Throwback Thursday: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

This weekly feature is hosted by Renee (Its Book Talk). Throwback Thursday offers a way to share some of our old favorites as well  as sharing books that we are finally getting around to reading that were published over a year ago.

About the Book

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

Review

Once in a while, you read a book that brings characters into your life and makes you feel like they are real people that you actually know and not just works of fiction. This was my experience with Ove. I never knew my grandparents because they died when I was young but Ove made me miss them.

A Man Called Ove begins by introducing us to an old, grumpy man called Ove. Ove sure is mean and surly. Forgive me, but I really didn’t like Ove when I first met him. I even wondered why I was reading a book about such a mean old man. However, the author soon sneaked Ove into my heart. The more that I got to know about him, the more I warmed up to him. Reading about him, I found myself laughing, smiling and a bit teary at some point.

 

 

This is a story about Ove, a man going through a hard time that makes him seem cranky until you get to know him. I dare you to read this story and not warm up to him. Honestly, Ove is one of the most endearing characters that I have ever come across in a book. I loved reading about him and getting to know his complex, sometimes misunderstood but wonderful personality. I also enjoyed getting to know everyone who came into his life. This was such a heartwarming story that I definitely recommend to everyone.

Happy Women’s Day!