The novel, A Man Called Ove, is truly a story about just that - a man called Ove. When we first meet Ove, he is a crotchety, elderly man who is mad at the world and hates all people. His wife died six months ago, and he has decided that he wants to be with her in the afterlife. As he is making plans to end his life, he meets his new neighbors and starts to change. This novel is all at once hilarious, sad and heartwarming. You definitely won't regret getting to know Ove! This is one of my favorite books from 2014. Read the first few pages about Ove trying to buy an iPad and you won't be able to put it down! Definitely, one of the funniest books I've ever read and it made me think about what sort of lasting impact my life will have on others.
Read the New York Times bestseller that has taken the world by storm In this "charming debut" (People) from one of Sweden's most successful authors, 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. A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Fredrik Backman's novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. "If there was an award for 'Most Charming Book of the Year, ' this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down" (Booklist, starred review).