A review by michellekiara
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny 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

4.5

Broadly speaking there are two kinds of people. Those who understand the beauty of this book (people with taste), and those who don’t. 

Going in, I already had a rough idea of what it was about since the movie adaptation was so popular. I knew it followed a grumpy old man living in a neighborhood and assumed it would be about him slowly softening. What I did not expect was how much I would actually relate to Ove. Yes, I am a 23-year-old girl, and he is a 70-something-year-old man, but I saw so much of myself in his bleak outlook on life and his tendency to push people away due to his strict set of principles (literally me AF).

This book had so many heartfelt moments that I could not help but shed some tears. Fredrik Backman’s signature writing style shines here, especially in the way Ove refers to characters by how he remembers them rather than their actual names. One man is simply “the lanky one” because Ove cannot recall his name, and a woman is “Blonde Weed.” More books should do this. It feels so realistic.

My only gripe was that the first half felt slow and only really picked up after the 50% mark. Even so, by the end, I was completely won over, especially due to its perfectly executed full-circle moment.