Book Review: A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Humor
Date Published: August 2012
Publisher: Atria Books
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 337 pages/ 9 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: 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.

My Rating:

 ★★★ 1/2

.....For making me chuckle out loud

My Thoughts:

Well this one was pretty cute, I gotta say. It made me chuckle out loud a number of times (maybe not the best thing to do when you're listening to this on audiobook with your headphones on, but what the heck). And it had a fun, grouchy main character that you easily end up loving, despite all of his antics.

As much as it made me laugh, however, I can't say I totally loved it. The story was a bit predictable, and I found myself drifting off a little bit from time to time, and having to backtrack to re-listen to what I missed.

I also wasn't totally convinced by the age of Ove. In the book, he's supposed to be 59 years old, which seems a bit too young. In my opinion, he reads like an older guy, like closer to 70/75 years old (the cranky types that I've personally met were around that age).

Anyway, overall this is a fun quick read, but not an amazing piece of literature. A good vacation read.