Once in a while comes a book, which stays with you for a long time, and you revisit it in times of joy and sorrow. One such book is A Man called Ove written by Swedish writer and blogger Fredrik Backman. It has also been adapted into a popular movie. If you haven’t yet read this book, it is a good time to pick this one, during this period of uncertain times. The book, a New York Times bestseller, will offer you joy, hope, and tell you a lot about human resilience.
It’s the story of Ove, a grumpy old man living alone in a small Swedish town and how a new neighbour turns his life around. Ove, who lost his wife to cancer, wants nothing more than to kill himself in peace. He has organised everything leading up to his death – paid his bills, got subscriptions cancelled and so on. But life has other plans for Ove. Read about the series of interruptions that doesn’t allow Ove to kill himself. The story is a reflection of why Ove is the way he is and want to kill himself and how he is unable to do it.
The book will touch you in more ways than one. Every character will leave an indelible imprint. Take for instance Ove’s wife, Sonja. She is a vivacious person who touched every life she interacted with through her words. She appears briefly through Ove’s memories. And, yet she leaves a deep impact on readers for the way she teaches Ove some valuable life lessons. The best sequences in the book are the conversations between Ove and a neighbourhood cat.
It’s a heart-warming tale of unreliable first impressions and a gentle reminder that life is sweeter when it is shared with people. The book is as much a comical novel as an emotional one and will leave you moist-eyed more than once.