Release date: July 15th, 2014
Pages: 337
Genre: Fiction
A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
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“Men are what they are because of what they do. Not what they say.”
This is the easiest 5 stars I ever gave to a book. This was a surprisingly amazing read, even though I was a bit sceptical about it at first because I didn't think this book would be something I'd enjoy.
Boy, was I wrong. From the first page, I knew I'd love it because it just pulled me in. Backman's writing style is absolutely phenomenal, poetic even. You know, there are books that are over-hyped - books that get all 5 stars, but are average at most. And then there are books that deserve all the love they get. This book falls into the second category.
This story about Ove, who everyone knows as 'grumpy old man who loves to argue and wants the last word every time' isn't who he seems to be at first glance. He might sometimes say things that come off as rude and pretentious, but in his heart, he's a good man. As the quote says - he is what he is because of what he does, not because of what he says.
Ove is ready to end it all because he doesn't see the meaning of life anymore. But then he gets new neighbours and the pregnant woman just doesn't leave him alone. Every time Ove is ready to go, something or someone crosses his plans.
I can't do this book justice with my review, so I'll just say this is easily one of my favourite books I've ever read in my life. Beautiful story, beautifully written. I love, love, love it.
You'll laugh and you'll cry. You'll hate and you'll love.
Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove (soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, as well as two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, his first work of non-fiction, will be released in the US in May 2019. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @backmansk.
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