The Book Bump

First Published: 2015
Author: Fredrik Bachman
Original language: Swedish
Reading Language: English
Genre: Humorous fiction
My rating: 4/5

Ove is a grumpy and ridged old man who has recently lost his wife and is struggling to find purpose. His solitary life is turned upside down when a boisterous family moves in next door.

After reading Anxious People (and falling in love with it), I decided to try another of Fredrik Bachman’s novels.

Needless to say, I had high hopes for this novel.

It didn’t disappoint, but it didn’t quite meet expectations, either. Unlike Anxious People, I found that A Man Called Ove was a lot more predictable.

I know I shouldn’t compare novels because each is unique (like children), but I can’t help it. Anxious People got a five-star rating, becoming the 19^th book to rank so high in my esteem.  

A Man Called Ove is a slow-burn humourous domestic fiction about a terraced house community living their lives.

Ove is on a mission. But he gets waylaid by someone whenever he tries to complete his mission. He is constantly interrupted by his neighbours needing his help.

Part of me believes this isn’t a coincidence. Perhaps the first few times, it’s pure coincidence that Parvaneh manages to scarper Ove’s attempts. But I believe she knew his intentions and was trying in her own way to help Ove find a new purpose in life.

Ove is grumpy. He comes across as rude and insufferable. You might even decide to hate him, which is perfectly understandable. But as you read, and learn more about Ove and his upbringing, you realise perhaps his curmudgeon ways are a defence mechanism. He’s suffered a lot.

Ove’s rudeness isn’t always meant as an insult. He is the type of person who “says what he sees”. Each character has a defining trait by which he refers to them in his mind. Yes, the language used is offensive, but as a reader, I didn’t believe it came from a place of nastiness. He is a man of the past, failing to adapt to the new world, especially now that his wife (his only colour) has died.

Ove comes across as mean, but if you analyse his actions, he is a decent human being and has been all his life.

Every character that came to Ove for help, Ove helped them. Anita, Patrick, Parvaneh, Jimmy, Mirsad. Yes, he grumbled because they were getting in the way of his mission, but he put others first before himself. He always has done.

That’s the beauty of Ove’s character.

Ove’s character development wasn’t so much that he became a decent human being, but more that he learns, to the best of Ove’s abilities, to be able to show it.

Fredrik Bachman did an amazing job at creating an unforgettable character in Ove. He is someone you want to hit, roll your eyes at, someone who might embarrass you in public, but deep down, you can’t help but love him.

Bachman’s style is rather unique. The use of the 3^rd person present tense makes readers invest more. You are living Ove’s life alongside him. You are that fly on the wall.

This novel has little “plot”; nothing other than everyday life happens. On occasions, the story gets a little slow. But every part is essential to understanding who Ove is and what makes him tick.

The author deals with relevant topics, such as love, loss, friendship, community, kindness, and empathy in a situation everyone can relate to.

Through community and new-found friendships, Ove learns to grieve for his wife and find a new purpose.

Bachman also tackles generational differences, with Ove representing the old-fashioned and everyone else being the new modern age. Being of an older generation doesn’t condone some of the language Ove uses, but it perhaps helps explain why he uses it.

An aspect of the novel I loved was that kindness and empathy can bring about change. It celebrates small acts of kindness that can bridge gaps and create meaningful connections, even in the face of challenges.

Despite the novel’s sombre exterior, it has a message of love and hope.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Fredrik Bachman’s novels. Britt-Marie Was Here is next on my list!