A Man Called Ove
I am one of those people who becomes very skeptical about something when it becomes extremely popular. Book, movies, etc...If the masses love it, I start thinking that it is overrated and not worth my time. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to catch onto something before it reaches its peak cultural saturation, but other times I miss out on a great work of literature simply because too many other people like it.
I know that this is very silly...because obviously if a lot of other people like it, it must be good. There's a reason it became so popular in the first place.
This was the case with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. It was originally published in Swedish and then eventually translated into English and dozens of other languages. I'd heard the name of this book over and over again on must-read lists and from book club enthusiasts and that was enough to deter me from reading it. Until...my younger sister told me that I just had to read it. She read it with her high school book club this past year in school and knew that I'd love it. So I finally gave it a chance!
A Man Called Ove is just that...a story about a man called Ove (pronounced Oova according to the audio-book). He is a grumpy old man who is very particular about the way that things should be. He gets angry when things don't go his way and has managed to keep his neighbors at a respectable distance. Until Parvaneh, a foreign pregnant woman, moves in next door with her two young daughters and her inept husband and they manage to break through his shell.
One of the things that I loved most about this book was the craft and the way that the author reveals Ove's character. We slowly get to know the reasons why Ove is the way that he is and with each detail that is explained, we fall more and more in love with him. We realize that Ove just needs love in his life. This book is humorous, SOOO descriptive, and an amazing reminder that we need to remember that everyone has a story. We cannot simply expect to know everything about someone just by the way that they represent themselves in public...there is so much more going on than we know!
I frequently found myself surprised, laughing, smiling, and overall just enjoying this book. I can now see why so many people have loved and recommended this book. It really is one that everyone should take the opportunity to read. Whether you like humor, realistic fiction, heart-warming tales, or curmudgeonly old men, you will have a hard time resisting Ove's charm.
I know that this is very silly...because obviously if a lot of other people like it, it must be good. There's a reason it became so popular in the first place.
A Man Called Ove is just that...a story about a man called Ove (pronounced Oova according to the audio-book). He is a grumpy old man who is very particular about the way that things should be. He gets angry when things don't go his way and has managed to keep his neighbors at a respectable distance. Until Parvaneh, a foreign pregnant woman, moves in next door with her two young daughters and her inept husband and they manage to break through his shell.
One of the things that I loved most about this book was the craft and the way that the author reveals Ove's character. We slowly get to know the reasons why Ove is the way that he is and with each detail that is explained, we fall more and more in love with him. We realize that Ove just needs love in his life. This book is humorous, SOOO descriptive, and an amazing reminder that we need to remember that everyone has a story. We cannot simply expect to know everything about someone just by the way that they represent themselves in public...there is so much more going on than we know!
I frequently found myself surprised, laughing, smiling, and overall just enjoying this book. I can now see why so many people have loved and recommended this book. It really is one that everyone should take the opportunity to read. Whether you like humor, realistic fiction, heart-warming tales, or curmudgeonly old men, you will have a hard time resisting Ove's charm.
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