I'm certainly late to the game reviewing Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove. For some reason, I never picked it up until now. But after finishing it last night, I can't believe it's taken this long for me to read about this lovable curmudgeon.Let's just say that Ove is...particular...about how he wants things done (I identify!). He lives his life by rules, routine and tradition, and doesn't understand people who want to change things or move into the technological age. The first few pages will have you rolling on the floor as Ove tries to buy a computer. But the beauty of Ove is that after you laugh, you will cry, and then you will laugh again, and then you will sob. Backman takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions as Ove thinks that maybe this is a world he doesn't want to live in anymore.
The writing in A Man Called Ove is just beautiful. From the beginning, readers know that the ultimate goal is to get Ove to realize that life is worth living after all. It's the question of how (or if) he will eventually reach that point that makes A Man Called Ove such a rewarding read.
MY RATING - 4
