Ponder Post: A Man Called Ove

Three times. I read the first two chapters of this book three times! I could not get into A Man Called Ove although many  people had told me how enjoyable it was – people who I like, people who are not out to impress, people with my taste. So I determined I needed to be a captive audience to get over my initial struggle for engagement with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I started this book once more on my return flight from Chicago and this time I stuck with it.

I am very glad I did. In the beginning as the reader meets Ove he is a grumpy old man. I did not want to read a book that was so dour and such a downer. As I read on however, a softness in this curmudgeon was revealed that even he would not admit was there. As the petals of his life story are plucked away, you begin to understand his harshness and maybe even condone it. You may even wonder why he is not more unpleasant than he appears to be. Parts of this tale made me so angry, parts of it made me weep, parts of it brought a faint, twisted smile to my lips, and parts of it made me want to cheer that there may indeed be justice in the world – sometimes – if we work to get it there. It is not so much the plot of A Man Called Ove that reels you in, as it is the revelation of his character, episode by episode, chapter by chapter. This book is imbued with subtle understated humor while being a strong study in human emotional interactions.  I loved this book.

By the way if you are wondering how to pronounce Ove you are not alone. Check out this YouTube link. If you are wondering why I have inserted a picture of an iPad, read the first chapter of A Man Called Ove. You need to read it only once though. Trust me.