A Man Called Ove (book review)

Ok, this is a different sort of book. Good doesn't really do it justice, because it's more than that.

The details: First, there's the hyperbole. Ove is ridiculous - nobody could be this cruel, right? Kinda hard to swallow. And the decision-making by the author; who makes their protagonist such a jerk? Sometimes, the grouchy was just over the top, but I'll grant some grace there because heck, it's fiction.

What else? Humor. Not jokes, per se. But Backman's writing style is to make fun of his protagonist, repeatedly. You'll chuckle.

The overall effect was wonderful. When you meet a broken person, what do you do? Do you get pissed? Or do you summon up the wisdom that if someone is broken, maybe it's because something broke them, and you show a little patience?

That's what this book is all about: human beings who have suffered, and how that suffering changes them. It's a story we're all living, every day, and it's a story worth telling.

Nice work, Backman. My hat's off to ya.