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A review by tiltedpages
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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
3.5
A man called Ove. Grumpy old sod according to his neighbours. Reverent and dutiful according to his co-workers. Solid yet sweet according to his love. He is a man of simplicity and austere. He is uptight and diligent. He is enthusiastic about cars and construction works. He lives a slow and methodical life. He is disciplined, down to earth and clever. He is cranky, humorous and straight-forward. He is less demanding when it comes to life; a house where things go wrong at regular intervals, a faithful woman, a job with a proper schedule and a well-functioning car. He grew taciturn and adorkable living most of his life alone. Time has played tricks on him, some years were empty, and then he came across some other years which were everything, the best days of his entire life. Perhaps Sonja, Rune, Parvaneh, the kids, the cat, Adrain can be those best years of his life.
Well, I think I missed experiencing the hype of the book, it's definitely a heart-warming tale encompassing the daily life of an utterly ill-tempered old man with a good heart and stiff-necked values. Besides that, I felt nothing special about Ove. It was Parvaneh who made the book a little cheerful with her crazy things. I really appreciate her consistent efforts that eased Ove a bit. I was wondering why someone needs to be this much unforgiving if everyone around them genuinely wishes to make them smile a little wide? Is there anything wrong with it? Maybe Ove has reached an age where there is more to look back on, while looking back evokes memories of all the losses he carried on the way and the grief followed. People like Ove should be observed in silence and approached with patience to understand them properly. Glad the book turned out to be in line with my expectations.
Well, I think I missed experiencing the hype of the book, it's definitely a heart-warming tale encompassing the daily life of an utterly ill-tempered old man with a good heart and stiff-necked values. Besides that, I felt nothing special about Ove. It was Parvaneh who made the book a little cheerful with her crazy things. I really appreciate her consistent efforts that eased Ove a bit. I was wondering why someone needs to be this much unforgiving if everyone around them genuinely wishes to make them smile a little wide? Is there anything wrong with it? Maybe Ove has reached an age where there is more to look back on, while looking back evokes memories of all the losses he carried on the way and the grief followed. People like Ove should be observed in silence and approached with patience to understand them properly. Glad the book turned out to be in line with my expectations.