A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a realistic fiction novel about a curmudgeonly old man who is given a second chance at life. Ove is your typical surly old man–he believes rules are rules and right is right. Ove follows strict routines, has strong principles and is known for having a bit of a temper.
Ove’s structured life is turned on it’s head when a family of four moves in next door and constantly interferes with his plans to join his wife. Dented mailboxes, pregnant busybodies, broken windows, stray cats and more slowly thaw this grieving widowers hard heart.
A Man Called Ove is an entertaining tale of neighborly love and moving on.
This is a book someone from my book club recommended to me and one I’ve heard about a lot working in the library. When recommended, all they told me was that this is a book about an old man who is constantly getting interrupted while trying to kill himself. And that’s actually a pretty apt description. Ove is ready to join his dead wife but wants to do it right, he isn’t desperate to kill himself and is constantly saying something along the lines of “can’t a man die in peace,” when he gets interrupted.
Ove is your typical grouchy old man, if to the extreme. Everyone knows that one old guy who is stuck in his ways and wants you to “keep off his lawn!” This story has archetypal characters and relatable themes. Although, I will admit that it took me forever to realize the story took place in Switzerland–the constant referral to “kroner” didn’t do it for me.
I’ll admit, I am an old soul but probably a bit young to fully appreciate this one. An older audience probably sees some of themselves or their parents in Ove. I didn’t know my Mom’s parents and my Dad’s mother passed away when I was young. So I don’t have much to compare Ove to and yet he was still this typical grumpy old man that I could see roaming the neighborhood and enforcing the “rules.”
This was a light read that will be comforting in its familiarity to many readers. This one gets four stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-