Review: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the most wonderful and beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure to read.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was wonderful. I've been recommending this to everyone I've talked to since I finished this book and I'll be purchasing my own copy I loved it so much.I see a reread in my future very soon, I miss him already.  I checked this out from the library and wanted to restart it as soon as I was done, but I returned so someone else could enjoy the beauty that is Ove.  I've heard Backman's other books are just as excellent, so I hope to read those soon out as well.

This book is older, but I've been hearing rave reviews about it for the last few months.  When I was looking for suggestions for a book with a cat on the cover for my reading challenge prompts A Man Called Ove came up regularly.  I thought, why not, I've heard great things.  I requested it at the library but the waiting list as you can imagine was long.  I read a different book for that prompt instead, but I'm using Ove to fill one of the advanced prompts a book that takes place over a character's life span.  I think this fits much better than the book I originally had slotted in that spot.  If it weren't for this challenge I would have never picked A Man Called Ove, and I would have missed out on one of the most wonderful books I think I've ever read, and one of my new favorites.

I loved Ove so much!  He reminded me of so many people in my life (men and women alike), myself included. I loved learning his story. This was such a wonderful story about life, love, loss, strength, and a man who likes things the way he likes them. I laughed so many times throughout this book, and I cried when it was over. He endeared himself to so many people even with his grumpy demeanor and his my way or the highway way of doing things.  There was so much more to Ove than you would ever know, and I loved getting to know him.  He suffered the loss of his mother at a very young age, his father in his teens.  Ove has had much loss in his life, but the one bright spot in his life was his wife Sonja.  Much of the story is told in present day, after Sonja has passed, and Ove's wacky attempts to commit suicide are interrupted by his chaotic neighbors who are alway causing chaos that drives him crazy.  Ove likes things neat and orderly.  He wants people to follow the rules and read the signs.  His new neighbors are noisy and messy and loud, and they barge their way into Ove's life in a way he never thought he needed them to.  He very quickly finds that htis world isn't done with him yet, and Sonja will have to wait a little longer for him while he takes care of those around.  As the doctor tells Ove and Pravanah, "his heart is just too big".  You have to read the book to understand the irony of that statement.