4.48

4

Sep 21, 2014

Update: I had planned to leave this post as it is, but after seeing the continued kind responses, I thought it best to inform you that my grandad passed away just before Christmas. Thank you to everyone who commented about this review and about him, but it seemed wrong to not let you know. It's always hard to lose someone who has been such a huge part of your life from day one, but please know that he died a happy old man, peacefully, surrounded by his family. And isn't that the best any of us Update: I had planned to leave this post as it is, but after seeing the continued kind responses, I thought it best to inform you that my grandad passed away just before Christmas. Thank you to everyone who commented about this review and about him, but it seemed wrong to not let you know. It's always hard to lose someone who has been such a huge part of your life from day one, but please know that he died a happy old man, peacefully, surrounded by his family. And isn't that the best any of us can ever hope for?

~ Emily ♥

.......................................................................

I'm going to share something with you.

My grandad is the very definition of curmudgeonly. He's an eighty year old man who likes to complain about anything and everything: youth today, UK politics, my dad, the weather, technology... you name it. He calls me and my siblings up most days to tell stories punctuated with rants and numerous "bloody hell"s. I'm not worried about him seeing this post because he doesn't trust computers and hasn't even grasped the concept of the internet. Most new technology is referred to as "those bloody things", except for FaceTime, which he has recently taken a liking to. He makes use of it by popping up on my iPhone multiple times a day to deliver a bout of doom and gloom in which I see nothing on the screen but his chin.

All my friends are a little afraid of him and are never quite sure when he's joking. He is nothing short of a grumpy old man. Except, in truth, that's only half of it.

The other day I opened the mailbox to find an envelope which contained this picture of me and him from my graduation:



And with it came this note:



Thing is, behind whatever my grandad may seem on the outside, he is a loving man who lost his wife - my grandmother - several years ago. He bugs us constantly with his moaning about life because he's lonely and because he misses us. He has a heart and he has a sense of humour, even if most people don't really get it. And it was in Ove, the protagonist of this novel, that I recognized pieces of my grandad.
“People said he was bitter. Maybe they were right. He’d never reflected much on it. People also called him antisocial. Ove assumed this meant he wasn’t overly keen on people. And in this instance he could totally agree with them. More often than not people were out of their minds.”
I loved Ove. Parts of this novel punched me right in my emotions. I think I would have been okay if this novel was merely a sad, moving tale about a man who has to get on with his life after his wife died. I could have shaken off the emotional manipulation - as I did with The Fault in Our Stars - and not shed a tear. But this story is so much more than a tearjerker.

Ove shouldn't be a character we love; he's so miserly and grumpy and skeptical of everything... but he's also hilarious. He charms us with his completely uncharming ways. Because, though I don't share his worldview, what he says actually makes sense and sometimes it's really funny. Take this:

“Ove glares out of the window. The poser is jogging. Not that Ove is provoked by jogging. Not at all. Ove couldn’t give a damn about people jogging. What he can’t understand is why they have to make such a big thing of it. With those smug smiles on their faces, as if they were out there curing pulmonary emphysema. Either they walk fast or they run slowly, that’s what joggers do. It’s a forty-year-old man’s way of telling the world that he can’t do anything right. Is it really necessary to dress up as a fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast in order to be able to do it? Or the Olympic tobogganing team? Just because one shuffles aimlessly around the block for three quarters of an hour?”

Plus, there's a wonderful cat who our lovable protagonist grudgingly befriends, which just improves this book even more.

I think perhaps the saddest part of this book is not found in the most obvious place. Ove's loss of his wife touched me, but I was even more affected by the underlying tale of old age and how many old people can be left feeling lonely and out of place towards the end of their lives. How difficult it must be to live alone in a world that becomes more foreign to you every day, with its new gadgets and trends that you don't understand or care to entertain. It was moving and thought-provoking.

I'm going to call my grandad now.

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5

May 09, 2014

Received as an ARC from the publisher. Started 5-8-14. Finished 5-11-14. First let me explain what happened to me while reading this book aloud to my wife as she was preparing dinner. I'm 70; she's almost 70. I'd read the first page, laughed out loud and decided she'd like to hear it read. I read, we laughed and nodded knowingly, then I got to the end of chapter 4 and completely lost it---I couldn't continue through those last few sentences. My wife said I should quit since she knows that I cry Received as an ARC from the publisher. Started 5-8-14. Finished 5-11-14. First let me explain what happened to me while reading this book aloud to my wife as she was preparing dinner. I'm 70; she's almost 70. I'd read the first page, laughed out loud and decided she'd like to hear it read. I read, we laughed and nodded knowingly, then I got to the end of chapter 4 and completely lost it---I couldn't continue through those last few sentences. My wife said I should quit since she knows that I cry at supermarket openings! Now how many books have you read that can cause that kind of a physical and emotional response?! On the other hand, this book is hilarious, insightful, touching and just plain awesome. It seems pretty simple at first but there is more depth to this book than any I've read in forever. As I got near the end, I thought that there really should be a sequel, then the plot changed-----definitely no sequel. But I'm thankful I had the opportunity to read this. You will too. ...more

5

Jan 04, 2015

"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 "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."
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove


"For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone."
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

I'm sitting here this afternoon, alone. Alone and contemplating. Contemplating life. Contemplating time. Contemplating age. Just contemplating...

I do so with tear streaked cheeks. I've just finished crying. I've just parted with a man I've never met, yet a man I feel I know so well. A man I disliked in the beginning, yet a man I loved at the end. A man who spent his life contemplating. A Man Called Ove.

Ove (pronounced 'Oo-veh') is a cantankerous, taciturn, inflexible man. He's a veritable stick in the mudslide of human advancement, futilely rebelling against it. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots, with people always disappointing him. Over the years he has been conned, ripped off and harrassed, mainly by bureaucrats ("the men in the white shirts"), whom he despises. He is a man who lives life fairly and squarely but finds himself beset by injustice and bad luck.

