Welcome to my new favourite book of 2015!
Ove is not a pleasant man. He is bossy and sticks his nose into other people's business constantly, from writing down their registration numbers if they have dared to park for more than 24 hours in the 24 hour parking area, to shouting at them for being idiotic enough to drive in the 'no drive' area around the houses. In short, he is annoying and grumpy and anti-social and judgemental. But... there is so much MORE to Ove than meets the eye.
“Ove glares out of the window. The poser is jogging. Not that Ove is provoked by jogging. Not at all. Ove couldn’t give a damn about people jogging. What he can’t understand is why they have to make such a big thing of it. With those smug smiles on their faces, as if they were out there curing pulmonary emphysema. Either they walk fast or they run slowly, that’s what joggers do. It’s a forty-year-old man’s way of telling the world that he can’t do anything right. Is it really necessary to dress up as a fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast in order to be able to do it? Or the Olympic tobogganing team? Just because one shuffles aimlessly around the block for three quarters of an hour?”
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove
I loved Ove. Backman masterfully revealed just enough of his back story for one not only to understand the reasons behind why he is the way he is, but to actually appreciate the way he is. In fact, all the characters in the book felt so real. Even the cat. I adored the cat. My other favourite character in this book is his pregnant neighbour, Parveneh. I am not going to tell you how the two of them meet, because it is really worth the read and the laughs you will have just from that scene alone.
I loved the way this book was written. It seemed effortless in its construction, which is always a sign of good writing. But on top of that, this book has one thing that even winners of literary awards do not generally have - charm. I did not read and appreciate this book. I loved and lived this book.
“He had never heard anything quite as amazing as that voice. She talked as if she was continuously on the verge of breaking into giggles. And when she giggled she sounded the way Ove imagined champagne bubbles would have sounded if they were capable of laughter.”
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove
The book is spread out with a combination of laughter and tears. This wasn't just my experience. I gave it to my mom to read, and she sat in the chair crying and laughing throughout. I did not find this a sad story though. The balance of humour did keep it more on the up overall, but also, the sadness that Ove encounters are the side effects of living. And while I really felt for him and what had happened, I could see the magnificence of what was happening - even if he couldn't.
“Men like Ove and Rune were from a generation in which one was what one did, not what one talked about.”
― Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove
I really thought that I would have tons to say about this, but I can't seem to get past the words "I loved...". Perhaps I should just scrap everything and just say, "I loved this. Read this," because that is what I really want to say. And I don't want to go into the plot, because I want you to not only read the book, but to enjoy it unfolding as I did.
Who would enjoy reading this? People who enjoy contemporary reads. People who have hearts that beat.
This is the 72nd book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.
I gave this one 5 stars on Goodreads because they don't allow one to give books 100 stars.
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