From the Stacks
By Carol Ann Robb, PPL Reference Librarian
Although “A Man Called Ove” was published in Sweden in 2012, it didn’t arrive in the US until the following year, and took even longer to hit the New York Times Best Sellers List, which it did in 2014, remaining there for 42 weeks. Ten years later, folks still request it and I’ll have it with my all-time favorites at the Book Tasting on Monday, August12.
“Ove,” pronounced OOO-veh (with the accent on the OOO and the veh spoken very quickly), was a book that gained its popularity by word of mouth. That’s how I learned of it when my friend in Nebraska told me, “I just read a book I think you’ll like.” And she was so right. I fell in love with Ove and his story—the crusty widower tired of life until he opened his heart and home to those around him. I quickly steered others to the book by Fredrik Backman and couldn’t wait to introduce it to the discussion group.
Their reaction of almost unanimous dislike totally caught me off guard—how could they not like what I thought was a beautiful tale of grace and redemption? When I explained why I thought it was one of the great love stories (full disclosure: I’m not a big romance reader), most looked a bit askance but admitted they hadn’t considered that angle. I don’t think I changed many minds, though.
I still recommend Ove a lot, though I’m not a big fan of Backman’s other books. Neither have I watched the movie; as much as I like Tom Hanks he is definitely not Ove (or Otto, as they renamed him).
The Swedish version might be more to my liking but I’m happy to stick with the book. If you’ve not read “A Man Called Ove,” come check it out, and if you have, it might be time to pick it up again.