A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Pat S. chose the book and hosted the discussion. The book was a popular gift in our last Christmas book exchange. Pat served homemade chicken corn soup, salad, and peach cake with ice cream. Delicious!

This book told the story of a grumpy man who lived in a working-class neighborhood in Sweden. He'd had a hard life, with the most recent disappointment being the forced retirement from his long-term job. He set his mind on committing suicide as he could see no reason to keep on living, but for one reason or another was unable to complete that task despite his frequent attempts and varied methods. A new family in the neighborhood, much to his initial disdain, became a less-than-welcome influence on his time and energy. Even though he thought the entire human race had gone to pieces (idiots), he continued to regrettably assist those in need, including a feral cat. This is a love story as well as a study of the character of this curmudgeon who lived in his very black and white world where right was right and wrong was wrong. As the story progressed though, Ove softened in his approach to others, became an honorary "grandfather" to the new neighbors, and built friendships with members of his community.

Most of us loved this novel and found it to be humorous and heartwarming, though the book was a little slow-going in the early chapters. We didn't like Ove at first, but as his past was revealed to us, we gained a better understanding of his peculiar behavior and became fond of him. We were entertained by the brash pregnant neighbor and her family, and how they took liberties with Ove's time. And we were appreciative of Ove's relationship with the cat; some of us even thought that the cat might be his wife reincarnated. We thought the relationship between Ove and Sonya was endearing. She must have been a very special person, and we talked about why she loved him.

We observed that Ove's crusty exterior and the nicknames he assigned to others may have helped him to remain intentionally isolated from society. By the end of the book we knew Ove to have a big heart, both figuratively and literally. We liked all he characters and how their lives were intertwined, and thought this book had great story development. Most of us liked it immensely and it even scored an elusive "10" from one of our readers.

Author's website: http://www.fredrikbackmanbooks.com/