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jelibean13 's review for:
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
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
📖 A Man Called Ove
🖊️ Frederik Backman
📃 337 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Rating: 5 ⭐
"Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the greatest motivations for living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves."
Wow, I just finished the book, and here I am, sitting, tear-streaked and emotionally wrecked in the best way. I feel like I’ve just said goodbye to someone I knew. Someone who annoyed me at first… but who slowly, quietly, became unforgettable.
Ove is the kind of character who stays with you. Gruff, rigid, deeply principled and underneath it all, profoundly lonely. He believes there’s a right way to live, and he holds onto that even when the world lets him down. He’s grieving. Quietly. Constantly. And somehow, even in the heartbreak, there’s humor, hope, and so much love.
Backman doesn’t just write characters, he writes souls. The writing is tender, funny, and quietly devastating. I feel like I was part of that family, I found myself aching for Ove, laughing with him, grieving for him… and, honestly, grieving with him too.
This is a novel about loss, love, and what’s left behind when the person who held your world disappears. When I closed the book, it felt like I was holding something fragile. A mix of joy and sorrow that hadn’t even sunk in yet.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s the kind of story that hurts in the most beautiful way. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh and you’ll never forget A Man Called Ove.
🖊️ Frederik Backman
📃 337 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Rating: 5 ⭐
"Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the greatest motivations for living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves."
Wow, I just finished the book, and here I am, sitting, tear-streaked and emotionally wrecked in the best way. I feel like I’ve just said goodbye to someone I knew. Someone who annoyed me at first… but who slowly, quietly, became unforgettable.
Ove is the kind of character who stays with you. Gruff, rigid, deeply principled and underneath it all, profoundly lonely. He believes there’s a right way to live, and he holds onto that even when the world lets him down. He’s grieving. Quietly. Constantly. And somehow, even in the heartbreak, there’s humor, hope, and so much love.
Backman doesn’t just write characters, he writes souls. The writing is tender, funny, and quietly devastating. I feel like I was part of that family, I found myself aching for Ove, laughing with him, grieving for him… and, honestly, grieving with him too.
This is a novel about loss, love, and what’s left behind when the person who held your world disappears. When I closed the book, it felt like I was holding something fragile. A mix of joy and sorrow that hadn’t even sunk in yet.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s the kind of story that hurts in the most beautiful way. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh and you’ll never forget A Man Called Ove.