New Medium Article: A Man Called Ove Has Made Me a Fan of Fredrik Backman
Good morning everyone! I just wanted to pop on here and let you know I posed a new Medium article. It's a book review of A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman, which I read last fall.
Link to the full article is below, as well as a sneak peek.
At this time all my Medium are free.
Serena
Link: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
Sneak Peek:
Author’s Note: While this article is mainly spoiler-free, it may contain minor spoilers for A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. This article is written from the book, not the movie.
After reading Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, I finally understand the widespread acclaim for his work. Having previously read two of his other books and found them to be okay, this novel truly made me fall in love with Backman’s storytelling and sparked a desire to explore more of his literature.
A Man Called Ove follows Ove, who is a grumpy old man. At least, it seems like the rest of the world. He has principles and standards and expects the rest of the world to meet them. He has a strict routine, one that everyone else must follow. He is short-fused, which, of course, is caused by everyone else. The rest of the world is idiots and he has no idea how they function. They do not know how to do anything, never put in an honest day’s work, and mooch off people like him. So, of course, he is bitter. He stays away from them.
That is until one day when Ove’s life is turned upside down by his neighbours backing into his mailbox, which is a problem because you are not supposed to be driving in the residential area anyway. He tries to get rid of them, but they do not appear to get the message. From here, the world he has worked so hard to build is torn down and never returned. No matter how hard Ove tries to make things go back to how they are supposed to, it does not seem to be happening. He finds himself in a world of neighbours, children, and a cat. Despite this, he finds his guard being let down and it makes him start to reexamine the world, but no one knows what they are doing. If he decides to get rid of them, they will probably end up in a ditch somewhere.
Ove starts as a very unlikable character. He is set in his ways. He goes out each morning and inspects the row houses where he lives. He is looking for anything and everything that is out of order. If people are not doing something right, he tells them. Then, he tells them that they are idiots. He believes that he is the only person who can do anything right anymore. Except for one thing…He has been forced to retire and it is not working out for him. If anything, it has only made him even more bitter about the younger generation and those who work from home. He is lost and does not know what to do with his life. Everything that he has ever known has been taken away from him.
The novel offers a profound exploration of Ove’s character through meticulously crafted flashbacks. These glimpses into his past are exceptionally well done and enrich the narrative significantly. Ove’s life has been a series of challenges, teaching him the hard lesson that self-reliance is paramount. From a young age, he learned that hard work was the only path to achieving anything, and everything he has attained is a direct result of his relentless effort. This upbringing instilled in him a strong moral code: he never betrays others and strictly adheres to his principles. Ove firmly believes that individuals should be judged by their own work and actions, not by the circumstances or actions of those around them. His philosophy is one of self-sufficiency; if you don’t know how to do something, you should learn and handle it yourself. Dependence on others is not an option in Ove’s world, and he staunchly believes that you cannot count on anyone but yourself. This perspective not only shapes his interactions with others but also underscores the depth of his character as someone who has navigated life’s hardships through sheer determination and an unwavering sense of duty.
Link to the full article is below, as well as a sneak peek.
At this time all my Medium are free.
Serena
Link: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
Sneak Peek:
Author’s Note: While this article is mainly spoiler-free, it may contain minor spoilers for A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. This article is written from the book, not the movie.
After reading Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, I finally understand the widespread acclaim for his work. Having previously read two of his other books and found them to be okay, this novel truly made me fall in love with Backman’s storytelling and sparked a desire to explore more of his literature.
A Man Called Ove follows Ove, who is a grumpy old man. At least, it seems like the rest of the world. He has principles and standards and expects the rest of the world to meet them. He has a strict routine, one that everyone else must follow. He is short-fused, which, of course, is caused by everyone else. The rest of the world is idiots and he has no idea how they function. They do not know how to do anything, never put in an honest day’s work, and mooch off people like him. So, of course, he is bitter. He stays away from them.
That is until one day when Ove’s life is turned upside down by his neighbours backing into his mailbox, which is a problem because you are not supposed to be driving in the residential area anyway. He tries to get rid of them, but they do not appear to get the message. From here, the world he has worked so hard to build is torn down and never returned. No matter how hard Ove tries to make things go back to how they are supposed to, it does not seem to be happening. He finds himself in a world of neighbours, children, and a cat. Despite this, he finds his guard being let down and it makes him start to reexamine the world, but no one knows what they are doing. If he decides to get rid of them, they will probably end up in a ditch somewhere.
Ove starts as a very unlikable character. He is set in his ways. He goes out each morning and inspects the row houses where he lives. He is looking for anything and everything that is out of order. If people are not doing something right, he tells them. Then, he tells them that they are idiots. He believes that he is the only person who can do anything right anymore. Except for one thing…He has been forced to retire and it is not working out for him. If anything, it has only made him even more bitter about the younger generation and those who work from home. He is lost and does not know what to do with his life. Everything that he has ever known has been taken away from him.
The novel offers a profound exploration of Ove’s character through meticulously crafted flashbacks. These glimpses into his past are exceptionally well done and enrich the narrative significantly. Ove’s life has been a series of challenges, teaching him the hard lesson that self-reliance is paramount. From a young age, he learned that hard work was the only path to achieving anything, and everything he has attained is a direct result of his relentless effort. This upbringing instilled in him a strong moral code: he never betrays others and strictly adheres to his principles. Ove firmly believes that individuals should be judged by their own work and actions, not by the circumstances or actions of those around them. His philosophy is one of self-sufficiency; if you don’t know how to do something, you should learn and handle it yourself. Dependence on others is not an option in Ove’s world, and he staunchly believes that you cannot count on anyone but yourself. This perspective not only shapes his interactions with others but also underscores the depth of his character as someone who has navigated life’s hardships through sheer determination and an unwavering sense of duty.
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