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.

Ponder Post: The Magnolia Story

Since I am a fan of the HGTV show Fixer Upper, I really enjoyed this book. I read it on the flight east to Chicago on September 25th and finished it one evening shortly after reaching my destination. Why do I tell you this? Because I delayed writing a review post about this book until I had posted about the Chicago trip itself, which took me a while. Consequently I am having a hard time remembering what was actually in the book - just that I liked it a lot. The majority of The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines is engaging, the beginning and the end are good, and the writing style flows readily. My only negative is that I do recall it as having a bit of a doldrums for a short section in the middle. My eyes glazed over a bit with a discussion of investment capital.

Most TV shows, at the least the ones I am willing to invest my time in watching,  engage on two levels. There is the immediate topic of the show – a crime to be solved, a medical condition to be conquered, a court case to be won – but then there is the continuing back story of personal lives of the characters – their sex/love life, their battle with addiction, their demons from a past trauma or childhood hardship. It is often the undercurrent of this back story that keeps me returning to the show each week, rather than the isolated episodic focus. This book is kind of that back story to the TV show Fixer Upper.

For the uninitiated, Fixer Upper is a home design and renovation show that features a husband/wife team who take old wrecks of houses and turns them into beautiful but comfortable and livable homes. It has run four seasons and this upcoming fifth season will be its last. Fixer Upper stars the married couple Chip and Joanna Gaines and occasionally cameos their four children. Chip Gaines is a laughable, impulsive, hardworking, builder/contractor whose antics have one believing he must have a dose of hyperactivity or has imbibed an overly generous dose of caffeine. Joanna Gaines appears to be the artistic designer half of the pair, a calming foil to Chip's ebullience. On the show they are portrayed as strongly devoted to each other and very family-oriented; I believe this image is genuine.

How can this couple have achieved such success and at a relatively young age, while being actively engaged in raising a family of four children? How can Joanna continue to look so good after birthing four children? (The book does not answer that question so I am left to assume good genes, although there is a brief reference to jogging.) This book does tell of their struggles, successes, and determination as it describes the ups and downs of their path to stardom - non-Hollywood style. It restores one's faith in there being people out there with good clean values. It was a comforting, satisfying read that, at least to me, seemed to exude honesty. Those unfamiliar with the show will not get much out of this book but fans of Fixer Upper will definitely give it two thumbs up. It has a five star rating on Amazon. I will probably give it a four star rating due only to its limited audience.