cc_shelflove's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
What a sad book!! This is a great book to go into spoiler-free; however, if you are an individual who is sensitive to certain topics surrounding mental health, I would recommend researching the book’s content warnings (StoryGraph is the perfect app for this!) before diving in. I seriously was NOT expecting the darkness of this book at all. Even with the overall heaviness, though, Backman still had me cracking up. Ove visiting the Apple Store to buy an iPad is literally my grandfather. I would suggest this book to a friend and I cannot wait to watch the film. I can already tell that Tom Hanks absolutely crushed this role.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia
kt2e56's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
I was hoping this would be a five star book for me based on reviews I’ve read but alas, it’s only a 3. I was really enjoying it at first but it started to become very repetitive and quite frankly, Ove kinda sucks. He has some good qualities! He’s saved lives! He does eventually help his neighbors! But he comes across less like a grumpy old badger who just is lonely and more like an outright bigot. He’s super misogynistic (and never really changes that). He’s racist (and never really changes that). He lets a gay man stay with him after he’s been kicked out of his home which is lovely! But he refers to him as (I’m presuming based off of Pervana’s reaction to the phrase) a slur 80% of the time. And I think the most annoying is that he is (but also quite frankly the author is too) WILDLY fatphobic. Like disgustingly so. And Backman himself also seems SUPER fatphobic as he can’t write about Jimmy at all without calling him a slob, talking about whether or not his clothes fit, constantly making him pester everyone about food, etc. It’s gross. I do like the overall message and there are moments that are sweet here but even in flashbacks to life with his beloved wife, Sonja, I can’t help but wonder why she stayed with a man who belittled her pretty frequently and also was just so nasty to others. His hatred of bureaucrats makes sense! His racism, sexism, and other casual bigotry really does not. None of that factors into his backstory and I feel like it’s odd that the author made certain qualities of Ove so repugnant when he could have just been a crotchety old man and loner who thinks everyone else is incompetent. The story would have been just as impactful. It all ties itself up by the end with a neat little bow but there are portions of this that are genuinely draining to get through.
Content Warnings
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
jkononova's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Man, I don't have much to say about this book, other than I just really loved it.
Rare is a book that makes me both laugh and cry, and A Man Called Ove succeeded at both (often and semi-frequently, respectively). I started reading it because I wanted to occupy myself with something light and heartwarming as a break from my heavy courseload this quarter in university, and all the sci-fi and nonfiction and such that were already in progress were not cutting it. I'll say that the plot definitely isn't a "live, laugh, love" brand of wholesome; Backman doesn't shy away from getting into some of the darker parts of life that damage us, be it the misfortunes that bring surface-level cracks or the trauma that shatters us in our entirety. He doesn't lean into the overly saccharine, so every bit of the characters' growth throughout the course of the story and eventual happiness in the closing chapters feels real and earned. (I will say that the epilogue started feeling a little too good to be true at some points, in my opinion. but I was so overwhelmed with emotion at that point to care about "gritty realism" or whatever.)
(As an aside, I'm really curious as to how this book reads in its original Swedish. The language in translated books always feels a bit simple and canned to me, which works great with the lighthearted tone in this case, but I can't help but wonder what the original contains without all the workarounds in regard to slang, politics, etc that they had to include for English speakers. Though I guess I won't know unless I learn to read Swedish fluently, aka never, lol.)
All in all, I'd really recommend to anyone who feels drawn in by the premise!
Rare is a book that makes me both laugh and cry, and A Man Called Ove succeeded at both (often and semi-frequently, respectively). I started reading it because I wanted to occupy myself with something light and heartwarming as a break from my heavy courseload this quarter in university, and all the sci-fi and nonfiction and such that were already in progress were not cutting it. I'll say that the plot definitely isn't a "live, laugh, love" brand of wholesome; Backman doesn't shy away from getting into some of the darker parts of life that damage us, be it the misfortunes that bring surface-level cracks or the trauma that shatters us in our entirety. He doesn't lean into the overly saccharine, so every bit of the characters' growth throughout the course of the story and eventual happiness in the closing chapters feels real and earned. (I will say that the epilogue started feeling a little too good to be true at some points, in my opinion. but I was so overwhelmed with emotion at that point to care about "gritty realism" or whatever.)
(As an aside, I'm really curious as to how this book reads in its original Swedish. The language in translated books always feels a bit simple and canned to me, which works great with the lighthearted tone in this case, but I can't help but wonder what the original contains without all the workarounds in regard to slang, politics, etc that they had to include for English speakers. Though I guess I won't know unless I learn to read Swedish fluently, aka never, lol.)
