first chapter later connects with the last few chapters and the story becomes full circle. I was delighted by this novel. Ove reminds me of my grandfather, set in his ways and it takes strong-willed individuals to break him out of his shell. I highly recommend this book!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
You know the kind of people I hate? Absolutely despise? Busybodies. People who insert themselves into other people's life without permission, without even thinking about whether they want you in it or not. Encouraged by a blitheness brought on by the smug belief that they are doing that other person good. I remember a quote in some Wodehouse to the effect of "if you see someone come towards you with the determination to do you good, run for your life".
People like this Pervaneh woman. The kind of utterly irritating, completely self-justifying intrusive harpy who sees an old man across the street from her who's just getting along with life and thinks she needs to start haranguing him into doing what she thinks he should. Telling him whom he should help, how he should behave, whom he should let into his house and, generally, how he should live - or end - his life. Taking advantage of her pregnancy to save herself from being told off. I see her as someone who has an unfulfilled family life with immigrant baggage, an idiot husband and an exhaustingly twee child, so she tries to get herself some purpose by controlling someone else's life.
If I were a curmudgeon, truly one (which I am, I'm pretty sure of it by my reaction to this book, among other things), I'd probably tell her to get the hell out of my face, my house and my life and mind her own business.
But I'm not Ove, and he isn't a curmudgeon, not really, because, despite all evidence to the contrary throughout the whole damn book, he's just a lonely old man just yearning for a hug and for a random infant to call him grandpa, isn't he?
Or he's just a grieving, broken man who's got no energy to fight aforementioned harpy and ends up in some kind of Stockholm Syndrome style situation where he, while outwardly trying to seem gruff and unfriendly (probably to preserve some modicum of self-respect), allows himself to be pushed around and hounded into doing things he has no intention or inclination to do, until it kills him, upon which it transpires that he's left his considerable fortune to the harpy.
I quite like Ove, though, he's the kind of man who I think I'll end up like in a few years. Set in his ways, distrustful of humanity in general, prickly, self-reliant, entrenched in his ordinary enmities, utterly attached to just a very few things in life, and happy to be the way he is. And when one of those important things in his life goes away, he is bereft, and tries to reassert control by being even more inflexible, to retreat to the comfort zones he's laid out for himself, and to go out the way he wants to.
Until the Invasion of the Samaritan From Hell.
I like the style of writing, quick, witty, staccato, laconic, like Ove himself. A sort of dry, earthy sarcasm that would make it a pleasure to talk with this guy for an hour a month and no more, and enjoy it tremendously. No unnecessary melodrama, just a plain simple person with a plain, simple mind.
Oh, and there's a cat. The cat's cool. Cool cat.
People like this Pervaneh woman. The kind of utterly irritating, completely self-justifying intrusive harpy who sees an old man across the street from her who's just getting along with life and thinks she needs to start haranguing him into doing what she thinks he should. Telling him whom he should help, how he should behave, whom he should let into his house and, generally, how he should live - or end - his life. Taking advantage of her pregnancy to save herself from being told off. I see her as someone who has an unfulfilled family life with immigrant baggage, an idiot husband and an exhaustingly twee child, so she tries to get herself some purpose by controlling someone else's life.
If I were a curmudgeon, truly one (which I am, I'm pretty sure of it by my reaction to this book, among other things), I'd probably tell her to get the hell out of my face, my house and my life and mind her own business.
But I'm not Ove, and he isn't a curmudgeon, not really, because, despite all evidence to the contrary throughout the whole damn book, he's just a lonely old man just yearning for a hug and for a random infant to call him grandpa, isn't he?
Or he's just a grieving, broken man who's got no energy to fight aforementioned harpy and ends up in some kind of Stockholm Syndrome style situation where he, while outwardly trying to seem gruff and unfriendly (probably to preserve some modicum of self-respect), allows himself to be pushed around and hounded into doing things he has no intention or inclination to do, until it kills him, upon which it transpires that he's left his considerable fortune to the harpy.
I quite like Ove, though, he's the kind of man who I think I'll end up like in a few years. Set in his ways, distrustful of humanity in general, prickly, self-reliant, entrenched in his ordinary enmities, utterly attached to just a very few things in life, and happy to be the way he is. And when one of those important things in his life goes away, he is bereft, and tries to reassert control by being even more inflexible, to retreat to the comfort zones he's laid out for himself, and to go out the way he wants to.
Until the Invasion of the Samaritan From Hell.
I like the style of writing, quick, witty, staccato, laconic, like Ove himself. A sort of dry, earthy sarcasm that would make it a pleasure to talk with this guy for an hour a month and no more, and enjoy it tremendously. No unnecessary melodrama, just a plain simple person with a plain, simple mind.
Oh, and there's a cat. The cat's cool. Cool cat.
I loved the character development in this. Teared up frequently. It does get a little too good to be real towards the end but I still loved it.
I found this book in a pile on a table in the office break room. I started this book intending it to be a book for story time at bedtime for myself. I started this book with a grown at all the grumpiness, but it made me want to find out what’s with all the grumpy? I found each title to be charming. I started this book with a frown that grew into giggles, smirks, little mumbles of “mmhmm” and ended with a gentle knowing tear. It made me think of neighbors and in particular that one neighbor in every neighborhood that nobody talks to, like ever. Every neighbor has a story and a reason why they keep to themselves. This man has a lot happen to him in his life and somehow, neighbors get him involved with the business of living, loving, and being a neighbor in a short time. The ending is just as the people around him would love and he would have hated, but was perfect.
I loved this book. It is easily a five star because of a well told story and I like reading stories that touch the heart. I don’t give out five stars easily, though.
Looking forward to reading something else by this author really soon.
I loved this book. It is easily a five star because of a well told story and I like reading stories that touch the heart. I don’t give out five stars easily, though.
Looking forward to reading something else by this author really soon.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
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