A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The book is about a grumpy old man called Ove, who wakes up every day to end his life because he is all alone after passing away of his wife, but each day something or the other happens which makes him to postpone his resolve. Ove has hard time coming to terms with people around because he doesn’t like people much and he reluctantly help others because he is literally dragged into such situations where he has the least say (even if he does have a say, it is mostly overruled by himself ). But still he does. Though he might be sulky but he possess a loving and kind heart which keeps in mind the memories of his wife Sonja and tries to do as he think she would have liked him to do.

The narrative of the story is crisp with dollops of good humour, which makes it a very gripping read. The experience is almost that of watching a movie, it is so vivid I could visualise it for the entire length.

But I felt that this book was really much more than just a story of an old man coming to terms with his life. It was also about the notion of giving because living is not merely about what we can take from life, it is also about what we can give it back. To receive happiness and kindness in one’s life is blissful but to be able to give it to those in need brings a tranquillity, which can make the life more meaningful. I strongly believe that this process is cyclical. A giver gives and the receiver receives and the cycle moves on and in the process the giver also becomes a receiver. I felt this book very elegantly brings this about, focusing on the inherent goodness, all the while also managing to be light and humorous. I loved it.




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