A Man Called Ove is about loss and powerlessness. It is told through the eyes of a man who has the characteristics of an outsider, but is also at the heart of a small closely knit community revolving around the street where he lives.
Ove is superficially not a likeable man - and this makes it difficult to initially engage with him as a character. Some of the early chapters came across as a caricature of a grumpy old man - although this was probably the point (I was reminded of the children’s book character Mr Gum).
But soon the experiences and situations that have shaped his life, and how those mesh with his uniquely precise and determined personality, start to add colour and sympathy, and I slowly came to care more deeply about Ove throughout the story.
One of the messages of the book seems to be that we may all know someone who appears grumpy and intransigent, but that looking beneath the surface might reveal someone with love and integrity. And this was well achieved.
I’m not sure that I fully understood the love that Ove’s wife undoubtedly had for him. Nor did I find the cat especially believable. But these are minor points, and didn’t undermine my enjoyment of what was a very warm and engaging read.
My rating: ★★★★☆
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