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A review by riannamarie
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.25
Okay so this was just a little bit heart-warming. I lived in Norway for a year and whenever I read/watch any form of media from a Scandanavian country it makes me feel at home. Koselig is a Norwegian word that doesn't have a direct English translation. It is a feeling of cosiness, contentment and warmth. It evokes feelings of intimacy and finding joy in the little things in life. Somehow this book manages to be koselig, heart-wrenching and hopeful all at the same time.
The book is about Ove who is a 59 year old gentlemen who is often perceived as a grumpy old man but there is much more to him beneath the surface than what the outside world perceives. Underneath his grumpy facade is deep loneliness and profound grief. You slowly grow to love Ove as his layers are peeled back throughout the story. The way you warm to him as the reader mirrors how the people in Ove's neighbourhood warm to him throughout the book as they transform from strangers to valued friends.
The descriptions of Ove's relationship with Sonia were beautifully described. Their love and the emptiness Ove feels upon the loss warmed my heart but also brought me to tears. This book explored what it meant to mourn someone you love and what it means to mourn the part of yourself that only they could bring out of you.
It is not a 5 star read for me purely based on the fact that it never pulled me in to the point where I couldn't put it down. Everytime I picked it up I thoroughly enjoyed the experience but I wasn't obsessed. This is probably because it is a story of comically mundane happenings in a neighbourhood, with artfully crafted characters. I will certainly be reading other books by Fredrik Backman.
The book is about Ove who is a 59 year old gentlemen who is often perceived as a grumpy old man but there is much more to him beneath the surface than what the outside world perceives. Underneath his grumpy facade is deep loneliness and profound grief. You slowly grow to love Ove as his layers are peeled back throughout the story. The way you warm to him as the reader mirrors how the people in Ove's neighbourhood warm to him throughout the book as they transform from strangers to valued friends.
The descriptions of Ove's relationship with Sonia were beautifully described. Their love and the emptiness Ove feels upon the loss warmed my heart but also brought me to tears. This book explored what it meant to mourn someone you love and what it means to mourn the part of yourself that only they could bring out of you.
It is not a 5 star read for me purely based on the fact that it never pulled me in to the point where I couldn't put it down. Everytime I picked it up I thoroughly enjoyed the experience but I wasn't obsessed. This is probably because it is a story of comically mundane happenings in a neighbourhood, with artfully crafted characters. I will certainly be reading other books by Fredrik Backman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Death