A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
What constitutes a good book? A good book is one that transports you to a different world. And a great book is one that not only takes you to a different world but also evokes thoughts, emotions and feelings that otherwise lay dormant in our hearts. Fredrik Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” is a book that exceeds expressions of ‘good’ and ‘great’ because it is beyond incredible. After lying on my bookshelf for the longest time, I finally read it a year and a half ago, and the one word I would use for the book is how precious it is. It is a rare find because very few authors have the ability to tug at your heartstrings with care and compassion, while using words that are simple, to the point and full of conviction. Centred on an old man called Ove in his late fifties, the book has a relatively straightforward premise. It chronicles the day to day struggles and tribulations of a man who gets caught in the vicious loop of time. Having lost his zeal for life, Ove is a disillusioned man trying to keep himself sane in a world that is increasingly losing its meaning. People no longer believe in integrity, men are incapable of performing basic life skills and the changing world no longer has room for people with ‘heart’.
Ove is a fifty-nine year old Swedish man who lives alone and is always angry and grumpy at the world around him. An old timer at heart, he believes in good old fashioned labour and a world where people still use their muscles and brains than rely on the machinations of technology to feel useful. The book begins with Ove being asked to retire from his job, a job he diligently and dutifully performed for the past several decades of his life. He lives by himself and hates his neighbours’ constant intrusions and interference, no matter how tiny they seem. He pushes away anyone who tries to establish a connection with him. At first glance, Ove comes across as a rude, bitter old man who hates on the world for no reason.
It is easy to ignore him; perhaps in our lives we have all met someone like him and dismissed them a little too quickly. The book follows a third person narrative style which slowly reveals more about this disgruntled man, and tells readers more about his past, chronicles from his childhood to adolescence to adulthood. We learn about Ove’s father, his memories of his childhood home, the time he met the love of his life, and how his wife added colour to his black and white impressions of the world. Backman’s writing takes readers on a bittersweet journey, and evokes feelings of love, grief, pain, loss and joy, all in equal measures. Ove is a man of soul who values meaningful relationships and will go to any lengths to protect those he loves. In their absence, Ove becomes a rudderless ship. When everything in his life seems lost, a chance encounter with a complete stranger starts turning this old, odd little man’s world around.
The book has an unadorned story posing a straightforward question; what does a man do when the changing world around him is too much to accommodate? And isn’t that a universal feeling? With every decade, a generation loses some parts of its essence and reasons for belonging. In this novel, Backman explores themes that are uncomplicated while being universal in their appeal. The loss of a loved one and its subsequent impact on the people left behind, the decline of friendships for often trivial reasons, the changing world with its technological advances, and the surprise of forging new relationships and a sense of community where none seemed plausible. There is hope in the gloom, happiness in the worst of circumstances and disguised love even in hate.
The book never assumes a despondent tone, the narration so sublime that you become immersed in Ove and his life. Backman has very skillfully described Ove and the world around him. He has carefully given flesh to characters and situations that can happen in our own lives and in that very fact lies the book’s universal appeal. In its utter simplicity the book pulls you in and long will one linger after the last pages have been turned.