A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

 

 

You wouldn't call Ove a pleasant fellow. Most people would even call him bitter, but Ove didn't think he was bitter just because he "didn't go around grinning the whole time." He believes that right is right and wrong is wrong and he does his best to enforce that in his life. He grew up working hard and letting his actions speak louder than his very few words. He believes coffee should be taken black and that the only respectable car is a Saab. The more stories we read from his past, the more we understand how Ove became the man that he is.

 

Every day he follows his routine. Inspect the neighborhood, have breakfast, run errands. A new family moves in across the street and very decidedly move into Ove's life. It seems there are many people who aren't easily put off by his grumpy demeanor, from a mangy cat to an overweight app developer. He always seems to be helping those around him merely because it's just easier if he does it himself. As he continues to begrudgingly spend time with his neighbors, I wouldn't say his heart is warmed to them, but I think their hearts are warmed to Ove.

 

I struggle to find the words to properly review this book. It is not particularly long, but every little bit is meaningful. The author has a talent for foreshadowing in a very subtle way, and putting substance into things that seem insubstantial. He can list each of the cars a man has purchased throughout his life and it sounds silly, and then explain it in a way that is heartbreaking. There are many incredibly humorous moments, and there is also a great deal of tragedy.

 

The way Ove feels about his wife is beautiful. "People always said Ove saw the world in the black and white. But she was color. All the color he had." He felt, like everybody else, that she was too good for him, but Backman writes their relationship in a way that you wouldn't expect them to be with anybody else.

 

This is a story of love and friendship and heartbreak, but it is told with the frankness of a man who likes to build houses and fix bicycles. It made me cry many times, but to be fair I am overly weepy. It is a story that teaches you there is more to a man than just his need to make sure nobody drives in the residential area. But really don't drive in the residential area.