Fiction

A Man Called Ove

Author: Fredrik Backman

Average Rating:   3.25 / 5

Trigger Warnings:

This is Ove. He is the definition of a crotchety old man who likes to yell at kids from his front porch to get off his $%*#@ lawn! His social skills may be lacking, but he’s not bothered by it because it helps keep people at arm’s length. Ove likes to keep everything in its place. He views the world in black and white, and he sees no reason to change that.

Well, there is a story behind every firmly shut door, and when a friendly family with two irrepressible daughters moves in next door, they roll right through Ove’s defenses.  Starting with his mailbox. What follows is a tale of unexpected and somewhat begrudging connections as the ramifications of the new arrivals will spread through the local residents’ association, and will deeply affect one cantankerous old man.

Corinna: 4/5

I ended up loving this book! It was a smidge difficult to get into, Ove really isn’t a likable character at the beginning. Fredrick Backman was able to slowly change my opinion of him just as I imagined Ove’s neighbors would slowly grow to love the old grump of a man. The sporadic inclusion of Ove’s history was excellently done. It crafted the background setup for this man that was actually hurting so much.

This story shows the importance of community and people, and not expecting someone to change, but loving them in spite of it. I smiled so many times and cried and laughed at the end. I felt all warm and fuzzy after finishing. The fact that Backman said Ove was 59 seemed too young, he felt over 65 at least. This is a small detail, and I just changed it in my head to what I wanted it to be. This was a great read for me!

Lydia:  2/5

Two chapters in and I almost DNF (did not finish). I hate saying that because I really wanted to like it. It was hyped up so much and my expectations were incredibly high (I know, such a rookie move). I didn’t like this book because I thought it was slow. The character building, the plot line, the sentences. Everything was slow and boring. I will say that the more I read, the more I liked it. Ove’s character developed and I started to somewhat enjoy his storyline. I don’t fully know who the intended audience was but I felt that there was missing a piece that would have drawn me in. I felt like an outsider reading this book and I personally like to feel connected when reading.

Megan: 4/5

While I had heard a lot of glowing reviews for this book, I was never drawn to picking it up. Firstly, it’s not my typical genre, and secondly, it didn’t sound all that interesting. I’m glad to have been proven wrong.

Ove is such a crotchety man; in his opinion, everyone is an idiot and no one sees sense anymore. It was refreshing to see his softer side shine through his gruff exterior. Despite people’s incompetence, he still would help.

The pace of the book is average, and it jumps around a lot. However, I felt like that only added to the character of the narrative. It provided more insight into Ove’s life than had it been written in chronological order. Backman was able to tie everything together nicely; the first chapter tied to the end and a seemingly unrelated character introduced mid-way actually had a significant connection to Ove, his wife and another couple.

One thing that made me sad at the beginning was that it seemed like no one could see the grief and pain Ove was in. As I continued to read, however, it became apparent that his neighbours could see. While they weren’t obvious in their attempts to help, they made sure Ove wasn’t alone and that he felt needed and wanted. This was a beautiful story of friendship and shows how even the smallest kind action on your part can make a world of difference in someone’s life.

Sharaya: 3/5

I went into this book expecting to dislike it.  I don’t remember why exactly, just that I had gotten it into my head that this book was not going to be my cup of tea.  And I found it pretty hard to set aside my expectations and see the book on it’s own merits (and it probably didn’t help that Ove is so extremely unpleasant at the beginning). But once I got into the book, and Ove had started to be influenced by his neighbours around him, I found myself enjoying the book more and more.  To the point that by the end I was very touched by his story.  The only thing that really annoyed me throughout the book was that his age did not match the character.  Backman said Ove was 59, but based on various elements in the story, I think his age should have been in the 70s.  59 was too young for how people perceived him as an old man (especially when he’s described to be physically fit).  In my head, either way, Ove was 70ish.

The best part of this book is the emphasis that it places on found family and how important it is to be a part of a community (however grudgingly).  Humans are social creatures, and we crave that feeling of belonging. Is there an Ove in your life who you should reach out to? You never know what’s behind someone’s prickly demeanor, but we all need to feel valued and seen. 

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