A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
Novel Conversation’s Book Club – September 2017 Book – A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman
Just wanted to say thank you for such a great turnout at our book club last week. The discussion on A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, was very lively, to say the least. What a funny and yet bittersweet book. I know when I was reading it, I found myself laughing at so many of the events and then later found myself wondering why I was laughing at someone else’s misfortunes. Yeah, it’s that kind of book. It’s a laugh out loud, cry quietly and revel in the wonderful descriptions of the same idiosyncrasies we all display on occasion kind of book. I loved it!
The writer’s approach, chapter by chapter with flashbacks, to revealing a little about Ove’s background as we wander through his story was very effective. I think perhaps had everything been revealed at the very beginning, the story would simply have been about a grouchy old man. Because of the cadence of the character reveals, we learn to appreciate Ove from his perspective and not just our own. That’s some good storytelling.
Many of us could relate to Ove’s less-than-cordial approach to buying a laptop – how many of us understand all that computer jargon and honestly, do we know what we really want? We just want the best, right? Something that works when we need it to? What Ove was trying to do was purchase a laptop for a little girl and that’s the important point.
There are so many different episodes, when Ove’s sad attempts to end his life, are interrupted because someone needs him. That’s the telling of the man. He doesn’t really want to die, but he needs to feel useful. He needs to matter. And yes, the scenes are funny in some ways. Serious but funny in a bittersweet way.
How about Parveneh? We had a lot of discussion around her character and how she responded to Ove. Was she really brash and pushy or was she just direct? IN the end, we decided she truly understood what was going on with Ove and she actually treated him like a father figure because her father was so far away. Her children loved him like a grandfather and Ove responded to that.
In the end, you could argue the book’s really about the need to be wanted, to be needed, to have a purpose. Without those things, you have to wonder why we’re here. After all, if you can’t share what you have with someone you love, why have it?
For those of you that didn’t get a chance to read it, please pick up the book and do it now. It’s a quick read and you’ll be glad you did. There’s also a movie out there that’s pretty good, although I don’t think it quite meets the caliber of the book. Really, how many movies can pull that off? It’s all in Swedish, so pay attention to the subtitles. It’s also worth watching.
For more information, see this link.