Ove has certainly had his fair share of sadness. At 59, he's lost his job as well as the love of his life, his wife Sonja. He misses Sonja so much that sometimes he can't bear existing in his own body. "Loving someone is like moving into a house. At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfections, but rather for its imperpections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home."
“People said Ove saw the world in black and white. But she was color. All the color he had.”
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove

Life has got to the point where Ove's had enough. He is fed up. So fed up that he simply wants to end it all. He wants out of this world.

A Man Called Ove essentially calls out the dangers of living in a society that focuses more on thought than action, and highlights the risk of imprisoning oneself in grief.

There is a sombreness to this novel (afterall, it's from Sweden! :-) ), but there is also optimism and lots of laugh out loud humor. “Ove glares out of the window. The poser is jogging. Not that Ove is provoked by jogging. Not at all. Ove couldn’t give a damn about people jogging. What he can’t understand is why they have to make such a big thing of it. With those smug smiles on their faces, as if they were out there curing pulmonary emphysema. Either they walk fast or they run slowly, that’s what joggers do. It’s a forty-year-old man’s way of telling the world that he can’t do anything right. Is it really necessary to dress up as a fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast in order to be able to do it? Or the Olympic tobogganing team? Just because one shuffles aimlessly around the block for three quarters of an hour?” I simply adored this book. Backman's writing is clean and simple, at times deceptively so, with its gentle, episodic and occasionally repetitive structure. The story is laced with loneliness, with life's numerous disappointments and the great grey weight of the real; the last chapters deliver some unexpectedly savage emotional blows. But this is tempered with a sense of quiet celebration.

A note of hope threads through the writing, building slowly, and the small details as much as the grand narrative delight and move: the moments of connection, the reawakening of a man frozen by grief, the ability of people to touch one another's lives.

This is a MUST READ. It will resonate with everyone.


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5

Jul 28, 2017

This novel, set in Sweden, tells the story of Ove, who can best be described as a curmudgeon. The story takes place after the death of his wife, and shows how healing can occur with the unlikeliest of people, in the unlikeliest of ways.

5

Feb 05, 2019

He went through life with his hands firmly shoved into his pockets. She danced. Ove is the quintessential grumpy old man.

He lives in a little development, where he spends much of his time patrolling and reporting rule-breakers.

Even when he was younger, Ove has always been...particular.

He had a steward set of principles and absolutely compromised them. Men are what they are because of what they do. Not what they say. But then...Sonja came into his life. She just smiled, said that she loved

He went through life with his hands firmly shoved into his pockets. She danced. Ove is the quintessential grumpy old man.

He lives in a little development, where he spends much of his time patrolling and reporting rule-breakers.

Even when he was younger, Ove has always been...particular.

He had a steward set of principles and absolutely compromised them. Men are what they are because of what they do. Not what they say. But then...Sonja came into his life. She just smiled, said that she loved books more than anything, and started telling him excitedly what each of the ones in her lap was about. And Ove realised that he wanted to hear her talking about the things she loved for the rest of his life. And immediately, Ove's life was forever changed. Ove had never been asked how he lived before he met her. But if anyone had asked him, he would have answered that he didn’t. But, after many, many blissful years of marriage, Ove is grieving. Grieving far harder than he ever would have thought possible. Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the great motivations for living. Ove has always been grumpy, but since the loss of his wife, those characteristics have grown tenfold.

Most, if not all, of the neighbors avoid him as much as possible...and with nothing left for him, all Ove can think about is finding a way to join Sonja...that is until a young family moves in next door.

The bumbling husband and his young (and VERY pregnant wife), Parvaneh, move in, along with their two children.

And suddenly his world becomes upended for the second time in his life.

Three points:1) where has this book been all my life?!

2) according to the audiobook, he's "Oo-vah". It's weird, and I'm honestly disappointed that it's not "Love" but without the "L"

3) this is, quite possibly, the best book everTo summarize - this one was truly one of the best books I've ever read. It is so well-written and it's has the perfect blend of heartwarming and heartwrenching.

I can hardly believe how many times I almost cried...only to burst out laughing. My emotions were a roller coaster in the best way possible.

The characters were incredibly real - I really felt like I could have a full conversation with all of them.

And Ove! Ove is a charming old grump - and I love how this book emphasizes humanity - how even the old man down the street needs love in his life.

It's just so good - PICK IT UP TODAY!

Audiobook Comments
Read by George Newbern - and he really nailed it. The audiobook was so perfect - so incredible!

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2

Jun 10, 2014

Argh! It’s hard not to start this review with a bunch of expletives, because this book pissed me off royally! Shit! See, I can’t even hold it in. The cat and the fat were the straws that broke the camel’s back.

Let’s start with Ove not liking the cat. Not liking the cat is one thing. For some reason bitching about a cat is supposed to be funny, but to me it’s annoying. Ove kicking the cat a couple of times cranked my wincing up a notch. But there was a way worse cat crime: Ove was going to leave Argh! It’s hard not to start this review with a bunch of expletives, because this book pissed me off royally! Shit! See, I can’t even hold it in. The cat and the fat were the straws that broke the camel’s back.

Let’s start with Ove not liking the cat. Not liking the cat is one thing. For some reason bitching about a cat is supposed to be funny, but to me it’s annoying. Ove kicking the cat a couple of times cranked my wincing up a notch. But there was a way worse cat crime: Ove was going to leave the cat to die in a snow bank! The neighbor saw the cat and saved it, while Ove looked on with annoyance. So Ove isn’t just grumpy, he’s heartless--seriously mean. And then miraculously, yet still predictably, Ove comes to like the cat and suddenly they’re best friends. At least the story’s predictability saved me from fretting incessantly about the cat.

