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orchidlilly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A really good exploration of grief and learning to live after it. Ove is both lovable and annoying, which turns at a point to endearing in its own right. The rest of the characters feel very real and individualized, and have a lot of unspoken depth to them. The back and forth between Ove's memories and current life really build his story well and allow the reader to understand why he is the way he is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Dementia, and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Such a great book! Ove is such a sweet man and I’ve wanted to read this book for so long. Funny and heartwarming, moving but sad too. Beautifully written.
Pick at Bookclub
Narrator - Joan Walker
Pick at Bookclub
Narrator - Joan Walker
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Watching "A Man Called Otto" over a year ago was my first exposure to Frederik Backman, although I had seen his novels in the library before. I was taken with the story instantly, and I managed to snag a copy of the original novel a few months ago.
It's interesting to see what was changed for American audiences in the recent film. I find it a little strange that Ove's name was changed to Otto, as though American audiences can't handle a Swedish name such as Ove. Even if the movie is set in Pittsburgh, there's no reason why someone living there wouldn't be named Ove, like in the book.
It's also strange that Parvenah's character is renamed Marisol and is no longer Iranian. Perhaps the decision was made so the story would be more "relevant" to American audiences, but even if more Americans are Mexican than Iranian, there are still plenty of Iranian immigrants who deserve to be represented in films such as this one.
The change that I understand the most is how Mirsad's character went from being gay in the book to trans in the movie. Given the current political climate, it's more important than ever to educate people and to teach them to be kind and generous towards trans people, especially trans youth, and while I would need to rewatch the movie to catch all of the changes that they made (Is he still named Mirsad in the film? I can't remember...), I appreciate the new take on an old storyline.
My familiarity with the movie did not diminish my enjoyment of the original novel. It was a delight to read, and the book expands upon some topics that I didn't fully understand in the movie--or rather, it made details from the movie stand out so that they moved me more deeply. A good example of this is how Frederik Backman expands upon the rivalry between Ove and Rune, repeating the list of the cars they drove over the years while gradually expanding upon the reasons why they chose certain models. The way that it all ties back to their families and the futures they planned but did not achieve breaks my heart and makes the characters even more sympathetic.
All in all, I would say this is my second favorite Frederik Backman novel. Number one is still "Anxious People," and number three is "Britt-Marie Was Here," with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry" coming in at number four. They're all lovely books, so even the one in last place is well worth the read. I hope to dive into his sports trilogy soon (and when an author gets me to read sports trilogies, that's when you know that they're good at weaving yarns)!
It's interesting to see what was changed for American audiences in the recent film. I find it a little strange that Ove's name was changed to Otto, as though American audiences can't handle a Swedish name such as Ove. Even if the movie is set in Pittsburgh, there's no reason why someone living there wouldn't be named Ove, like in the book.
It's also strange that Parvenah's character is renamed Marisol and is no longer Iranian. Perhaps the decision was made so the story would be more "relevant" to American audiences, but even if more Americans are Mexican than Iranian, there are still plenty of Iranian immigrants who deserve to be represented in films such as this one.
The change that I understand the most is how Mirsad's character went from being gay in the book to trans in the movie. Given the current political climate, it's more important than ever to educate people and to teach them to be kind and generous towards trans people, especially trans youth, and while I would need to rewatch the movie to catch all of the changes that they made (Is he still named Mirsad in the film? I can't remember...), I appreciate the new take on an old storyline.
My familiarity with the movie did not diminish my enjoyment of the original novel. It was a delight to read, and the book expands upon some topics that I didn't fully understand in the movie--or rather, it made details from the movie stand out so that they moved me more deeply. A good example of this is how Frederik Backman expands upon the rivalry between Ove and Rune, repeating the list of the cars they drove over the years while gradually expanding upon the reasons why they chose certain models. The way that it all ties back to their families and the futures they planned but did not achieve breaks my heart and makes the characters even more sympathetic.
All in all, I would say this is my second favorite Frederik Backman novel. Number one is still "Anxious People," and number three is "Britt-Marie Was Here," with "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry" coming in at number four. They're all lovely books, so even the one in last place is well worth the read. I hope to dive into his sports trilogy soon (and when an author gets me to read sports trilogies, that's when you know that they're good at weaving yarns)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Dementia, Car accident, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility
eliya's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Really sweet, heart warming book.
Sobbed through the first half. Made me think of my dad.
There’s something to be said about people from this age group who either never were able, or were never taught or demonstrated how to forgive, how to move on. What your sphere of influence is and others around you
This book is about a man who has good intentions and is sweet on the inside, a nutcracker kind of guy, who is mad for valid reasons and then he finds out life is worth living, okay, and then he’s nice to those around him because they see the soft on the inside of all that hardness.
I don’t find his meanness charming, I don’t excuse him for the way he talks about his neighbors. I empathize with him. The book was sweet, I cried like a hole in a waterpipe, but I did not like ove and I felt bad for the people around him.
