novelheartbeat's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
Okay, so to understand why I picked this up and why it was so poignant for me, I have to get really personal for a minute. My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which has spread to his bone, brain, and kidneys; he recently stopped chemo and was given 3-6 weeks to live. I've been looking for books dealing with loss, and this one popped up in my search a few times and I passed it by because, frankly, based on the cover alone I would probably have never looked twice (maybe just for the cat lol). Then it popped up again - I don't even remember where - and on a total whim I went and picked it up from the library.
And I ended up being pleasantly surprised! I've seen a couple people compare this to Up and Gran Torino, and they are 100% right! It has the warm fuzzies of both movies, with the grumpy-old-man-gets-strapped-with-a-kid/animal/etc trope that I freaking LOVE.
This book is so adorably charming! Ove (which is pronounced oo-vuh, not rhyming with stove lmao) is super cranky in the beginning - he's very particular and routine-oriented, doesn't like change or disorder, doesn't have time for dealing with anyone, knows what he wants, and just wants to be left alone. He's not a people person. In fact, he's pretty judgy about people. He's not a cat person, either.
Spoiler
I kinda figured his wife was dead in the beginning, but I still sobbed like a fuckin' baby when it was revealed that she had cancer. Of all the things, it had to be cancer. That hit me SO HARD.Um, THE CAT. I loved the cat so much! It was the cutest thing ever that Ove didn't want anything to do with the "mangy" stray, yet did things to help him out (and made excuses against it). I love how he slowly warmed up to the cat!
I actually really enjoyed all of the characters in this book. Jimmy, Parvaneh and her kids and husband (whose name I can't remember), and the other neighbors! I especially loved Parvaneh and her interactions with Ove. They gave me all the feels! It seemed like a real story with real people, not fiction. I also love the ring of fate/destiny this book had - that sometimes people are put in your life for a reason, right when you need them the most.
This whole book gave me all the feels. I laughed and cried so many times! I think the timing made this book resonate even deeper with me, and it was exactly what I needed just at the right time. Highly recommend!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
amra_k's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
pkc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This book is so beautiful. I love it when an author takes a seemingly unloveable character and fills them with so much heart, pathos and goodness that you can’t help but root for them. Backman even goes as far as to book-end the story with two halves of the same scene so that where the unsuspecting reader views the eponymous Ove as a grumpy, horrid man in the beginning, we have accepted his flaws (for the most part!) by the end. The cast of supporting characters is so beautifully drawn and I’d be so shocked if you didn’t finish this book in floods of tears. I sure as heck did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Dementia, Child death, Car accident, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Outing, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
laaaisie's review against another edition
4.0
Listening to this book was good fun. I want myself a neighbour like Ove.
kaitlynstoneheart's review against another edition
2.0
Took too long to make the character likeable. It felt too emotionally manipulative. I wasn't able to finish.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book; the ending totally made me cry! Every morning Ove makes his rounds. He checks three times that the sheds are locked and writes down the license plate numbers of the cars that have been in visitor parking for longer than 24 hours. He's the kind of man who drives a Saab, always has, and always will. He's an orderly, grumpy, not-so-old man who would just like to die...but his neighbors just won't leave him alone. Great debut novel from this Swedish author.
2019 - Still such a wonderful book, and apparently one I like to read at the beginning of the year. I did notice more this time that there is a not-insignificant amount of swearing in this book.
2019 - Still such a wonderful book, and apparently one I like to read at the beginning of the year. I did notice more this time that there is a not-insignificant amount of swearing in this book.
maya_11022001's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
deebot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75
isa_rea16's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
pbobrit's review against another edition
4.0
A quite excellent book. It is simply written but profound. A meditation on aging, grief, community, relationships and death. The characters are well formed. The audiobook narrator is excellent. I would recommend as quick but thought provoking read/listen.