Book Review: A Man Called Ove

It is always exciting when a book that has been praised by both readers and critics actually lives up to the hype. I probably should not say this as a librarian, but books can sometimes be a lot like movies, and the ones that get rave reviews and win oodles of awards can be exceptionally boring. No, A Man Called Ove is not some action-packed thriller by James Patterson. However, this deceptively simple story will make you laugh, cry, and, most importantly, fill you with hope about the goodness of people.

For those of you have not have heard of A Man Called Ove it hails from Sweden, hence Ove's vehement opinion that  a Saab is the only vehicle anyone should own or drive. Also, I have included this video to answer your biggest question: How do you pronounce Ove? I must confess that I pronounced it "Oh-Vay" the whole time I was reading it.

At first glance Ove is the quintessential crotchety old man: bitter, stingy, gruff, and a wee bit scary. Gradually the reader discovers that Ove is also hardworking, loyal, honest, gentle, and kindhearted (though he would never concur with those last two). With seamlessly incorporated flashbacks Backman reveals the people and circumstances that have shaped Ove into the man that he is. Have the tissue box handy for some of these flashbacks because Ove's life has been fraught with tragedy. In fact, I encouraged my 15 year old daughter to read A Man Called Ove and she came home from school very upset with me. I asked her what I did and she told me: "You made me read that book and I started crying right in class and everyone kept asking me what was wrong!" Personally, I see nothing wrong with crying over fictional characters; I do it all the time.

I promise that the book is not all a downer, though. Ultimately, A Man Called Ove is about love and the remarkable connections a man who has given up on life makes with neighbors, strangers, friends, and even a bedraggled cat. Poignant and remarkably honest, A Man Called Ove is a book that you will be thinking about weeks after you read the last page.

Now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of A Man Called Ove because it is the 2017 selection for  On the Same Page in Ionia County. What that means is that libraries throughout Ionia County will be hosting book clubs and special events revolving around the novel. Portland District Library will be showing the movie, A Man Called Ove, on May 18th at 6pm in our community room and there will be a book discussion May 25th that will include special treats from an Iranian bakery.