This book starts its journey with Book Crossing from Delphi, Greece
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"At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets. But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so? In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible..."

~~~~~~To the person who found this book:~~~~~~

Welcome to BookCrossing.com, where we are trying to make the whole world a library!

If you have not already done so, please make a journal entry so we know this book has found a new home. Drop a few lines on where and how you found this book and what you thought of it. You don't need to join BookCrossing and you can remain completely anonymous. However, I encourage you to join so that you can follow this book's future travels. It's fun and free, and your personal information will never be shared or sold.

This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, although I would love you to read and then share it. You can pass it on someone you know or release it once again in the wild, leaving it on a park bench, a phone booth, a hostel lobby...wherever you think it's suitable for the book to continue it's journey. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it.

I hope you enjoy the book!

I was ordering a few books online from Public, a very well-known chain of mega-stores here in Greece and when I saw the price for this book, I had to rub my eyes twice. Too great an offer for such a nice book to resist.

I have actually read this book a few months ago in Greek, my native language, and found it a good read. So I thought I ought to buy this copy to share with the world : )


"A Man Called Ove" is a rather simple story but I think it is thought-provoking too.

Ove is a 59 year old man who appears to be bitter and antisocial but later on we find out he is a man of certain qualities, proud, honest, diligent and... human.

The very start of the book is a bit slow but the narration takes off when Patrick, Parvaneh and their little daughters move in Ove's neighborhood. More characters are introduced in the plot while episodes of Ove's past alternate with current developments. The life of Ove unfolds in the book while he struggles with his new realities and while Parvaneh keeps intruding Ove's life and slowly makes him relate with her family and with people on the neighborhood- some of whom he used to be closely connected with once upon the time...

There are many bitter-sweet moments in the book and many funny moments too, especially those including the cat. Maybe the cat and Parnaveh are the most clever features in this book and have more empathy for Ove in this novel. It is hard to analyse this book without mentioning tons of spoilers, but while the story is not extremely original and the characters feel a bit cartoon-ish at times, it is definately one of those books that beget lots of feelings and make the reader think on many issues.

Can we really judge someone by his manners or by a couple of isolated observations without knowing his full story? Shouldn't older and younger generations try to have some more understanding for each other? Is someone who things a bit differently from other people an eccentic? And should we treat him as one or should we respect each person's unique quality and way of thinking a bit more? Should we look down on someone who loves his privacy and is adamant on his ethics? How flexible should someone be with his own principles? Were completely different characters more likely to work things out in a relationship in the past and live happy ever after? Or not? Do consumerism, technology and progress make people a bit useless nowadays? How bureaucracy can make or break people's living and future and life in general? How certain life experiences shape ones mentallity? And so on...

One thing that troubled me a lot on this book -other than some cliché subplots and characters- is that 60 years old people appear like they are 100 or something. My experience from people around me is that people on their 59 or 60 years do not behave or think like the people on this book. I am not familiar with averrage life span in Sweden, but I would think that nowadays people on their 60s are considered something like middle-aged? And while there is occasionaly illeness and death on this age this is not the norm?

An other pet peeve is that often authors feel like they have to fit everything in one novel while it's not necessary. I have no objection, but I feel some small sub-plots touching family abuse and homosexuality were added in this book just for the shake of including those issues too.

Anyhow, this novel, albeit some weak points, was a good read. It makes you feel and it makes you think and that's what a good book is about, isn't it?
A book that worths to give it a try!

Ove is now traveling to make new friends in Portugal! And then...who knows?

Good Luck my book and don't forget to write home from time to time!
: ))))

Arrived today, safe and sound. I hope to enjoy the company of Ove soon. After that it will be searching for a new home.

Thank you so much for sharing :-)
Warm greetings from the golden island.

The book is now on its way to my friend Icila, as part of my 50th birthday celebration.
Happy readings :-)

What a surprise ! Merci pour ce livre en provenance de la petite île dorée, mon ami.

I couldn't resist and read it immediately.
Thank you again for choosing this book for me, Arvores and for sharing Delphi-Reader.
The book is in the same vein as "My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises" I love this kind of benevolent but accurate humour . I agree with Delphi-Reader though : 59 isn't at all considered old in these days and ages. 60 is the new 40 isn't it ?

30/10/18 : I chose it to be my November offer in greenbadger's "One book a month offered 2018".

It's going to alexiapapa !

On its way to Greece. Enjoy !

Thank you! The book is back to Greece as I see!