A Man Called Ove was gifted to me by my friend Amy, who I normally buddy read books with that make us both cry. Not sure why it’s our thing, but we both seem to really enjoy a good cry session over a book. She warned me that this is a tear jerker, but I had my doubts. I should have listened.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
5 out of 5
Dates read: 10 June 2022 to 17 June 2022
Length: 295 pages
First published in 2014 by Sceptre
Recommended by: My friend, Amy (@amysreading_nook)
Available to order from Amazon, Waterstones, Bookdepository
Trigger warnings: Death, grief, suicidal thoughts
Blurb: At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d’etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents’ Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
But isn’t it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible…
My thoughts: Potentially my favourite 2022 read. Yes, it’s still a little early to say for sure, but I am fairly confident.
Who knew the grumpy old Ove had so much love inside the heart of his that was too big. I was speaking to @amysreading_nook about this book while reading it and I told her I’d laughed out loud and gasped multiple times, but no tears in sight. I take it all back. I grew attached to the old Ove and he got me. Straight in my feels. It was one specific sentence and there was not a dry eye in the house. I really thought I had a heart of stone, but I was SOBBING!
But it wasn’t all “s a d“. Ove is a funny man, he made me laugh out loud many more times than he made me cry!
10/10 would recommend.
With those red shoes and the gold brooch and all her burnished brown hair. And that laughter of hers which, for the rest of his life, would make him feel as if someone was running around barefoot on the inside of his breast.
Do you have a favourite translated book?
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