A Man Called Ove in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Dec 04, 2017 Jen Ifer's Inklings rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library, audio-books, popsugar-2017-reading-challenge, read-in-2017, 5-star-reads

I have no words, only tears right now.

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Dec 31, 2020 Taryn rated it really liked it

Maybe I'm a little too "Ove", but I wasn't wild about the ending. I have a pretty icy heart, but this was really really endearing in a lot of ways, and it thawed my ice a bit. ...more

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Jun 30, 2019 Graceann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: pop-sugar-2019, favorites, general-fiction

When I started reading A Man Called Ove, I thought "this guy is just a jerk; I hate him already." However, I was mindful of the comments made by other readers when this complaint has been voiced in the past. Over and over, I heard "stick with it; you'll find out why and start caring pretty quickly." I stuck with it, found out, and A Man Called Ove is my favorite read of 2019 so far.

Ove is what you could charitably refer to as a curmudgeon. It would be deeply tempting to call him an asshole and m When I started reading A Man Called Ove, I thought "this guy is just a jerk; I hate him already." However, I was mindful of the comments made by other readers when this complaint has been voiced in the past. Over and over, I heard "stick with it; you'll find out why and start caring pretty quickly." I stuck with it, found out, and A Man Called Ove is my favorite read of 2019 so far.

Ove is what you could charitably refer to as a curmudgeon. It would be deeply tempting to call him an asshole and move to get away from him. He's a very particular sort; what my husband might call a "character." He has deeply embedded principles, and they are sometimes inexplicable to those around him. For instance, he finds it impossible to reason with someone who has a certain type of car. Why? Only Ove knows, though he really thinks it should be obvious to everyone.

I think I connected with Ove because, in his finest moments, he reminded me of my father, who was a difficult person, to say the least, but very infrequently displayed flashes of emotion and generosity that would surprise and endear. Ove may be a stickler for the rules about driving in the residential area, but he'll also take on an abusive thug who has been beating up his partner. He may balk at paying to park at the hospital, but he'll still drive you there. He's blunt, he's confrontational, he's exasperating. He's also doing the best he can in a world that just doesn't "get" him. Ove is a special kind of man, which his wife Sonja sees, even if not everyone else does.

The thing about Ove is that he has deep reservoirs of emotion and pain, but doesn't have the facility for expressing these feelings in the way that average people do. He just "gets on with things," and doesn't understand why others can't be the same way. Yes, sticking with the story helped me understand Ove, and helped me understand a person in my own life who felt things deeply, but lacked the ability to express himself in conventional ways. I wasn't just entertained by Ove's adventures; I learned from them. It seems a weird thing to wish for an Ove in one's life, but I freely admit I was sorry to say goodbye to him, and to his collection of friends, at the end of the book. ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Daphne rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. Gave me insight into the grumpy man in my life. Poor Ove, he is simply trying to get one thing done and everyone keeps interrupting him! Even a scrawny kitten stray!

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Dec 29, 2019 Larissa rated it liked it

I started and stopped this book a few times as I was not really excited about reading a book about a grumpy old man. I finally continued it to the end and I did really end up enjoying the story and the sweet relationships that developed throughout the story. Now to check out the movie?

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May 29, 2023 Cari rated it it was amazing

This is a beautiful, gentle, clever novel that celebrates human kindness and dignity with just the right amount of chuckles and tears. I wish I hadn’t read it yet so j could pick it up again for the first time. Backman is definitely one of my favorite authors.

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