A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman brings to mind the one curmudgeon I'm sure we all know in our families or communities. And thankfully it brings a different perspective to our understanding of those individuals. Ove, specifically, is dealing with an overwhelming amount of grief and feels he's stopped living - but he keeps going through the motions.

I found Ove to be an endearing character. I identified with his need for order and regularity. I appreciated his watchful eye in the neighborhood, putting himself in uncomfortable situations to stand up for those that wouldn't or couldn't stand up for themselves. Ove was also very handy and, albeit with a grumble, was willing to help anyone with about any project or task. And I really loved the cat he hated and how it came to be "his" (even though he would deny such).

He's a "softy." And toward the end of the book they find out his heart is too big - and that's both literally and figuratively. He's generous, thoughtful and kind. He's open-minded to "youth" of today and even opens his home to a young gay kid abandoned by his own father because of his sexuality.

Author, Fredrik Backman

I'll admit it started slowly. It's hard to identify with him at first - but consider meeting a curmudgeon in real life: it's not easy to warm up immediately either.

Perhaps my largest criticism of the writing style is all of the detailed metaphors used to describe various things. It seemed a bit too frequent that Backman described a sight, smell or feeling with an abstract metaphor. A few are great, an army of them become tiring.

Whether you're interested in the premise of A Man Called Ove or not, I think you'd be touched by reading it. We can all identify with at least one character in the community. Be sure to read the epilogue. And open your heart to Ove.

Be sure to check for A Man Called Ove at your local library or purchase it on Amazon.