Cat problem number 2: The author, Backman, is completely absolutely totally clueless when it comes to cats. Cats are known for not being adaptable. Yet here is a stray cat; i.e., probably unsocialized and skittish and scared of people, who immediately and happily jumps into Ove’s car and accompanies him on all his errands. I mean the cat actually goes into stores with him! What??? I’ve met maybe one cat that doesn’t hate riding in a car. You usually can’t even coax a cat into the car, but if you do succeed, the second the car starts moving the cat freaks out. And it’s highly unlikely that the cat would follow its new person into a store, full of strange people, sounds, smells, and objects; it’s just ludicrous. When the cat walked into McDonald’s with Ove, that was the last straw. And never mind that restaurants don’t even allow pets (including Sweden). The writer should have made the animal a dog instead of a cat, or should have talked to a cat person before writing the book.

The next huge bitch I have is the way the author talks about the big guy, Jimmy. Ove makes a disparaging comment about the guy letting himself get fat. So at first, I thought, okay, so Ove doesn’t like fat people; he doesn’t like anyone, so that’s not surprising. But I quickly see it’s the author who has a problem. When the author first introduces Jimmy, he’s referred to a “quarter-tonner” who, the author says, probably tests bacon for a living! The author mentions something about Jimmy’s weight every single time Jimmy enters a scene. For instance, the author says something like “the overweight man gets into the car.” That’s like saying every time a non-overweight person gets into a car, “the height-weight proportionate man gets into the car.” Not only is it obnoxious that the author points out Jimmy’s weight every chance he gets, but isn’t it bad writing to repeat, time after time, the same feature of a particular character? He’s overweight, we get it. The author’s prejudices and insensitivities are shining through, and they aren’t pretty: Jimmy either has food hanging out of his mouth, or has food spilled on his clothes, or he’s looking for food. I hate to tell the author, but most overweight people are not slovenly and they often don’t even eat in public. His prejudice against overweight people was prominent and infuriating.

But I’m not done. Let’s talk about Ove’s transformation. First, why in the hell would an upbeat woman fall in love with the jerk? Talk about an unlikable character! And why would any neighbor put up with his shit? Not believable, sorry. Second, how would his personality change over just a couple of months? People don’t transform that fast, if at all. But most important, I want to know why someone who is grumpy and mean becomes a super star when he simply turns into a civil human being. Why is he being rewarded, praised, adored, and esteemed because he finally becomes civil? Why does he get extra credit for acting civil, like everyone else is doing all along?

Okay, there are a couple of fine things about the book. Ove is so well drawn, I believed every nasty word he uttered. Also, the language is good, and the story moves along seamlessly.

But there are many structural and logistical problems. One time the same paragraph appears three times within 20 pages. Another time, a character disappears from a scene. This all points to a careless editor and writer. Debut book or no debut book, it shouldn’t be this sloppy.

I wish I had better news. Those who aren’t bothered by cat and fat insensitivities might find Ove to be interesting and funny, and the book entertaining. I didn’t. The majority of reviews are positive. It just hit me all wrong.
...more

5

Jul 03, 2014

This is a tale that makes you appreciate life!

I vote *OVE* as 'character-of-the-year'! The author has created the most memorable character to be found in a novel --in years.

*OVE*, is an unassuming man. He likes routines, and rules. He's an honest man. Doesn't smile and give compliments -- but he's a man of integrity.

To watch OVE grow - heal the loss of his wife -and allow his neighbors to love him (and love them back) -- is is a treasure.

This book has great humor & great heart!

Its a This is a tale that makes you appreciate life!

I vote *OVE* as 'character-of-the-year'! The author has created the most memorable character to be found in a novel --in years.

*OVE*, is an unassuming man. He likes routines, and rules. He's an honest man. Doesn't smile and give compliments -- but he's a man of integrity.

To watch OVE grow - heal the loss of his wife -and allow his neighbors to love him (and love them back) -- is is a treasure.

This book has great humor & great heart!

Its a personal gift for 'all' readers! DON'T MISS THIS GEM! ...more

4

Jul 30, 2015

This was such a nice story! It's about the transformations we go through in life and how different events within our life affect, shape us, and make us who we are today.

5

Jun 19, 2017

Since I have been reading more and more, I have realized that it is not always beneficial to give each book a 5 star rating just because you got to the end of it. This book, I mean THIS BOOK deserves a 5 star rating. If I could give it more than I would, but alas I cannot. :(

So, here's the review. Greif is a strange thing, I have heard many people say. I have lost people in my life, but not in the way that Ove has in this book. Ove mother dies when he is young, leaving Ove and his father. His Since I have been reading more and more, I have realized that it is not always beneficial to give each book a 5 star rating just because you got to the end of it. This book, I mean THIS BOOK deserves a 5 star rating. If I could give it more than I would, but alas I cannot. :(

So, here's the review. Greif is a strange thing, I have heard many people say. I have lost people in my life, but not in the way that Ove has in this book. Ove mother dies when he is young, leaving Ove and his father. His father taught Ove how to be a man in so many ways. He was taught that a Saab was the best car to purchase, which Ove goes above and beyond to stay loyal to that car company. His father taught him how to work and cook and love. Then, Ove looses his father when he is 16. This leaves Ove in a bad place, he literally becomes a hermit in a way and doesn't talk or bother with people anymore. He takes over his father's job. Then there were some issues with that, but Ove was honest and trusting and he came out on top of that issue!

Ove then meets Sonja when he is on a bus. Buses have a lot to do with this story come to think of it. Ove finds his wife and the love of his life on that bus that day. He also looses a lot on a bus on a different day - but you'll have to read the book to find that part out ;). Ove and Sonja moved into a row home together and shortly after Sonja passes away.

This leaves Ove with nothing and he doesn't know what to do with himself. He lived his life to please her and now she is gone. Here's the thing about grief, people deal with it in all kinds of ways. Ove was dealing with it in the worst way you could, until his new neighbors moved in. This is where the book gets going really, and I don't want to say too much because I think it is really important that if you want to read this book that you get the entire story how it was intended by the Author.

