NPR BestsellerBoston Globe Bestseller
In this “charming debut” (People) from one of Sweden’s most successful authors, a grumpy yet lovable 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).
1 comment:
What I enjoyed most about this book was the ability to pick it up read a chapter and come back to it whenever and read another chapter. No trying to figure out the mystery or no real surprises just a nice enjoyable read.
The main character Ove reminded me of my brother in law, mean and gruff on the outside, marshmellow on the inside. The other characters where all likable even if they tended to be stereotypical. After I finished the book I was interested in what a Saab even looked like.
"We are always optimists when it comes to time; we think there will be time to do things with other people. And time to say things to them." p.287
"The greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone." p.325
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