Bookish Thoughts: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is fifty-nine. ~ Opening of  A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Atria Books, 2014
Fiction; 337 pgs

From the Publisher: 

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.

Let me start off by saying how much I loved this book. Ove, for all his rigidness, judgmental ways, and crankiness, was impossible not to like once I got to know him.  His strong work ethic and natural propensity to do the right thing stand out above all else. Through his reflections into his past, the reader gets a good sense of what led Ove to his current place in life, to make the choices he made, and to ultimately understand who exactly Ove was. My heart broke for Ove; and at times my heart soared for Ove. I came to really care about him. I couldn't help it.

Ove believes he has very little to look forward to as the book opens. He has suffered through so many losses, and it has weighed him down. He doesn't believe life is worth living anymore.  Nothing is as it used to be. It's not a world he wants to understand or be a part of.  When his new neighbors move in, Ove's orderly world is thrown into a tailspin.

I adored his neighbors, especially Parvaneh who saw behind the frowns and scowls on Ove's face. While the author does not go much into her back story, I couldn't help but get a good idea of the kind of person she is. She's someone I would want to get to know and spend afternoons chatting with. Maybe our girls could play together.  I loved her daughters and the role they played in the story. Having a 3 year old of my own, I know the irresistibly factor they can have at that age.

Perhaps my most favorite character of the book is the cat. He reminded me a lot of Ove. Life was not easy for either one, but they proved to be a strong person/animal.

This book could have been overly sentimental as these books sometimes tend to be. It wasn't. It's a feel good book to be sure, but one that touches on the harsh realities of life as well as the necessity to move forward.

I gave a copy of this book to my mother-in-law for her birthday last August after reading a few positive book blogger reviews. I meant to read it too, but wasn't able to get to it. Now I know why she named it as her favorite read of 2014. I can just imagine how much the main character reminded her of her own father--at least from the stories I have heard.  I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite reads of 2015. One I can see myself coming back to time and time again.  And that's saying something given how rare it is I reread a book.

Rating:  (Outstanding)

Source: Many thanks to Kristen of BookNAround for sharing this book with me through our postal bookclub! I also received an e-copy from the publisher for an honest review.

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