Moral of my little review, Ove was a mean, grumpy, miserable man until those neighbors moved in and that brought Ove out of his shell. He was needed by people again and he felt wanted. He became a family with everyone in the neighborhood all because of that little family who lived across the street.

Some things to remember when you are reading this book:

1.) Buses
2.) Pink Flowers
3.) Saab's
4.) Rules - Ove was NOT a rule breaker
5.) Love
6.) Hands - an odd one, but true!
7.) White Shirts

This is the end of my review. I loved this book and I feel like I will reread this one many times when I feel alone or upset or just want to read a damn good book!

If you have any questions or want to know more about it than I have told you, please private message me.

Enjoy reading this wonderful book! :) ...more

5

Mar 28, 2018

Ove - gruff, insensitive, antisocial - Ove
6 months in widower finds nothing remains to live for.

The writing/English translation of Ove's story is top-notch. The story-line itself plays very well with this character study.The story moves forward, then comes a little back story, we move forward again and this pace continues through out the book at finely tuned measurements.
But that's not why 5 stars.
My 5 stars comes because every time the story moved forward, someone touched on my emotions.

Ove - gruff, insensitive, antisocial - Ove
6 months in widower finds nothing remains to live for.

The writing/English translation of Ove's story is top-notch. The story-line itself plays very well with this character study.The story moves forward, then comes a little back story, we move forward again and this pace continues through out the book at finely tuned measurements.
But that's not why 5 stars.
My 5 stars comes because every time the story moved forward, someone touched on my emotions.
And every time I read another piece of back story, Ove or his wife(Sonja) pulled on my emotions.
So halfway into the book and there is a slight feeling of attachment starting to take hold.
And by the end of the book there was solid emotional investment ... it's worth it.




excerpts are spoiler(ish)
(view spoiler)[
page 11
narration
"Won't it be nice to slow down a bit?" they said to Ove yesterday at work. While explaining that there was a lack of employment prospects and so they were "retiring the older generation." A third of a century in the same workplace, and that's how they refer to Ove. Suddenly he's a bloody "generation."

"Ove glares out of the window. The poser is jogging. Not that Ove is provoked by jogging. Not at all. Ove couldn't give a damn about people jogging. What he can't understand is why they have to make such a big thing of it. With those smug smiles on their faces, as if they were out there curing pulmonary emphysema. Is it really necessary to dress up as a fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast in order to be able to do it?"

page 18/19
narration
'"Holy Christ. A lower-arm amputee with cataracts could have backed this trailer more accurately than you." Ove mutters as he gets into the car."'
"'Reverse radar and parking sensors and cameras and crap like that. A man who needs all that to back up with a trailer shouldn't be bloody doing it in the first place."'
"The lanky One nods cheerfully at him. "Thanks for the help," he calls out, as if Ove hadn't just spent the last ten minutes insulting him."

page 36
narration
"Ove knew very well that her friends couldn't understand why she married him. He couldn't really blame them."
"People said he was bitter. maybe they were right. He'd never reflected much on it. People also called him antisocial. Ove assumed this meant he wasn't overly keen on people. And in this instance he could totally agree with them. More often than not people were out of their minds."
"Ove wasn't one to engage in small talk."

page 37
narration
"He was a man of black and white."
"And she was color. All the color he had."

page 51-52
Ove's skinny neighbor lady he has nicknamed Weed. She has a dog named Prince and Ove is protecting a stray cat.
"Don't you hiss at Prince!" wails Weed, picking up another stone from Ove's flower bed and hurling it at the cat."
"She picks up another stone and prepares to throw it. Ove takes two quick steps forward and stands so close behind her that she can most likely feel his breath."
"'That disgusting thing scratched Prince!" she manages to say, her eyes wild with fury."
"I'll kill that piece of shit! ... It's probably full of disgusting diseases and rabies and all sorts of things!"
"Ove looks at the cat. Looks at the Weed. Nods."
"'And so are you, most likely. But we don't throw stones at you because of it."

page 108-109
narration
"He never understood why she chose him. She loved only abstract things like music and book and strange words. Ove was a man entirely filled with tangible things. He liked screwdrivers and oil filters. He went through life with his hands firmly shoved into his pockets. She danced."
"You don't fool me, darling," she said ... "You're dancing on the inside, Ove, when no one's watching. And I'll always love you for that. Weather you like it or not."

page 125
Ove, neighbor Parvaneh and her two daughters, and two security guards
"Ove hit the clauwn!" the three-year-old shrieks delightedly."
"Parvaneh stares at him, agape, and can't even think of anything to say.'
"He was no good at magic anyway," the seven-year-old groans."
"Why ... hold on ... what ...what clown?"
"The clauwn Beppo," the toddler explains, nodding wisely."
"Stupid magic," says Ove."
"Ove HIT the clauwn, Mum," the three-year-old titters as if this was the best thing that ever happened in her whole life."
"We're here to visit my husband. He's had an accident. I'm bringing in the children now to say hello to him,"she explains to the guards."
"That's fine." One of the security guards nods."
"But this one stays here," Confirms the other security guard and points at Ove."

page 131
narration
"Ove had never been asked how he lived before he met her(his wife). But if anyone had asked him. he would have answered that he didn't."

page 151
Ove with wife, Sonja
"Shakespeare,' said Sonja."
"Is that any good?" Ove wondered."
"It's fantastic,' Sonja nodded, smiling."
"I've never read anything with him," mumbled Ove ..."
"By him," Sonja corrected, and lovingly put her hand on his. In their almost four decades together Sonja taught hundreds of pupils with learning difficulties to read Shakespeare's collected works. In the same period she never managed to make Ove read a single Shakespeare play. But as soon as they moved into their row house he spent every evening for weeks on end in the toolshed. And when he was done, the most beautiful bookcases she had ever seen were in their living room."
"You have to keep them somewhere," he muttered."
"And she crept into his arms and said that she loved him. And he nodded."

