A MAN CALLED OVE (B FORMAT)

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman initially felt slow to me. The first pages didn’t grab me, but I kept going and that turned out to be one of the best decisions. As the story progresses, the character development is beautiful, and what I admired most is Ove’s love for his wife, Sonja. It’s pure, heartfelt, and genuinely moving. Every time he does something thinking, “Sonja would have loved that,” it makes you reflect on real love. If you’re tired of modern romance novels and want something genuine, this book is perfect. It’s calming, offers a thoughtful perspective on life, and I ended up crying more than I expected. The ending is bittersweet yet comforting like a warm blanket. Highly recommended, and after reading, don’t miss the movie adaptation. It’s equally wonderful.

There are several things to like about this book. To start off with, the chapter titles. Titles such as “A Man Called Ove Buys a Computer That is Not a Computer” cannot but fail to bring a smile to the reader’s lips. Two, the writing style. Backman writes simply (despite the fact that flashbacks are interspersed with the present narrative) and humorously. While I read the English translation of the original Swedish book, the reading pleasure was not diminished one bit. And finally, the bitter-sweet and heart-warming aspect of the book. The main characters are well fleshed out and despite their shortcomings, one tends to root for them. The book is the story of, of course, a man called Ove. He’s 59, extremely grumpy, hates change, has lost his job because of age, and is uncomfortable with modern technology, bureaucrats, and even coffee machines. He hates people who trade their Swedish cars for an Audi or a BMW. But Ove has several redeeming characteristics too. He is honest as when he returns a lost wallet at the age of 9, he has high principles and sticks to them, and has abiding love for his wife, Sonja. Mainly, while he will never admit it, he has a soft heart as shown by his interactions with his Iranian neighbour Parveneh and her children, with his friend turned foe Rune, with some local youth, and with a cat that he has been made to adopt. This book is somewhat similar to The Rosie Project (which was published a year later) – it’s about a slightly dysfunctional man and his wife who are poles apart, and the gradual changes brought about in him. The one issue I had about the book though was that it was a bit too trite. Backman tries to tick a lot of boxes for Ove including his acceptance of foreigners and homosexuality and the ending is a bit too glib with all the pieces falling neatly in place. And like The Rosie Project, it does get soppy at times. An enjoyable sidenote is the blog that catapulted Backman to fame well before his books did. It’s a humorous and wry complaint and is a poignant take on parenting. You can find it here: https://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a14203785/i_loved_this_piece_of_writing_from_a_dad_blog Pros: Funny and well-written, heart-warming, lovely chapter titles Cons: A bit trite and soppy

The quality of the cover and pages are quite good, the pricing is not over too. The book itself is quite nice. It is one of those books you would like to read over a few days, slowly enjoying your free time with a tea/coffee or as a light bedtime read.

I generally don't do book reviews. I read for pleasure, gaining more knowledge, passing time, having a wider perspective. Basically for consumption. I might bring about some anecdotes learnt from books in casual conversations here and there. But nothing more. Books are a gateway for me to reflect. It has always been this way. But there are some rare books that demand an exception. A kind of book that moves you on so many levels that it becomes important to bare you heart out. It demands being talked about. It compels you to share what you are feeling. Because what you are feeling is a combination of so many emotions that if you don't talk about it you will be overwhelmed. And you know that once you talk about it, you will feel so much lighter. Because you know that you will have spread a story that is, without an iota of doubt, a kind of story that is needed so much in today's times. It's importance in today's world cannot be overestimated. Such purity in emotions is rare and that is what makes A Man Called Ove such a rare treat. At it's heart, A Man Called Ove is the story of a 59 year old widower. Ove is a principled man. A man who feels that what defines a man is not what he speaks but his actions. A man with such strong beliefs that he is ready to fight with anyone for it. An inflexible man. A grumpy man. A man who doesn't care even a bit of how he is perceived. A simple man with tremendous clarity of thought. A man who never minces his words. A man whose behavior is completely in sync with his feelings and a man who's beliefs are unwavering even in the most difficult of times. But to understand Ove is not so simple. Ove is not simply a product of his circumstances. Neither is what Ove is simply a product of heredity or upbringing nor he is an output of a combination of these factors. Ove is simply himself despite everything around him. And what happens when such a man loses the only person he loved? A person for whom Ove has fought day and night with the world. A person who is the only source of color in his life. A person who had accepted Ove as he is and never ever demanded that he change. A person who loved Ove wholeheartedly just as he is. The only person whom Ove could speak what was in his heart. How do you cope up with such a loss? This is the heart of Ove's story. Ove has lost his wife to cancer. It has been 6 months now. Ove's work has kept him engaged in the meanwhile. But now Ove has been asked to resign from a pace where he has worked for more than 3 decades and never taken a day off. He decides that it is time he meet his wife. The same day a family moves opposite to Ove's house. A pregnant Iranian women with her husband a two daughters. The events that unfold hereafter is what makes book. Ove's attempts to take his own life are interrupted every time by fate. And slowly, with time Ove rediscovers his purpose. The book also shows glimpses of Ove's life till date. His relationship with his father, his wife, his neighbors and the people he worked with. At the face of it it might seem an ordinary tale. But Ove's story is anything but ordinary. I am not going to give any spoilers here. Because I suggest every person to read this book. There is so much to learn not only from Ove but also from other characters in the book. Sonja, Ove's wife is the epitome of positivity. Parvaneh, Ove's pregnant Iranian neighbor, sees beyond Ove's tough facade and understands his heart. Ove's boss at work knows that the character of a person is more important than anything. All the characters in the book is powerfully enriching. A note also to Fredrik Backman's exceptional writing style. It is extremely engrossing and never preachy. He has a rare quality that can bring both tear and smile on your face with a single sentence. And leave you either spellbound or restless for more with a few lines. Definitely an author to look forward to. Let me say at last that there are only two books that have made my heart swell. A Thousand Splendid Suns and A Man Called Ove. I am going to go back to Ove. Definitely again and again. For it has touched me on so many levels.

