Friday, January 2, 2015

A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove
By Fredrik Backman
Atria Books, 2014. 337 pages. Fiction.

Ove is a grumpy old man. That's really all that can be said about him. But as you see Ove's curmudgeonly interactions with his neighbors, you also learn his past and the things that have made him who he is.

I love Ove! The writing in this book is so real, so personal, that you will forget that Ove is a fictional character. I listened to the audiobook (downloadable on Overdrive) and was entranced the whole time. The reader is amazing and, combined with the wonderful writing, draw you completely into Ove's world. There isn't an exciting plot or lots of action, but people who are looking for great characterization will fall in love with the Ove and his neighbors just as much as I did. A simple book, but lovely, humorous, and deeply touching.

JH

1 comment:

Breanne said...

After hearing so much about this book in the past two years, I finally caved and read it. I'm happy to say that it lived up to all my expectations. The real strength of the book is Ove's character, a strong, distinct, and quirky personality with an interesting backstory. The story action takes a backseat to the character building, but is still heart warming despite Ove's Curmudgeonliness. I listened to the audiobook which has a very talented reader, I highly recommend it.