page 153
narration
"The ones she liked, such as The Old Man and the Sea, she'd read so many times that she'd lost count."

page 262
narration
"... when the doctors gave her the diagnosis four years ago. She found it easier to forgive than Ove did. Forgive God and the universe and everything. Ove got angry instead. Maybe because he felt someone had to be angry on her behalf, when everything that was evil seemed to assail the only person he'd ever met who didn't deserve it." (hide spoiler)] ...more

5

Jul 30, 2013

I bought this book expecting some easy entertainment, you know, a few giggles here and there. I did not expect to spend almost half an hour crying my eyes out after finishing it - and yet, that's exactly what I did.
Ove is a grumpy old man. He wants things to be "right" and doesn't think twice about the fact that he isn't always perceived as fair - and that always keeping to the truth can actually make people stay away from you.

This book is a journey. For Ove, for Ove's surroundings and for the I bought this book expecting some easy entertainment, you know, a few giggles here and there. I did not expect to spend almost half an hour crying my eyes out after finishing it - and yet, that's exactly what I did.
Ove is a grumpy old man. He wants things to be "right" and doesn't think twice about the fact that he isn't always perceived as fair - and that always keeping to the truth can actually make people stay away from you.

This book is a journey. For Ove, for Ove's surroundings and for the reader. It is a magnificent tale about true love, Saab and the fact that what you see isn't always what you get. ...more

4

Nov 06, 2016

This definitely isn't my usual type of book, but I'm glad I read it. Every once in a while, you have to change things up a little. 'A Man Called Ove' was a great choice for me.

Ove is a wonderful character. He is opinionated, cantankerous and utterly set in his ways. He is a man that has been left behind in many ways, unwilling to adapt and unable to understand the thought process that drives "modern man" in this technological era.

When his new neighbor's failed attempts to back a trailer up draws This definitely isn't my usual type of book, but I'm glad I read it. Every once in a while, you have to change things up a little. 'A Man Called Ove' was a great choice for me.

Ove is a wonderful character. He is opinionated, cantankerous and utterly set in his ways. He is a man that has been left behind in many ways, unwilling to adapt and unable to understand the thought process that drives "modern man" in this technological era.

When his new neighbor's failed attempts to back a trailer up draws his attention, it is only the first of many humorous interactions to come. Despite his unpleasant disposition and perpetual crankiness, Ove seems to constantly be coming to the rescue of his newest neighbors. He comes off as "hard" at first, but it quickly becomes clear that he is a softie.

A series of comical and heart-warming events play out, which kept me laughing and smiling. Little by little, we are provided glimpses of Ove's past, experiencing the love he has for his deceased wife and the events that shaped him into the man he became. Slowly but surely, I fell in love with this gruff old man.

Determined to end his life and join his wife, fate combined with his his infallible values and sense of civic duty to repeatedly postpone his suicide. There's always something that he has to take care of before he can draw his last breath. Time after time, his plans are thwarted.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic story. Everybody needs an Ove in their life!



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2

Aug 11, 2014

When I began reading A Man Called Ove, I thought what a clever tale of an angry old man. The kind that believes rules and regulations are of utmost importance, that see the world filled with stupid people, and is always right. The way the author describes him and his actions are hilarious, as I have known a few Oves myself. They have their principles!

The only person Ove had and loved dearly, was his wife, Sonja. She has just passed away, and all Ove wants to do is kill himself, but those pesky When I began reading A Man Called Ove, I thought what a clever tale of an angry old man. The kind that believes rules and regulations are of utmost importance, that see the world filled with stupid people, and is always right. The way the author describes him and his actions are hilarious, as I have known a few Oves myself. They have their principles!

The only person Ove had and loved dearly, was his wife, Sonja. She has just passed away, and all Ove wants to do is kill himself, but those pesky neighbors keep getting in his way!

I was enjoying all the fun until about the 40% mark, then I started getting angry myself. It is always others who make Ove begrudgingly do the right thing. It was always his wife who made all the excuses for him as a basically non-functioning adult.

There were two items in particular that I really didn't like. The first was his cat, a stray, whom if not for his neighbors he would have let die. The second is a neighbor called Jimmy. Jimmy is overweight, and the constant references to food hanging out of his mouth, and stains on his shirt were just plain rude.

I pressed on even though it was getting tough to read. There was one paragraph near the ending about getting older that touched my heart, but other than that, it was just more of the same.

The author, Fredrik Backman, is a blogger, and this is his first novel. He is a good writer, and I can see how blogs of Ove would be fun, but as a whole book it just didn't work for me...but, I am in the minority! ...more

5

Sep 11, 2016

This is an excellent heartwarming and humorous book. Basically, a series of short stories about a man called Ove that all combine together into an awesome all-encompassing storyline.

Ove is a grumpy old man who has a cynical approach to everything. But, how he got this way, combined with the relationships he "accidentally" develops lead to a lot of unexpected twists and turns.

One of the things I loved about this book is that seemingly serious situations end up hilarious, while scenes that seem to This is an excellent heartwarming and humorous book. Basically, a series of short stories about a man called Ove that all combine together into an awesome all-encompassing storyline.

Ove is a grumpy old man who has a cynical approach to everything. But, how he got this way, combined with the relationships he "accidentally" develops lead to a lot of unexpected twists and turns.

One of the things I loved about this book is that seemingly serious situations end up hilarious, while scenes that seem to be completely for comic relief can really pull on your heart strings. I went from laughter to tears on the turn of a dime while I listened to this book.

Also, If you like interesting characters, this is the book for you. Every character is fascinating in their own right. I will miss them all!

Can't say for sure, but I think most people will enjoy those book. ...more

4

Jan 05, 2019

FINE. I’M CHARMED.

