anastashamarie's review against another edition
- 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
🐈 I had a long wait to get this one from the library, but honestly, I'm just going to go buy it (and probably the rest of Backman's bibliography) because this book hit me in a way nothing has since I was a teenager reading John Green.
🏘️ This is an existentialist masterpiece. The writing is so simple yet so impactful. The characterizations of the whole cast are so well-rounded. It's heartbreaking and uplifting and just generally just so human. It's full of love and sorrow and so much hope. One of those stories that I think is going to stick with me forever.
🖍️ Now, if you'll excuse me while I go back to crying my eyes out. We can talk more about it later.
Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fatphobia, Death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Infertility, and Misogyny
melanieripple's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Death
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, and Car accident
ericaw212's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Cancer, Gun violence, Homophobia, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
atypeofgrass's review against another edition
- 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
Edit: most of the comments I am reading after this I feel don’t understand the point of the book. It is not about the plot of the book at all. It is about the character and their development. Don’t go into this expecting a great story, go into this expecting to be sad. The man in the story is grumpy all the time because that was how he was written. Spend time thinking about the real people in the world who are constantly angry, and think of what they may feel on the inside. Not everything should be judged off of the first glance.
Graphic: Death and Self harm
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infertility, and Terminal illness
Minor: Pregnancy and Hate crime
dukeofkel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer and Miscarriage
Minor: Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail
jhbandcats's review
- 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
4.25
Ove’s facade cracks as he learns to care for those around him, from taking the clutzy neighbor with broken limbs to the hospital to rescuing a stranger who interrupts his own failed suicide attempt. Over the course of the book, Ove’s heart opens up and he’s able to appreciate his life again. The meddling neighbors and the beat-up tomcat were the best things that could have ever happened to him.
The irascibility was grating at times but it was tempered by the bittersweet backstory of Ove’s youth. This book has been made into two movies, the excellent Swedish version and the eminently serviceable Hollywood remake. The book, of course, shows far more depth - definitely worth reading.
Graphic: Car accident, Fatphobia, Grief, Miscarriage, Body shaming, Death, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy
arshiya_amreen90786's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Chronic illness, Outing, and Car accident
Minor: Infertility, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Animal cruelty
my_a's review against another edition
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Fatphobia, and Infertility
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Misogyny
notjust_irene's review against another edition
- 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
It didn’t take away from the reading experience as such, but it did make me frown a couple of times because it was quite unrealistic.
Spoiler
- the amount of drama Ove has to go through during his lifetime is a bit much and at one point I almost rolled my eyes as another blow was delivered to Ove’s happiness.
- Neither Ove nor his wife have any relatives they keep in touch with? None of his wife’s friends check up on Ove after her passing? Sure… maybe the author wanted to make the story flow a bit easier or emphasise the loneliness of Ove, but it wasn’t very realistic.
- the cat that goes along willingly into the car and bars, yes, these type of cats exist, but they’re extremely rare and their owners keep them on a leash. Also, it’s not typically something those cats do for people they’ve only moved in with two days ago. That’s why every cat owner knows to keep their nee cat inside for the first weeks to let them adapt.
- he’s 59 in the year 2015, works for a building company yet doesn’t grasp the concept of an iPad or any digital medium at all? Come on!
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
kt2e56's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Grief, Ableism, Suicide, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Car accident, Dementia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Bullying, and Infertility