Review : A Man Called Ove

Hello book lovers! How’s it going?

A quick piece of information before we begin with the book review, we will be having the first activity of our book club this Sunday, i.e. 14th June, and it will be a TREASURE HUNT! I am so excited for it. I’ll let you know the details soon. See you there! 🙂

Alright then, let’s get to my favorite part of writing this blog.

“We always think there’s enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like ‘if’.”

Tour d’ Horizon

A grumpy, pragmatic, self-reliant old man, cynical, about the new ways of the world. A neighborhood teeming with people who can’t reverse their trailers properly without demolishing all things in sight and takes pride in being dependent on machines, enough to make him despise them. A man mourning for the loss of his love of life. A neighborhood veiled in celebrating their pretentious lifestyles. A man ready to embark on his journey on being united with his deceased lover. A neighborhood determined to not let him succumb to death peacefully. At least not until, he learns to live again. And a story that follows, ensuring you’ll shed tears of joy and sorrow till the very end.

Review

There are a few books which leave you speechless after you read them. It seems there exist no words to describe how perfect they are. With a a perfect blend of emotions, humor, loss, love, pinches of reality and the juxtaposition of varied themes in an appealing manner, trust me, this novel does that to you.

In the beginning you meet a typical old man, extremely rigid in his belief, his daily routine, his actions and his confusion and contempt regarding the ever changing world. As you turn the leaflets, you meet the same man to live his boyhood and adulthood with him, to understand his story, his victories, his losses, the reasons behind his actions and to perceive him as a part of your life, as someone who you want to be with till he learns to embrace his life.

This novel spiraling between the past and present includes so many emotions and social developments one after the other, in a way which does not seem sententious or moralizing, rather presenting things as they are; unexpected, resonating and deeply affecting our lives.

All the characters fit beautifully in the narrative and each one of them carves a unique relationship with the protagonist. Be it Parvaneh’s (his new neighbour) symbolic father-daughter relationship, symbolic grandfather relationship with the Parveneh’s children and his late wife’s student , his friendship with Rune (his old friend) or even Ove befriending a cat imposed upon him forcefully, all help the book become a dazzling showpiece.

The writing is so impactful and strong that is compels you to think about so many things and act upon them soon, without you realizing.It is entrenched with so many beautiful sentences about life, that I can’t help but drool at them. It has a perfect blend of laughter and sorrow, that there are chances you might wet the pages while reading the book. I remember skimming through the second half of the novel in blur of tears. So a quick warning: do not read the book while experiencing an emotional override. This book is enough to give you teary jolts on its own!

One thing which makes me a little disheartened while reading books, is when the authors fail to provide a good ending and a closure to their characters.However, A Man Called Ove has surpassed my expectations in that aspect as well. I salute the author for his imagination and creativity.

Aren’t there some books which you want to move along quickly, yet you don’t want them to end? The feeling of grueling curiosity yet a little apprehensiveness to not know the end? The appropriate answer to these questions is this particular book, itself.

For me this book stands at 5/5 stars and I know I would love to read it again. I have become a huge fan of Fredrick Backman and I have added his other books in my TBR list.

Lastly, I couldn’t believe my luck after realizing this masterpiece of a novel had been lying in my bookshelf for about three years, before I finally took the plunge to read, and there is just one regret after finishing the book; why did I not read it before?

So guys, don’t make the same mistake as me and read it as soon as you can, so that when the time runs out, you don’t keep holding on to words like ‘if’.

I’ll see you guys on Saturday with the activity I have planned for the book club! Stay tuned for more.

If you liked my review, don’t forget to like and follow my blog!

Until the next time,

Cheers!

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