A Man Called Ove is a touching story about a grumpy widower whose strict routines and harsh exterior hide deep grief and immense love for his late wife. When new neighbors slowly enter his life, they unintentionally pull him back into the world he’s trying to leave. The book beautifully balances humor and heartbreak, showing how community and connection can heal even the most stubborn loneliness. It’s simple, warm, and quietly powerful.

After months of reading self-help, I finally decided to pick up a fiction and delve into some good storytelling. I have been hearing a lot about this book and the movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks. Hence, I gave it a read to be a judge of all the attention this book (and movie) has been garnering. And yeah, it did not fail to overwhelm me and make me contemplate about everything that the character was going through. Ove, a 59-year-old man, grumpy to be specific, decides to end his life because he has nothing to live for. His wife has passed away, he was asked to quit his job because they longer needed his service. The day he decides to do that, a new family moves in to the neighbourhood. The neighbours start coming over and start asking him for tools, ladders, etc. and Ove ends up helping them. Although, he misses his wife every second and wants to go where she is. He has paid all his debts, took care all the documentation and legal affairs, even washed the last mug he drank his coffee in, covered the floor with plastic so that the floors remain good, booked a place right beside his wife, Sonja. The book takes us on a journey where Ove comes in contact with his neighbours and his interaction with them. It takes us in a flashback where Ove thinks about his mother, his father with whom he spent most of his time, how he met Sonja and his black and white life filled with colour, his reconciliation with Anita and Rune, his friends and neighbours. The book beautifully describes Sonja and the compassion she carried. We won't doubt Ove's love for her even for a microsecond, because we'd feel ourselves falling in love with such a wonderful soul, Sonja. There are some books which make you stop reading and look at the wall, and wonder over what has been written. This book gave me many such instances. Ove's love for Sonja and the things he did for her was heartwarming. The way Ove picked Sonja up every night and took her to their room, despite she asking him to shift to the room downstairs, and Ove's rationale as to why he will never stop doing it, will give everyone the hope. Sonja's analogy where she compared moving into a house to falling in love, welled up my eyes. When Parvaneh feels that she won't be able to drive the car when people kept honking behind her, and the talk that Ove gave her which made us realize how powerful women are. These are probably a few parts in the book which I will never forget. Quotes worth mentioning: 1. “You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away.” 2. “But if anyone had asked, he would have told them that he never lived before he met her. And not after either.” 3. “They never had much, but they always had enough.” 4. “Men like Ove and Rune were from a generation in which one was what one did, not what one talked about.” Overall, an amazing book written in a simple language, all one has to do is understand Ove and his emotions. The book will sure take you on a journey, and you'll be tempted to watch the movie and give an embodiment to such lovely characters. I'd recommend kids to not read it as it has some depiction of suicide.

A simple and easy-to-read story, without any intricate plot or twists. This one just flows gently through the day-to-day life of a man called Ove-who had a difficult childhood and has now lost the wife he loved so deeply. Once a strong man, he now finds himself in a dilapidated pause of life. The story keeps us hooked throughout with the presence of warm and interesting characters around him. An emotional and humorous read.

Ove is the quintessential taciturn person, speaks little, has off and one only one friend, is a stickler for the little rules that bring order to a small village-town and is very particular about bringing to task anyone who breaks these rules. Every European building society/association has one of these. The book is filled with anecdotes of ordinary small town situations in which Ove’s eccentricity is unleashed freely on the neighbours. The redeeming feature is the humour and writing style with which these are portrayed, keeping the reader chuckling and sometimes outright laughing. Some might find Ove’s transformation to a helpful neighbour and a grandfather figure for the children within a short span of time unrealistic. Nevertheless, this book is good for a read just for the laughs.