A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman

I am writing this book review in March while navigating the chaos happening in the world, specifically the war in Iran, which has forced me to slow down these past couple of days. This deceleration brought reflection on habits I have dropped and others I have picked up, such as watching TV like a lunatic since I looked at my electricity bill and almost screamed but alas it was I who did that. I am not about to detail how I vowed to reduce my television consumption, yet this decision came on its own because I realized I haven’t done many things I love, like reading and writing book reviews based on the books I read, so that is definitely going to change.

I started A Man Called Ove a few days before flying home for Christmas and finished reading it on the flight, where I cried a little because Ove’s life was simple and reminded me of my grandpa, God rest his soul, whom I barely remember because he died when I was way too young. Ove is forced into retirement, which he does not take too well, and the first time I cried was when he kept talking to his wife without her responding, which I initially thought was rude until I read on and realized that she died. Their meeting was beautiful and simple with nothing over the top, serving as a sigh of relief amidst all the dating standards we have now, and reading this book was a reminder that it really is not that hard to find your person since theirs was an opposites attract type of relationship. Speaking of opposites attract, and how it relates to dating, I believe it is not a one-size-fits-all rule because some couples are similar, and that is exactly why they work, while for others, the opposites attract rule really holds.

Moving past couples and toward a little spoiler, the book starts with Ove planning on committing suicide and having his elaborate plans thwarted one way or another, though whether he dies in the end is for you to read and find out. Life hardened Ove after losing both his parents at a young age, and the book was a good emphasis on the importance of father figures in kids’ lives since his father’s influence remained with him through his commitment to his wife, working hard, and never taking what wasn’t his.

Ove is the definition of a tough exterior with the softest heart, and seeing him build a little community for himself was beautiful, alongside him still talking to his wife through it all, which really is the point of finding someone to have an eternal conversation with. Overall I recommend this book as an easy read that feels like walking side by side every day with dear old Ove, and it may take a while but he will grow on you eventually.