A Man Called Ove, Frederik Backman
Amanda
Published July 15th 2014 by Atria Books
Hardcover, 337 pages
Source: Purchased
When I started this book I kind of worried about what the Paperback Princess led me into. I quickly realized that she is my new favorite for recommending this book because I adored Ove. Ove is a Swedish curmudgeon in his late 50s and when we meet him he is waiting to die. He basically gives zero fucks about anyone who crosses his path-unless they drive a car where it’s not meant to go in his residential area. He makes up unkind nicknames for his neighbors and then uses them straight to their faces. He tries to shoo a Cat Annoyance from living in his shed out into the Swedish winter and considers electrocuting the dog that’s peeing on his paving stones. Then he meets his new neighbors…
You will realize despite all this that you have fallen completely and totally in love with Ove. Backman takes the reader back and forth in time so we see the events and the people that turned Ove into the man he is. I loved how his father molded him into a man of character. Even more, I loved how he fell in love with his wife and how he learned to show that to her. This book made me snicker loudly on the train and it definitely made me cry as well. I forced this book onto a friend who said she gave herself a headache crying at the end. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
The Goodreads blurb for A Man Called Ove refers to him as “the neighbor from hell.” Which he is in a sense, but once you give Ove a chance you begin to understand why he feels strongly about rules. He follows the rules and he expects the same from everyone else. Ove isn’t a man of prejudices – he dislikes nearly everyone equally. I found that to be part of his charm. He not an easy man to get to know, but once you give Ove a chance you’ll fall in love too.
Goodreads is giving away copies! Go enter! Or go to the library. Buy it! Read this book-but have a tissue on hand when you do.
Gun In Act One 
This sounds so unexpectedly charming!
I love curmudgeonly men in my books! Eva convinced me to put this one on my list, so it’s already there – but thanks for the reminder! My favourite curmudgeonly man from last year was Moses Sweetland in Sweetland by Michael Crummey. Have you read that one?
Oh I haven’t heard of that one. I’ll definitely look it up. AJ Fikry was another fantastic curmudgeon if you haven’t read that one.
Oh, yes, he was good, too! I also like the one in The History of Love.
YES! Makes me want to go back and read it again. I forgot about his plans to electrocute the neighbour’s dog. I’m really glad you liked this as much as I did. Always worrying when you talk a book up so big!
I’d have to read it in Swedish, ugh, I have not read a book in my own language in ages, so dull
That is really funny to me! I would hope it wouldn’t be dull in any language.
I think you’ve convinced me to read this one!
Yeah! I hope you love it too.
I’m intrigued! I don’t even read a lot of adult books but the fact his name is Ove is just intriguing. 😉 *goes to check it out on goodreads*
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
Right? You do just wonder what a man called Ove would be like.
For some reason “Cat Annoyance” makes me think of The Rosie Project, just in the humorous proper naming of things. I love the cover’s hint that Cat Annoyance looks to be a thread in the plot. I feel like dogs often get favored in the covers featuring pets.
I admit I would totally favor dog stories however I did love the Cat Annoyance.