From the Bookshelf of Clean Reads…

A Man Called Ove

Fredrik Backman

Why we're reading this: A group member said about this book, among others: "These are books with a good message but contain some …more
[close] A group member said about this book, among others: "These are books with a good message but contain some language and adult themes, but I was glad I read them."

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What Members Thought

Nov 01, 2016 Tracie rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book a lot, but can't say I loved it, for one reason: I really struggled with Ove's verbal abuse of other people. I know he had a terrible life as a child, and I know that he has a huge heart(literally) and helps so many people, but none of that justifies regularly calling people idiots. To their faces. Or punching them. Or throwing things. Plenty of people have awful things happen in their childhood and don't turn into verbally abusive adults. It just made me feel uneasy every time ...more

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Jun 05, 2017 Tanya rated it really liked it

I loved this! I didn't know anything about the storyline except what the back cover read. Ove is an incredibly grumpy old man- someone you'd think you could never like. The chapters switch from his past to his present to weave a complex tale of love, sorrow, strength, courage, mistakes, perseverance... it is such a great reminder that everyone has a back story and if we could just understand it a little better, we would in turn understand one another better. The story was funny and sad and there ...more

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Apr 20, 2016 Paul Stout rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

As my Goodreads friends know, I rarely give 5 stars, but this books deserves it. Some books make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you sad and some make you look at life differently than you ever have before. This book did all of that and more. It took about 15 pages for it too hook me, and I didn't want the story to end. Who would have thought that a book about an angry, Swedish curmudgeon could be so powerful. I'm tempted to read it again. ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Cara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, audiobook, fiction, books-listened-in-2017, 2017-book-challenge

Ove...ooooh-vuh. The adult life of a grumpy dude who can't handle everyone's incompetitence. His life stopped after his wife's death and its humorously restored thru a new neighbor.

2017 Book Challenge
Translated from another language
Made into a movie ...more

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