Everyone said it. Everyone in the whole world agreed: this book is lovable as hell. Everyone stated, in unison, “It is impossible not to fall in love with A Man Called Ove.”

I, the queen of unpopular opinions (yes people definitely call me that, and not just me, in an attempt to get people to think it’s a nickname and start using it), thought I knew better.

I did not know better.

This book sneaks right into your heart. Even if you think you have a heart of stone, surrounded by a FINE. I’M CHARMED.

Everyone said it. Everyone in the whole world agreed: this book is lovable as hell. Everyone stated, in unison, “It is impossible not to fall in love with A Man Called Ove.”

I, the queen of unpopular opinions (yes people definitely call me that, and not just me, in an attempt to get people to think it’s a nickname and start using it), thought I knew better.

I did not know better.

This book sneaks right into your heart. Even if you think you have a heart of stone, surrounded by a tall wall and lava and three moats with sea monsters in them, this story will crawl in when you’re not paying attention and it WILL NOT LEAVE. It will use its wittiness and its likable Scandinavian style and its grumpy protagonist and its ragtag cast of characters and its unsentimentally related moments of pure sadness, and it will make you love it. If aliens wanted to invade the world, and they wanted to take over through the sheer power of affection and charm, they could do it with A Man Called Ove and we would all be powerless to stop it.

My recommendation: Don’t try to stop it. Read this book.

(And HELP ME THE ALIENS HAVE GOT ME they’ve got everyone they’re COMIGN FOR YOU NEXT DON’T READ THIS BOOK--IT’S HOW THEY GET YOU--IT’S HOW THEY INVADEEEFGJHSEGFSHJDFSHHFS///////////////////////

Bottom line: I, Emma, recommend this book and have definitely not been taken over by aliens!

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okay FINE so maybe everyone was right.

review to come

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if I don't like this book, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to sue the whole world ...more

3

Nov 05, 2019

I think I’ll be a dissenter on this one, giving it only a ‘3.’

A brief review because there are so many good ones already. Ove is a curmudgeon. His life is lived in black and white. There are rules to follow and if you don’t follow them, look out. He posts warning signs in his suburban townhouse development in Sweden and he bangs on your car window if you bring you vehicle in where they are prohibited. Or if you park illegally. Or if you rest you bike against the tool shed. Or walk your dog on I think I’ll be a dissenter on this one, giving it only a ‘3.’

A brief review because there are so many good ones already. Ove is a curmudgeon. His life is lived in black and white. There are rules to follow and if you don’t follow them, look out. He posts warning signs in his suburban townhouse development in Sweden and he bangs on your car window if you bring you vehicle in where they are prohibited. Or if you park illegally. Or if you rest you bike against the tool shed. Or walk your dog on his piece of lawn. He even gets mad at a feral cat trespassing. He can’t understand why any normal person would buy a car other than a Saab. Needless to say, he has no friends and doesn’t want any. He’s particularly adept at battling bureaucrats. It’s one of his few enjoyments in life.



He’s even worse now that has his wife has died. We know this at the beginning of the story. She kept him in line and his love for her was his only purpose in life. Now that she’s gone – and let’s put it this way: he wants to join her on the other side. He brings flowers to the cemetery and talks with her. He makes several attempts to ‘join her’ but each time he gets interrupted by having to take someone in the neighborhood to the hospital.

A newly arrived Iranian family is particularly persistent in trying to befriend him and get him back into society. We know that underneath that prickly exterior, Ove has a heart of gold, which is why he had a wife he could only dream of. Grudgingly, resisting all the way, he takes tiny steps back into society, getting involved with the neighbors’ kids and taking into his home a young man thrown out by his father when the boy revealed he was gay.



So, a good story with humor but I guess I didn’t like all the farcical attempts to join his wife and it got repetitive for me. The book is translated from the Swedish. It was made into a movie in Sweden in 2016. The author has written several other well-regarded novels including Beartown, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and Britt-Marie Was Here.

Photo of a townhouse development in Ystad from alamy.com
The author from fredrikbackmanbooks.com
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4

Jun 26, 2017

I laughed. I cried.
If you want a contemporary that will warm you up inside this is the one you should read.
It also gave me some strong vibes of the movie Gran Torino!

4 or 5 stars I'm not sure yet!

5

Aug 11, 2014

OMGOSH, what a wonderful novel! I now have my first super-favorite of 2015!

This is a story of the deep and everlasting love of a contrary 59 year old man who struggles each and every day to cope with the pain and loss of the only person who ever understood him, and the never-ending guilt of not preventing a horrible tragedy.

It is also a comical and entertaining account of A Man Called Ove and his peculiar ways....an honest man with strict principles who abhors "the men in white shirts" that have

OMGOSH, what a wonderful novel! I now have my first super-favorite of 2015!

This is a story of the deep and everlasting love of a contrary 59 year old man who struggles each and every day to cope with the pain and loss of the only person who ever understood him, and the never-ending guilt of not preventing a horrible tragedy.

It is also a comical and entertaining account of A Man Called Ove and his peculiar ways....an honest man with strict principles who abhors "the men in white shirts" that have done him wrong, a man who fights for what's right, a man who will no longer be cheated out of a kroner, a man who eventually becomes(view spoiler)[ a hero and loved by all. (hide spoiler)]

Ove's crazy antics with his neighbors and numerous outlandish conversations....(my favorites were with the vagrant cat)....are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and OMG his vocabulary....."selective obesity" ???....will not forget that one!

This feel good story will break your heart, (so keep the tissues handy) make you smile, and wish you had a friend like Ove. Do Not Pass This One By!

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5

Jun 22, 2014

OMG! I love this book! I have laughed until I thought I was going to stroke out! Ove is a character everyone should read about. I would love to meet someone like Ove! He just tells it like it is and doesn't give a crap what anyone thinks!

