Author: Fredrick Backman
Publisher : Atria Books
Pages : 337
Format : Kindle ebook
Kindleandkompass rating : 2.5/5
The book revolves around Ove,a grumpy old man and an introvert who is set in his own ways. He lives in a pod with staunch principles and rules reluctant to adapt to the new era and the technological inventions. He is determined to end his life and join his wife Sonja. A new neighbor from Iran moves in and wham! there starts the twist in Ove’s otherwise not so happening life. Every time he makes an attempt to end his life, life has other plans for him.
So,this is how the entire novel goes with strange characters appearing and disappearing at inopportune moments. But, the core of the book is a heartwarming love story between Ove and his wife. He begins to reflect the life that he lived with his wife. Ove happens to have a big heart filled with grief and after years, he lets people fill in the emptiness and thus the story ends.
“One finds a way of living for the sake of someone else’s future. And it wasn’t as if Ove also died when Sonja left him. He just stopped living.”
I picked this one only after reading rave reviews and the claims of being a best seller. This book isn’t my type. The book is all about love,loss and finding love when you are ready to give up. Ove’s character is very well portrayed right from the beginning of the book, but only as the story goes you come to terms with why he is a man of routine. But why does he utter nasty words, I don’t really understand!
“I miss you,” he whispers. It’s been six months since she died. But Ove still inspects the whole house twice a day to feel the radiators and check that she hasn’t sneakily turned up the heating.”
For many this book is a favorite, but not to me. If grief fiction is your types, go for it. You may like the old man, the other few feel-good characters like Parvaneh and her kids. You may like the language and the magic Fredrick has created.But here’s a warning, reference to Saab cars are a little too much and over done. There’s a bit of humor and heart warming moments, but a lengthy read at a snail pace.
I was hoping to love Ove at least towards the end of the book, but I failed. There was a period where I loved reading melancholy, but I don’t dare to touch such books anymore. I was just carried away by the bookstagrammers reviews and their love for Ove. The social media influence!!!
Overall, this book wasn’t for me and I didn’t like it. So tell us if you have read Ove , smiled and shed tears over his life and loss.
Meanwhile, here are a few books we totally loved and recommend to all readers
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Kindle & Kompass 