There’s this weird phenomena of this generation or men, idk what it is, where;
1. what’s happened to you is the worst thing to happen to anyone ever and you can’t move past yourself to acknowledge the suffering that is living, and,
2. to almost expect your community or the people who you care about to see through your nastiness and show that you’re good. There’s this brand of people who believe that if you do good actions that’ll show you’re good, and you don’t have to show basic human kindness to anyone! Pithy excuse for emotional immaturity that I’m exhausted by and made me angry to read.
Sobbed through the first half. Made me think of my dad.
I don’t find his meanness charming, I don’t excuse him for the way he talks about his neighbors. I empathize with him. The book was sweet, I cried like a hole in a waterpipe, but I did not like ove and I felt bad for the people around him.
There’s this weird phenomena of this generation or men, idk what it is, where;
1. what’s happened to you is the worst thing to happen to anyone ever and you can’t move past yourself to acknowledge the suffering that is living, and,
2. to almost expect your community or the people who you care about to see through your nastiness and show that you’re good. There’s this brand of people who believe that if you do good actions that’ll show you’re good, and you don’t have to show basic human kindness to anyone! Pithy excuse for emotional immaturity that I’m exhausted by and made me angry to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
geminisoul's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my goodness. For starters, if you are a crier like me this may not be a book you want to read/listen to in public. (I made that mistake and was subsequently crying at my desk at work.) This book just packed all the feelings of humanity into the life of this man called Ove- who ironically struggles showing most feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
confused_cat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Excellent book. Much better than the Hollywood movie adaptation.
I simply love everything about it - the writing, the pace, the dark humor, the characters.
Ove's character seem to be timeless. I imagine there will always be people who are traditionalists, strong, stubborn, loyal to the fault, and live by their principles. I don't always agree with them and their old school ways but I do admire them.
Answering reading group questions and some reflections:
I simply love everything about it - the writing, the pace, the dark humor, the characters.
Ove's character seem to be timeless. I imagine there will always be people who are traditionalists, strong, stubborn, loyal to the fault, and live by their principles. I don't always agree with them and their old school ways but I do admire them.
Answering reading group questions and some reflections:
- I only drive Toyota - haha. Is there a bit of Ove in my character?
- Ove was actually grieving for almost for the entirity of the book. Having human (and animal) to care is what got him through.
- Honestly, the neighbourhood that Ove lives in is almost similar to the one I grew up in - where every one helps and bothers each other quite a lot. I sort of miss that.
- Ove and Sonja have opposing communication style. This would make things difficult in real life but it seems that they have enough love hence patience with each other to go thru life challenges.
- I wonder if there are actually more people like Ove in the world, doing heroic things and refusing to make a fuss.
- Technology, relationships, and lifestyles kept on changing. It would be great if we can slow it down. I seriously can't imagine what life would be like say 40 years from here.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty
aj9moon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
chelle22's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
sanchan's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Animal death
Animal cruelty: There is a cat in Ove's quarter that looks like it's been treated very badly. Later he witnesses one of his neighbours throwing stones at it. Finally,craftysnailtail's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was almost a DNF for me. I'm glad I finished it, but I honestly did not like it until I was at least 80% of the way through. I simply did not like Ove. I know you're supposed to grow to love him, but I didn't. Maybe that makes me a monster, and I can accept that. His curmudgeonly traits were fine and a little endearing by the end, but sometimes he was flat out mean. I can't get behind that.
I'm also fairly convinced that Backman has never met a cat before in their entire lives. A cat that licks steering wheels passive aggressively, happily wears socks, and calmly sits on bar stools in cafes they've never been in before was so out of left field. The rest of the book is very realistic, so the cartoon cat threw me in every scene they were in.
The use of similes to describe every single disgruntled expression this man has ever had in his life drove me mad as well, but that's clearly a personal writing style preference, so to each their own.
The overall message of the book is... nice. And I think it gives the reader a nuanced perspective of what it's like to be a senior that society seems to have given up on. But the road to get there was gritty and uncomfortable. I mean I was rooting for Ove getting what he wanted for the vast majority of the book because it felt like his right to make that decision. At least I appreciated the ending, though. I don't think it's a book I would recommend to friends, but it was different from other books I've read recently, so that made it worth it for me in the end.
I'm also fairly convinced that Backman has never met a cat before in their entire lives. A cat that licks steering wheels passive aggressively, happily wears socks, and calmly sits on bar stools in cafes they've never been in before was so out of left field. The rest of the book is very realistic, so the cartoon cat threw me in every scene they were in.
The use of similes to describe every single disgruntled expression this man has ever had in his life drove me mad as well, but that's clearly a personal writing style preference, so to each their own.
The overall message of the book is... nice. And I think it gives the reader a nuanced perspective of what it's like to be a senior that society seems to have given up on. But the road to get there was gritty and uncomfortable. I mean I was rooting for Ove getting what he wanted for the vast majority of the book because it felt like his right to make that decision. At least I appreciated the ending, though. I don't think it's a book I would recommend to friends, but it was different from other books I've read recently, so that made it worth it for me in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury