Thank you to Sceptre Books for sending me this heart-warming novel :-)
At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots- neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible...
I'm not going to lie it took me a while to get into this book but boy I am so glad I didn't give up on it, what a charming read this was.
If anything I think this progression of liking this book is what the author was perhaps aiming for with his character, Ove. At first we're introduced to Ove as this crabby old man who criticises everything those around him do and has his own way of doing things which appear to be the only way. I liked that Ove was this grumpy old man as it fitted a typical stereotype of older men, but as the novel progressed you begin to see this hard exterior unfold to this rather soft and gentle man.
Ove likes order, rules and many characters he meets in the book don't follow these rules and Ove is kind of the clean up guy who sets things right to how they should be.
Ove is an incredibly sweet, caring man who shows so much respect to everyone no matter who they are, he's the boy who returned a wallet full of money, a man who gives up his time to help a woman to drive, a man who takes the wrong train just so he can sit next to a woman, he gives a home to a cat, and even becomes a surrogate grandfather. All of these characters and more, present different sides to Ove. He's just not a grumpy old man, he's funny, hard working, helpful and an adorable grandfather anyone would be lucky to have.
We also see a vulnerable side to Ove, since his wife died he hasn't much company or company he wants should be say. So despite him complaining at the youths of today, he finds comfort in them.
A truly hilarious, sad, and completely moving book!
