Of principles

‘A Man Called Ove’ – Fredrik Backman

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 neighbour 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 heart-warming 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.

I laughed, I cried and experienced all the emotions in between with this lovely read. I highly enjoyed the film adaptation and was desperate to read the book but, from experience, a good bit of time is needed when reading the book to avoid drawing too many comparisons. Yet, if you have seen the film but not read the book, this is not an adaptation that disappoints.

Tom Hanks is Ove and I loved the quirky, humorous narrative. Ove’s dry sarcasm tickled me often in the story and I just had to agree with some of his principles. The story moves from present day where grumpy Ove stalks his local neighbourhood, reminding residents of the rules and being very unwelcoming. It is clear that he is desperately unhappy yet, events occur on a daily basis that interrupt his grand plan. And this just makes him even grumpier.

Not only do we see Ove verbally lambasting his neighbours (most of whom laugh it off), we meet Ove as a young man and learn of his life story. This aspect of the novel made me love Ove even more because the present day isolation he experiences is never far away in the earlier stages of his life. I would argue that as a younger man, society usually rejects Ove and his behaviours; when he is older, it is Ove that pushes people away, helping him live a “simple” life.

The supporting characters were warming and a delight to read. I loved seeing what Ove gets up to on a daily basis and how his negative conversations seem to draw more people to him, rather than the intended repelling. His frustrations made Ove even more entertaining to read about and every step of the way I imagined Tom Hanks huffing, puffing and eye-rolling in the book.

With so many entertaining episodes, there is still plenty of emotion in this book. The sadness is emphasised by the sarcastic humour and I think this made the story so much more haunting; it is definitely one that will stick with me for a while. Ove is a character who resents being loved and I think he has caught my heart, like many similar readers.