I loved every little thing about this book! I only wish I would have started it sooner. It sat in my stacks for a few weeks.

There are some really sad things in the book and I was crying at the end but there are mostly funny and touching things in the book. You

OMG! I love this book! I have laughed until I thought I was going to stroke out! Ove is a character everyone should read about. I would love to meet someone like Ove! He just tells it like it is and doesn't give a crap what anyone thinks!

I loved every little thing about this book! I only wish I would have started it sooner. It sat in my stacks for a few weeks.

There are some really sad things in the book and I was crying at the end but there are mostly funny and touching things in the book. You can't "NOT" laugh at Ove when he gets going.

I'm not going to give any spoilers out about this book. I just want to say it's in the list of one of my favorites because there is just something about Ove that makes me have a better day. :)

The characters in the book are wonderful too. I fell in love with many of them. There are only a couple that are no good but they don't really matter.



If you want to read a book about a grumpy older man that is hilarious as the day is long, then this is one you won't want to miss!

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com ...more

2

Nov 15, 2015

2.5 stars

I've read all my GR friends' wildly divergent reviews of Fredrik Backman's debut novel A Man Called Ove and can find something to agree with in each of them. Nods to those who enjoyed the comedy of errors. Nods to the ailurophiles who despised Ove's treatment of the cat. Nods to those who couldn't get enough of Ove's archetypal curmudgeonly character. Nods to those who found Ove's transformation from hating the world to being a reluctant hero an unlikely and transparently feel-good-y 2.5 stars

I've read all my GR friends' wildly divergent reviews of Fredrik Backman's debut novel A Man Called Ove and can find something to agree with in each of them. Nods to those who enjoyed the comedy of errors. Nods to the ailurophiles who despised Ove's treatment of the cat. Nods to those who couldn't get enough of Ove's archetypal curmudgeonly character. Nods to those who found Ove's transformation from hating the world to being a reluctant hero an unlikely and transparently feel-good-y affair.

My assessment: cute but repetitive, not nearly as funny as it needs to be, rendered trite by its obvious similarity to other, better comedic works, slathered with life-lesson goop, and adorned with a way-too-predictable wreath of lingonberries and happy happy joy joy.

Or maybe I'm just as curmudgeonly as Ove, so never mind me. ...more

4

Oct 02, 2017

oh, the feels! this story is charming, heartwarming and touching. it is not surprising this book has received so much praise and attention.

this is the book that made me fall in love with fredrik backman as a storyteller. he has crafted a story that undeniably tugs at your soul and causes your heart to double in size. it was such a delight to watch ove learn how to love his life and those around him.

this is everything you could want from a feel-good story and more!

4.5 stars oh, the feels! this story is charming, heartwarming and touching. it is not surprising this book has received so much praise and attention.

this is the book that made me fall in love with fredrik backman as a storyteller. he has crafted a story that undeniably tugs at your soul and causes your heart to double in size. it was such a delight to watch ove learn how to love his life and those around him.

this is everything you could want from a feel-good story and more!

↠ 4.5 stars ...more

5

Mar 15, 2017

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a 2014 Atria publication.


After I read ‘Britt-Marie Was Here’ and really enjoyed it, my Goodreads friends strongly recommended this book, and were positive I would love it. I vowed to fit the book in as quickly as possible, and was thankful my library had a copy and the wait list wasn’t monstrous.

I have no idea where to begin! This an amazing story, with the most interesting characters, humorous and emotional situations. The writing is unusual, with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a 2014 Atria publication.


After I read ‘Britt-Marie Was Here’ and really enjoyed it, my Goodreads friends strongly recommended this book, and were positive I would love it. I vowed to fit the book in as quickly as possible, and was thankful my library had a copy and the wait list wasn’t monstrous.

I have no idea where to begin! This an amazing story, with the most interesting characters, humorous and emotional situations. The writing is unusual, with present tense mingled with past tense.

Ove appears, in the beginning, as though he is a cranky old man, maybe a little anal, but there is also a loneliness surrounding him, and a sense of despair.

As the story progresses, we learn about Ove’s background, his marriage, and how he got to this point where he attempts to end his life, but is always inadvertently prevented from succeeding.

Ove may have been reserved, but his life has meant more, and his influence has reached further, than he ever thought.

Every person has a history. We see people on the surface, without knowing anything about them, and make judgements. I did that with Ove in the beginning, but by the end of the book, my opinion of him and respect for him had grown immeasurably.

I loved the various secondary characters, including the cat and of course the Saab!! But, the relationship between Sonja and Ove is the most poignant and effective part of the novel.

“Ove had never been asked how he lived before he met her. But if anyone had asked him, he would have answered that he didn’t.”

Although Ove is dragged out of his shell kicking and screaming, he finally begins to live again, in the most eccentric, but enchanting way!


This book lived up to any and all of my expectations and then some!!

4.5 stars ...more

5

Feb 10, 2017

What a great book! So down to earth, so wacky, so funny, and so maudlin. The end was unexpected and it's worth reading the entire book by itself. The book is less than 350 pages long and it reads like a page turner.

Ove is a militaristic sort of guy. He is so since quite a long time, but is it only a trait on the surface? Underneath that hard exterior is a sad and lonely guy. The author, Fredrik Backman's treatment of Ove's arc is brilliant. Ove, like most memorable characters, has an arc, where What a great book! So down to earth, so wacky, so funny, and so maudlin. The end was unexpected and it's worth reading the entire book by itself. The book is less than 350 pages long and it reads like a page turner.

Ove is a militaristic sort of guy. He is so since quite a long time, but is it only a trait on the surface? Underneath that hard exterior is a sad and lonely guy. The author, Fredrik Backman's treatment of Ove's arc is brilliant. Ove, like most memorable characters, has an arc, where he changes (for the better?)

