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A review by jessreadreceipts
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In Fredrik Backman’s debut novel, we meet Ove, who is certifiably the crankiest man I’ve ever read. A recent retiree who lives alone, Ove (pronounced Oo-vah) has zero tolerance for young people, white collar workers, animals, foreign car owners, and practically any other group you could imagine. He is the essential “GET OFF MY LAWN!!” old man- and don’t even think about driving a vehicle down the roadway in his close-knit community- it’s clearly prohibited by the resident’s association!
You see, now that he is retired, and with his wife long gone, Ove has a plan for his life. A very particular plan, and he does not want to be disturbed or distracted. So when his newest neighbors come in with a bang- literally-, Ove is less than thrilled. He’s downright perturbed! As it becomes clear that peace will continue to evade Ove, he also learns that sometimes old dogs can learn new tricks, and that it’s never too late to change someone’s life for the better- including your own.
I’ll give it to you straight- this book didn’t hook
me until about 15-20%, and I wanted to DNF it. It takes a few chapters to catch onto Ove’s character. But once I started figuring him and the pattern of the book out, I kept going, and I’m glad I did. While I didn’t cry reading it, I did say “Ooohhhh 🥹” several times! I would recommend this to any contemporary fiction lover, though I would caution some content warnings for sensitive topics for those on the lookout.
You see, now that he is retired, and with his wife long gone, Ove has a plan for his life. A very particular plan, and he does not want to be disturbed or distracted. So when his newest neighbors come in with a bang- literally-, Ove is less than thrilled. He’s downright perturbed! As it becomes clear that peace will continue to evade Ove, he also learns that sometimes old dogs can learn new tricks, and that it’s never too late to change someone’s life for the better- including your own.
I’ll give it to you straight- this book didn’t hook
me until about 15-20%, and I wanted to DNF it. It takes a few chapters to catch onto Ove’s character. But once I started figuring him and the pattern of the book out, I kept going, and I’m glad I did. While I didn’t cry reading it, I did say “Ooohhhh 🥹” several times! I would recommend this to any contemporary fiction lover, though I would caution some content warnings for sensitive topics for those on the lookout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Grief
Minor: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury