A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Backman | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 1476738025 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 12/11/2018
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, December 11, 2018
This slightly-battered softcover was among the books donated to the local library for distribution to the Little Free Libraries in the area. I was glad of another release copy, after having first read the book for a reading group.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (as did the rest of the book group - though, interestingly enough, the very oldest member, who's 80-something, didn't find it quite as amusing as the rest of us did). The emotional ups and downs, the unfolding layers revealing the personalities and histories of the main characters, the delightfully wacky scenes - and the heart-warming ones, hard-won and well earned...

At first I found Ove's stick-to-the-rules grumpiness a bit off-putting, but it soon became clear that his nature was to try and fix things, to do things right, and he just wasn't very patient with others who didn't seem to see things that way. His prickly relationship with his neighbor Rune, the near-mystical appearance of the cat (I loved the cat, but knowing cats as I do I found it a bit too sociable; my take is that it was a kind of genius loci in cat-form), the many ways in which his attempts to end it all were interrupted... it was all wonderful to read. I liked the sometimes-choppy writing style, and I really enjoyed the increasing number of characters whose back-stories enhanced Ove's own. From slapstick scenes about Patrick's clumsiness to wrenching ones about Rune's failing mind to the lovely little sub-plots regarding Adrian, Mirsad and Jimmy, I liked it all - and there were plenty of sniffly bits as well as laugh-out-loud ones. Really enjoyable book!

[The book inspired a 2015 film, which I'd like to see. And there's a TV Tropes page with some entertaining tidbits on both book and film versions.]

Released 5 yrs ago (12/16/2018 UTC) at LFL - Park Social, Ledge St. and Pine St. in Nashua, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2018 What's In A Name release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2018 Movie release challenge. ***

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