All in all, I'd really recommend to anyone who feels drawn in by the premise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Violence
sakisreads's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Okay, this was a recommendation from a friend who never usually goes for this genre, so it was a real surprise!
Initially I found Ove to be difficult, but obviously after a while he grew on me and I wanted to give him a huge hug 🥹 I love when Parvaneh came into the story too; I knew her and Ove would make great friends from the very start.
This definitely needs some trigger warnings (TW: suicide attempts). I’ll add it into the content warnings below too.
I would highly recommend this to someone who would like a wholesome tale that will make them cry and laugh, sometimes simultaneously 🥰 Big fan ✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Death
evander_og's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Homophobia, Infertility, and Chronic illness
pennedpaper's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Ableism, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child death, Cancer, and Car accident
Minor: Violence and Terminal illness
olivia_dowling's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide attempt, and Car accident
Minor: Child death
deannavee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said?
To be 100% honest, I didn't want to read this book. I read the summary and decided it was going to be sad, slow, and dull. I left it on my TBR shelf for a year. Man was I blown out of the water. This book somehow touched on every single emotion. It was relatable in ways I didn't expect. It was funny yet heartbreaking, and one of the very few books I ever teared up while reading it. It's a true masterpiece and I believe everyone needs to experience reading this book at some point in their lives
To be 100% honest, I didn't want to read this book. I read the summary and decided it was going to be sad, slow, and dull. I left it on my TBR shelf for a year. Man was I blown out of the water. This book somehow touched on every single emotion. It was relatable in ways I didn't expect. It was funny yet heartbreaking, and one of the very few books I ever teared up while reading it. It's a true masterpiece and I believe everyone needs to experience reading this book at some point in their lives
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Car accident, and Dementia
amys_hygge_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Fredrik Backman is an author I have wanted to read for a while now. And with the recent movie adaptation, I decided A Man Called Ove would be my first Backman book to read.
The Story 📚
This story is heavily character driven around the protagonist - a man called Ove. Ove is described as a grumpy old man, but really he is just a stubborn man set in his ways, who appreciates routine, Saab cars, and getting on with life. We find out more about Ove’s past and present in a split timeline, to discover the ways his world has changed over the years, as well as the special love story between him and Sonja. But with the arrival of new neighbours and a stray cat in his housing estate, Ove’s world takes new directions he didn’t think were possible at that time of his life.
The Review 👩🏻💻
I adored this book! Honestly, we all know someone like Ove! For me, that made the character so much more relatable and imaginable. Also, as the story is set in a Swedish town, I really enjoyed the Scandinavian references that brought to the environment to life for me.
In so many ways the book is so beautifully simple. It’s not overly complicated, and is an easy read for anyone. Ove’s character doesn’t need that! It is the kind of book I would happily recommend to anyone. I am even trying to convince my boyfriend to read it - he doesn’t read but I know he’d love the character and Ove’s mannerisms just as much as I did.
I cried so much at the end of this book. It really is going to stick with me. I’m really looking forward to seeing the two film adaptations, the older Swedish language version, and the newer American made one starring Tom Hanks. Honestly, I’m skeptical of the American one. Is Tom the right fit for Ove, and how will the perfect Swedish setting translate to America? Will let you know my thoughts after I have watched them both!
The Story 📚
This story is heavily character driven around the protagonist - a man called Ove. Ove is described as a grumpy old man, but really he is just a stubborn man set in his ways, who appreciates routine, Saab cars, and getting on with life. We find out more about Ove’s past and present in a split timeline, to discover the ways his world has changed over the years, as well as the special love story between him and Sonja. But with the arrival of new neighbours and a stray cat in his housing estate, Ove’s world takes new directions he didn’t think were possible at that time of his life.
The Review 👩🏻💻
I adored this book! Honestly, we all know someone like Ove! For me, that made the character so much more relatable and imaginable. Also, as the story is set in a Swedish town, I really enjoyed the Scandinavian references that brought to the environment to life for me.
In so many ways the book is so beautifully simple. It’s not overly complicated, and is an easy read for anyone. Ove’s character doesn’t need that! It is the kind of book I would happily recommend to anyone. I am even trying to convince my boyfriend to read it - he doesn’t read but I know he’d love the character and Ove’s mannerisms just as much as I did.
I cried so much at the end of this book. It really is going to stick with me. I’m really looking forward to seeing the two film adaptations, the older Swedish language version, and the newer American made one starring Tom Hanks. Honestly, I’m skeptical of the American one. Is Tom the right fit for Ove, and how will the perfect Swedish setting translate to America? Will let you know my thoughts after I have watched them both!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
aliteracja's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage and Car accident
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Homophobia