A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A few weeks back, I read a book by Fredrik Backman, which I picked up strictly because of the title. While I was not as enchanted as I'd hoped, the writing and concept appealed to me. I found out that Backman's first book, A Man Called Ove, was a bit of a sleeper surprise-  it rose to acclaim by word or mouth in Europe, and the cover blurb interested me enough to seek it out.

A Man Called Ove is now read and is on that shelf of books I'm really glad I read. Ove, a curmudgeon, alone, judgmental, set in his ways, is set on his ear by the arrival of a boisterous group of new arrivals in his life: new neighbors who totally upset all the rules with which he defines his world. To top it off, there's this scraggly cat that keeps coming around, and other happenings and mishappenings in the neighborhood.Talk about a heartwarming story. Wow. Told with alternating glimpses of Ove's life already lived, and his present life, the author really draws this character throughly for the reader to see: a man of character, who stays true to his values, but learns to let his firm beliefs reshape themselves. Beautiful.

If you want a book of grand scale, high action, and great tension, go elsewhere. But if you want a book of heartwarming humanness that might even make you smile, come check out this grouch and his world. If you drive on over, make sure it's a Saab, and you obey the neighborhood signs.

Tags: 2016-read, a-favorite-author, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, first-novel-or-book, funny, i-liked-it, read, satisfying, thank-you-charleston-county-library, translated, will-look-for-more-by-this-author