A Man Called Ove

This was my second time reading A Man Called Ove, and it was just as good this time around. Everybody describes Fredrik Backman’s debut novel as “charming” and I completely agree. But more than simply charming the reader, it actually shifts one’s outlook toward strangers.

You know that asshole that rides your tail on the highway and flips you off when they zoom past, then proceed to cut you off? It's behavir we’ve all experienced and retaliated against, even if only internally, by cursing them with every fiber of our being. We come across assholes all the time. We hate them and let them sour our moods.

Well, Ove, the main character in this book, is the asshole we all love to hate. What makes the book so exceptional is that after reading it, when I face an obnoxious douchebag that makes me want to punch back, I’m reminded of Ove. I take a moment to recalibrate my insta-enemy and consider their backstory, their motivations and reasonings behind seemingly unjustifiable behavior. I experience more compassion and less aggression. It shifts my outlook and experience of the world for the better. That’s the power of a great story. Thank you, Ove, for making the world a more beautiful place.