A Man Called Ove

And we are back again for the August episode. Don’t worry, this is not going to take 20 minutes like last time, but I do hope you enjoyed THE 3 in 1 July episode about The Summer I Turned Pretty. If you haven’t gotten around to it, no worries, now is the perfect time to get into it with season 3 of the TV show underway. I’m keeping this episode short with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

Originally published in 2012 in Swedish, the book became a New York Times Bestseller after its English publication in 2013. Not bad for a debut novel! Tom Hanks later starred in the 2016 movie A Man Called Otto, inspired by the novel.

I have to confess to having seen the movie first, but nothing compares to the novel itself of course. By this I meant we get Ove’s inner thoughts he never expresses out loud due to the 3rd person POV. This narration style really appealed to me because I think it fits so well with Ove’s personality. But more about that in a few minutes. Let me tell you about the story first. Ove is an old man living on a residential block who likes things to be done the right way and who believes in following rules. The story follows him after his wife’s death when a new family moves in the neighbourhood and comically changes his life.

This contemporary fiction doesn’t look like much, but it’s sure to make you smile.

This contemporary fiction doesn’t look like much, but it’s sure to make you smile. It’s definitely character-centred but with enough action to keep the plot moving. You will definitely find this appealing if you can relate to Ove. He’s a real type A person, meaning he’s a rule-follower, a rigid, organized person who believes the path to a successful life is to work hard, be honest, and be as efficient as possible. Of course that does make him impatient and closed-minded at times, but he’s got a good heart. Even though it’s not a real comedy novel, Ove keep trying to achieve something throughout the novel and the new family as well as other circumstances keep preventing him from reaching his goal. This adds a humoristic tone and puts into perspective the way that life works sometimes. The book and movie are pretty similar, but the novel does go into more detail, into Ove’s deeper thoughts as I’ve said earlier. I think it’s a smart move, especially for readers who might be having a harder time understanding why he can’t just relax and stop being so obsessed with rule following or give up his order of doing his tasks.

I don’t really have anything negative to say, I think it all depends on your perspective. If you like heavy plot-centred novels, you might not like this. No matter your level of interest, you cannot deny it’s a good book. Good values are being promoted, the author created complex characters. It’s age appropriate for young teens with no sexual content or substance abuse. It’s just one of those novels about human existence, our emotions, feelings, perceptions, and reactions to our environment and what is happening to us. You can always consider giving the movie a try if you think the novel would be too long. Cause you never know. You might like it and give the book a second try.

That’s all for this episode! Let’s enjoy the last month of summer. Take some time to go outside, enjoy the sun, fresh air, and a good book.

Until next time, keep exploring those pages!