A Man Called Ove

We all have a grumpy old hermit in our lives. Sometimes difficult, but nonetheless lovable. The book, A Man Called Ove, written by Fredrik Backman, is exactly that, an enjoyable story about a local grump. This popular novel originated in Sweden, and quickly spread to become a worldwide best seller.

A Man Called Ove follows two timelines, the current timeline of Ove in the current day, and the story of Ove’s youth and life leading up to the present. We learn about struggles that Ove went through, people he loved, people he lost, and his unlikely friendship with neighbors and a cat. We come to understand who Ove is and why he is the way he is. The book is not exactly exciting, there are no wild adventures, rather it reads more like a memoir.

Backman wrote a wonderfully heartwarming book. It left me laughing, smiling, frustrated, and in tears. I fell in love with Ove, just all of his neighbors and those around him did. I found the story very simple, and a quick read. I am not sure what age the book is written for, but it felt very much like a children’s book. I felt a little underwhelmed by the book and surprised at how generic it was. However, it was an enjoyable book that left me feeling happy and warm.

I would recommend this book to a younger reader, or someone looking for a simple happy story. For an avid or intense reader, this book did not contain many complexities or engaging concepts and I would not suggest they read it. The best part of the story was the cat.

Ratings: 0-10 score
Books:
1. How Engaging is it? 4/10
2. Style 6/10
3. Characters 5/10
4. Ending 7/10
5. Overall Editing and Understandability 10/10
6. Plot 8/10

Overall Score: 6/10