8/10. A lovely read ( )

Confronting the loss of the love of your life, is never easy, it can be handled, but sometimes it can get messy. A Man Called Ove, is funny, tender, and touching, and proves that good books are still being written.
It takes place in Sweden, but it could just as easily have taken place in middle America. Ove, is a cantankerous old coot, with serious OCD, and cranky and cheap as well.
He doesn't want to be a part of other people's lives and he definitely doesn't want in his life, but fate intervenes and soon he is no longer in control of anything, and yet he is.
This is a fantastic book. ( )

Make me laugh out loud and cry in one book, and you get 5 stars automatically.

This easy reading book tells the story of Ove. Ove is a curmudgeon and a man of a different mold. He is also a great character that is drawn in an utterly heartwarming way. Ove is not the happiest guy because of a loss in his life, but when a new neighbor moves into his community, he begins to see his life through different eyes.

The strength of this book really lies in the author's sharp wit. There are a lot of clever lines, and I definitely found myself chuckling. He also does a great job of making you fall in love with Ove by revealing him to the reader at just the right pace. It's truly a pitch perfect book. Not a literary masterpiece, but the type of book that would absolutely be perfect to get you out of a reading slump. The type of book that makes you remember why you fell in love with reading in the first place. ( )

Oh, I couldn't imagine liking the story about the grumpy old man so much!

This novel is so beautiful and poignant at the same time. I just loved all the characters and their little community. It is a story of being able to show love and care to all the people around us.

Backman weaves his story going from the present to the past and then back again to the present... And it worked for me really well. He doesn't lay all his cards on the table, he slowly - one by one - gives us the reasons for Ove's grumpiness. And when he tells them all, I feel the desire to care for Ove myself. He felt so real for me and so hurt. And what touched me the most was Ove's big heart - how he really cared for all his neighbours despite sounding not so loving.

This novel reminded me once again how important it is to get to know the person better before judging them. And I would recommend it to all my friends. ( )

Quirky, sweet, funny, sad, joyful. I just loved this story. The audio book narrator was great. (Note: I listened to it again with my husband and teens on a road trip. It held up as a book that would entertain young adults (and hopefuly sneak in a lesson about the need for and joy of serving other in this life). I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.) ( )