In the first chapter of A Man Called Ove, the title character struggles to understand and then accept the difference between a tablet and a computer. It’s a great opener for the book, a hilarious story about an older man who at first glance seems to have been left behind by the superficial aspects of modern life. Or perhaps, willingly kept himself behind is a better way to describe it for Ove makes no secret about his desire to remain apart from the all-talk-and-no-action elements of life manifesting in modern nonsense such as pushy salesmen, soulless bureaucrats, or physically inept IT consultants.
At the core, Ove’s philosophy is to measure others by what they have done rather than what they have said. This approach to life creates much of the conflict in the book and explains why he is always at odds with his mostly younger or superficial neighbors. However, as the story progresses Ove finds opportunities to work together with those interested in simply doing the right thing. Although some of these moments run counter to the first impressions we readers form about Ove, they reinforce the lesson that people committed to helping their neighbors and building stronger communities can always overcome surface differences in order to work together.
Like the main protagonist, A Man Called Ove is full of surprises. A consistent source of these surprises came in the form of the narrator’s observations about human nature. He notes, for example, that although sorrow has the potential to bring people closer together, if left unshared it can drive people apart. He also points out that those who insist on making anything tradable quickly render loyalty useless and force those around them to abandon focus on quality.
The narrator also mentions in one passage that memorable people insist on seeing potential in others when the consensus suggests there is none. The thought is a fitting lesson for the book because it applies to many of the relationships among the characters. Most importantly, it also applies directly to Ove – until he recognizes his own potential, he is unable to help others who need him more than he does.
Footnotes / endnote?
0. Origins
Although A Man Called Ove was fairly well known (bestseller, became a movie, etc) I came by way of it through a direct recommendation.
0a. So, what next?
After I finished reading, I looked into more work from the same author. Luckily, I didn’t need to go far – the back of this book had an excerpt for another, Britt-Marie Was Here. And just from the little snippet, I thought I might like this one as well – it’s always a good sign when you laugh out loud while reading, you know? Barring any unforeseen events, I think it is very likely I’ll be back to read another novel or two from Backman.
0b. Highlights...
The most entertaining section involved a honking horn and Ove calling someone a stupid bastard. I'll stop here lest my endorsement ruin the scene for anyone intending to read this book.