I was transported into the book while reading it. I also am fearful since I almost missed reading A Man Called Ove. This story is like a coming of age tale, except that the old guy is 59 years old. Very good authors are springing like daffodils from nowhere these days. Am I living in a golden age for books? I don't know... I don't know. ...more

5

Feb 18, 2017

Why This Book
I run a monthly poll on the ThisIsMyTruthNow blog via my Book Bucket List. Followers get to choose from a list of the twelve books I own and want to read in the near future. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman was selected as the book I should read in March 2018. I added it to the list because I really enjoyed his novel, Beartown, and thought this was the next logical step. A good friend of mine was interested in reading the novel, too, so we made this a buddy read. I'm so Why This Book
I run a monthly poll on the ThisIsMyTruthNow blog via my Book Bucket List. Followers get to choose from a list of the twelve books I own and want to read in the near future. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman was selected as the book I should read in March 2018. I added it to the list because I really enjoyed his novel, Beartown, and thought this was the next logical step. A good friend of mine was interested in reading the novel, too, so we made this a buddy read. I'm so excited to discuss the book as if it's our own book club.

Approach & Style
I was going to order the book online, but I found it sitting on the shelf in my apartment building's library room; how lucky am i? The paperback is 337 pages long and broken into ~40 chapters (not  numbered). Each has a title which explains what might happen in the chapter, and they mostly alternate between what is happening today in Ove's life in comparison to something connected that occurred in the past. It took me 4 hours to read over a three-day weekend getaway to New Hampshire, but I forced myself to stop at 110 pages each day so it would last longer. It could easily be read in one sitting as it's that good! The novel's perspective is focused on Ove, and it is told in third-person omniscient POV. It was published in 2014 but as a Swedish novel, then brilliantly translated into English.

Plot, Characters & Setting
Ove is a 59-year old man who is cantankerous, ornery, difficult, mean and everything else that comes along with the type of men you'd see in the movie "Grumpy Old Men." It opens with a bit about an iPad that is basically someone we all know (or are -- I see my own future in a good 20+ years). But he of course has a heart somewhere, and we spend the entirety of the book seeing little pieces of it as we watch his journey to try to complete a final goal. We meet several of his neighbors and former friends, a few citizens of his community, and some strangers who all have an impact on Ove's life, but are also touched by the time they spend with Ove.

It's difficult to summarize more about the book without giving away big pieces of the plot, but it is a story that will make you cry and laugh at the same time on several occasions. Imagine a man you would not want to meet in person slowly tugging at your heart strings because you see and understand all he's been through that's turned him into the person we read about today. When you learn what his actual goal is, you'll be shocked and struggle to accept that you want to support him in it. And when the things he's always wanted but could never quite have suddenly start appearing in his life, you'll know you can't help but love the grumpy old man.

Key Thoughts
Fredrik Backman is hands-down one of my favorite character-building authors. Ove has so many levels to him you will lose count trying to guess what he might do in any given situation. His first reaction will almost always annoy you. His second will irritate you beyond belief... could he really have lost all humanity? But by the third or fourth time he encounters a situation, you see the tides turning. That's where Backman excels. No matter how harsh he makes someone, the character teeters on the edge until they fall sweepingly into your arms as someone you now love and root for.

Despite reading the reviews and guessing enough of the high-level plot from the descriptions, I was not prepared for all the emotions in this book. The story captures different aspects of life and tries to make sense of them in reverse order. We aren't reading Ove's past in any logical format or order. It's bits and pieces, re-told at appropriate points in his current life. In the opening scenes, he's yelling at an iPad sales clerk... and we think he's just an irate older man who can't 'get with the times.' But when you learn everything that led up to it, you'll find so many new connections. The order of the chapters is brilliant. You know people dislike one another, but not why. You find out way after you think you will, and it makes total sense. An author who can keep that going for 300+ pages is phenomenal.

I kept thinking 'What if Ove meets the main character from The Five People You Meet in Heaven?' Would they get along? They're basically the same person, but completely different. From the plot to the story, the dialogue to the narrative, this book will capture your attention, enthrall your senses, tease you, torture you, and in the end, make you wish there were more. I can't recommend it enough! You'll even laugh out loud so often, people will look at you quite funny.

Summary
I am so thrilled with my second Fredrik Backman book that I plan to read all of his remaining works this summer. I have a copy of Beartown 2 which I will read next month, but then it will be My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry and Britt-Marie Was Here. There are others, but those are up next on the spring and summer reading lists. I don't think I could be disappointed as I am addicted to his writing style and storytelling abilities. He's definitely in my top 10 favorite authors thus far in my reading lifetime. ...more

5

May 17, 2017

I've always had a thing for grumpy old men.

Not in a pervy way you nut job! I've always favored them in real life because probably I'm one of those people who tolerate little bullshit and they fit that for me.

Plus most of them really don't like people.


Ove is my kind of people. He comes across as a pretty big curmudgeon. All he wants to do is commit suicide. People won't leave him alone long enough to do it. He misses his outgoing wife and doesn't think he has much to live for.
Then the I've always had a thing for grumpy old men.

Not in a pervy way you nut job! I've always favored them in real life because probably I'm one of those people who tolerate little bullshit and they fit that for me.

Plus most of them really don't like people.


Ove is my kind of people. He comes across as a pretty big curmudgeon. All he wants to do is commit suicide. People won't leave him alone long enough to do it. He misses his outgoing wife and doesn't think he has much to live for.
Then the neighbors move in down the street. The lanky dad backs over Ove's garden because the idiot can't back a trailer, Mom is pregnant and bossy, and two kids.
They won't leave Ove alone. They even saddle him with an aggravation cat.

I can't seem to figure out how to do the best words when I really love a book. Just picture the hallelujah light over my head when it finally happens.


Be sure and duck after that though because that lightning bolt might hit you in the ass.

Go read this book and love it. It'll make your old Grinch heart grow.
(If I can handle it, you guys can.)
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