The Book Nook

Crankiness soars to new heights   An enjoyable part of my job at the library is hearing patron’s feedback about what they’re reading.  Beyond sharing a joy of reading, benefits include gaining different perspectives on a book or new suggestion for other readers.  While opinions about a book can vary, one in particular evoked nearly identical comments. Readers have described the title character in “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman as “grumpy”, “irrititable” and “crabby”.  I found that interesting, considering the jacket blurb promised a “hysterically funny” read. What I found was a character who typifies the cranky old man railing against a changing world and everything in it.  While readers discover Ove’s problems are caused by his high expectations and an unbending nature, he faults everyone else.  His quick temper only adds fuel to the fires in his life and in his case, fires can occur several times a day.  On a scale of 1-10 his people skills hover around zero. In less than a dozen pages I agreed with all of our patrons’ adjectives but was intrigued by a special task Ove is trying to complete.  By the time I figured out what he was up to, I was hooked and found plenty of humor in spite of the man’s peevishness. Although he was deposed as the neighborhood association’s president, he continues his daily inspections of the area, keeping an eagle eye on everything and aggressively enforcing every rule.  He has very strict ideas of how things should be and has an endless list of things that anger him.  The only thing that he finds acceptable is his wife Sonja, who isn’t speaking to him as the book opens. As I was drawn into Ove’s world, I gained insight into his earlier life and what compels him to finish his project, which is interrupted by the arrival of new neighbors.  He tries to ignore them, but is infuriated as he watches their car drive into his flowerbed.  He confronts the flustered driver, who then inadvertently backs into Ove’s mailbox.  Ove orders him out of the car and takes over the parking, which is how he meets Patrick, his irrepressible wife Parvaneh and their two young daughters. The newcomers continue to prevent him from completing his singular task, although they’re not the only reason.  He’s also embroiled in a long-running feud with another neighbor and is those who refuse to obey signs.  His constant war against the authorities also keep him busy, with one battle that could escalate beyond the boiling point.  There’s also a disobedient cat who insists on bothering him. Retirement has put him in the path of new people, most of whom he doesn’t understand or want to know.  None of the characters are comprehensible or acceptable to Ove – at first.  Being forced to engage with all of these new entities work a slow transformation on the cantankerous man by providing new purpose to his life.  The transition is handled in a realistic way that saturates the story with charm. At the heart of this book are Ove and Sonja.  She was the first person to bring joy to his life and the story of how they met is a heartwarming segment.  She’s the optimist who brings sunshine to his gloomy outlook and someone who literally dances as he plods methodically along.  She provides the light, life and balance that keeps him from withdrawing or going off the rails.  It’s their shared love that keeps two diametrically opposed people together and provides a bittersweet touch to the overall tale. The novel is a thoughtful look at how one person can impact the lives of others, a theme shared in another of Backman’s books, “Britt-Marie was Here”.  Both works explore fear versus courage and were made into movies.  I’ve heard rumors that an English version of “A Man Called Ove” will be produced by Tom Hanks, who will star in the title role. “A Man Called Ove” is Backman’s first published novel, coming out in 2012.  It was followed by other novels, a non-fiction book about being a father, a novella and a short story.  Backman’s work has been translated into several languages and some became number one bestsellers in his home country of Sweden. His next book, “Home”is about a crime that never took place and is due out this fall.  Backman is also a Swedish columnist and blogger.  Those interested in the author or his works can visit his website at https://www.fredrikbackmanbooks.com/