Author: Fredrik Backman
Pages: 337
Publishing: July 15th 2014 by Atria Books
ISBN: 1476738017
Summary:
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:
Upon reading the first chapter, I knew I was going to love A Man Called Ove. Ove is quirky, snarky, and he totally stole my heart. I haven’t read any of Fredrik’s other novels, but I plan to pick them up after reading A Man Called Ove. Without even realizing it, I fell in love with Ove’s character and the kind heart he was constantly trying to hide.
The writing is brilliant and hilarious, the characters are full of life, and the setting is perfectly created. Everything was written so realistically that I felt like I was trotting right along behind Ove throughout all of his ups and downs. There were portions of the novel where I was holding back tears and then two lines later, Ove and his neighbors would have me rolling on the floor laughing.
From start to finish, A Man Called Ove pulls the reader’s heart in and doesn’t let go. Frederik snags the reader from the beginning with Ove’s snarky attitude and continues reeling them in with heartfelt life lessons. You will finish this novel and immediately want to go befriend your neighbors and hug those that you love. I would highly recommend this book to readers of all genres.
Rating 4/5
Posts
I love a man called ove too :D *high five*
ReplyDeleteI bought other's frederick backman book entitled "my grandmother asked me to tell you I am sorry" and plan to read it next month but this book has mixed review, different with Ove who has more positive review, so I probably will not have high expectation when reading that