A MAN CALLED OVE (B FORMAT)

A simple and easy-to-read story, without any intricate plot or twists. This one just flows gently through the day-to-day life of a man called Ove-who had a difficult childhood and has now lost the wife he loved so deeply. Once a strong man, he now finds himself in a dilapidated pause of life. The story keeps us hooked throughout with the presence of warm and interesting characters around him.An emotional and humorous read.

A Man Called Ove" isn't just a story; it's an experience. Fredrik Backman masterfully crafts a tale of a seemingly grumpy old man whose gruff exterior hides a heart capable of profound warmth. Ove's interactions with his new, vibrant neighbors are both hilarious and deeply moving, forcing him to confront his past and open himself to connection. Backman's writing is superb, creating characters that feel incredibly real and capturing the nuances of human emotion with sensitivity. This book will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately, appreciate the power of human connection. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a story that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking

A Man Called Ove, takes you to the Swedish town and makes you laugh and cry and sometimes both. The book is about an old man and his journey from his simple childhood to a struggling life. The man who lost his wife, Sonja to cancer, and wants nothing more than to kill himself in peace. First, he keeps getting interrupted by his neighbors and later, he fixes everything right. The trouble is all these people need his help. Ove can’t turn his back and annoy his wife. As he helps the neighbors, he reflects his memories of his time living with Sonja.In the opening scenes, he is yelling at an iPad sales clerk, like an irate elder man who can’t get with times. But when you learn everything that led to it, you’ll find so many connections. Ove has so many levels to him you will lose count trying to guess what he might do in any given situation. His reactions will annoy you, irritate you beyond belief. But gradually you’ll see the stones turning. OVE is a man of order of life. A man of very few relationships, but the very few he loved, he can build an empire for them. He liked to understand, learn and create things by himself. Like what he thought, he could do. The anecdotes and flashbacks spread throughout the story tell us how he came to be the man he is; wonderful yet complex.It’s not what the story is about, but what it leaves with you that makes you love the book.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. It struck the perfect balance between lighthearted fun and genuine emotion, keeping me completely immersed throughout.

Beautiful slow paced life taking through each snippet Carefullly. Well written and amazing read.

After months of reading self-help, I finally decided to pick up a fiction and delve into some good storytelling. I have been hearing a lot about this book and the movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks. Hence, I gave it a read to be a judge of all the attention this book (and movie) has been garnering. And yeah, it did not fail to overwhelm me and make me contemplate about everything that the character was going through.Ove, a 59-year-old man, grumpy to be specific, decides to end his life because he has nothing to live for. His wife has passed away, he was asked to quit his job because they longer needed his service. The day he decides to do that, a new family moves in to the neighbourhood. The neighbours start coming over and start asking him for tools, ladders, etc. and Ove ends up helping them. Although, he misses his wife every second and wants to go where she is. He has paid all his debts, took care all the documentation and legal affairs, even washed the last mug he drank his coffee in, covered the floor with plastic so that the floors remain good, booked a place right beside his wife, Sonja.The book takes us on a journey where Ove comes in contact with his neighbours and his interaction with them. It takes us in a flashback where Ove thinks about his mother, his father with whom he spent most of his time, how he met Sonja and his black and white life filled with colour, his reconciliation with Anita and Rune, his friends and neighbours. The book beautifully describes Sonja and the compassion she carried. We won't doubt Ove's love for her even for a microsecond, because we'd feel ourselves falling in love with such a wonderful soul, Sonja.There are some books which make you stop reading and look at the wall, and wonder over what has been written. This book gave me many such instances. Ove's love for Sonja and the things he did for her was heartwarming. The way Ove picked Sonja up every night and took her to their room, despite she asking him to shift to the room downstairs, and Ove's rationale as to why he will never stop doing it, will give everyone the hope. Sonja's analogy where she compared moving into a house to falling in love, welled up my eyes. When Parvaneh feels that she won't be able to drive the car when people kept honking behind her, and the talk that Ove gave her which made us realize how powerful women are. These are probably a few parts in the book which I will never forget.Quotes worth mentioning:1. “You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away.”2. “But if anyone had asked, he would have told them that he never lived before he met her. And not after either.”3. “They never had much, but they always had enough.”4. “Men like Ove and Rune were from a generation in which one was what one did, not what one talked about.”Overall, an amazing book written in a simple language, all one has to do is understand Ove and his emotions. The book will sure take you on a journey, and you'll be tempted to watch the movie and give an embodiment to such lovely characters. I'd recommend kids to not read it as it has some depiction of suicide.