Author : Fredrick Backman
I ended 2020 with a beautiful, hilarious and a heartwarming book, A man called Ove. It is a story about a Swedish old man who is grumpy and bitter, points mistakes to others on the face, dislikes people in general, a man with rigid principles, strict routine and a very short temper. Ove went by fixed set of rules, his life was black and white. There were no shades of grey. The trials he was put through in his life and his grave personal loss had hardened his exterior and had made him rigid.
We all have met Ove at some point in our lives. All men in our family are relatable to Ove one way or another. Our fathers, husbands and older brothers who are obsessed with different models of cars and take personal offense if someone buys a car which they do not approve of, those who believe in having the right tools in the shed and take personal pride in fixing every nook and corner of the house, those for whom the sky falls down if some unknown car or a person breaks the law on the road, like parking in the wrong place are all shades of Ove.
But yet, when people reach out to Ove in their time of need, he steps out of his rigid zone and takes that brave step to embrace people, despite their imperfections. All it took was an unkempt cat, a chatty imperfect family next door, an orphan who wanted to impress his girlfriend and a common enemy to fight against; the men in white shirts, the people from social services to get his humane side out.
Unlike protagonists in other books who come across supernatural situations and emerge victorious or defeated, Ove is a common man, who could be any of us. Sooner or later, as we age, there is a high probability we all will end up like Ove. As we grow older, it is only natural that we will become rigid in our beliefs and close our doors to many. And we can only hope that like Ove, we will still embrace humanity in time of need and see people beyond their faults instead of judging them harshly.
This book had me laughing in splits throughout, and made me shed tears in the very end. I loved every bit of this book and would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially men. It is written by a Swedish author, Fredrik Backman, who brings out the psychology of a man very naturally on the table. It is a very easy read and you will enjoy every bit this book. A brilliant read, do not miss it at any cost.
Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
