Mini Reviews: A Man Called Ove || Britt-Marie Was Here

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Pages: 337

Genre: Adult literary fiction / humor

Publication Date: August 2012

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

The Good: At first, Ove seems like that awful old dude who lives in every neighborhood. You know, the guy who complains if your garden is ugly and shouts at the kids who step on his lawn. As the story unfolds, Ove becomes more understandable. He has reasons for his bitter attitude. He’s never been good at relating to other people, and he has just lost his wife, the only person who ever made an effort to understand him. I kind of hated Ove at the beginning of the book, but by the end, I grudgingly respected him. He’s had a long, difficult life. Ove is far from perfect, though. He has a vicious streak, especially when it comes to annoying animals. He’s a complicated guy.

Ove’s story shows that there are multiple ways to have compassion for others. Ove doesn’t have close friends, but he can tell what’s happening in his neighbors’ lives based on what kind of cars they buy. Even though he’s not social with his neighbors, he does take care of them in small ways. Sometimes small actions can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

“He went through life with his hands firmly shoved into his pockets.” – A Man Called Ove

The Bad: I can tell that A Man Called Ove is Backman’s debut novel. It doesn’t seem as polished as his later work. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but the plot is repetitive and predictable. The book probably could have been much shorter.

For me, the ending is too sweet and perfect. I had a hard time believing that old curmudgeon Ove would become so extroverted. At the beginning of the book, he’s suicidal and barely speaks to anybody. At the end, he lets his neighbors barge into his house whenever they want (which is constantly). The change is too drastic for me.

The Bottom Line: A sweet, sad, funny, well-written story about neighbors looking out for each other. It may require some suspension of disbelief.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Pages: 324

Genre: Adult literary fiction / humor

Publication Date: October 2014

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart than anyone around her realizes.

When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg—of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it—she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

The Good: This is a standalone novel, but if you’ve read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, then you’ll recognize the awkwardly honest Britt-Marie and her coffee-obsessed husband Kent. Britt-Marie was one of my favorite characters in My Grandmother Asked Me. I was excited to learn that she has her own book. I was even more excited when I found out that in this novel, she leaves her cheating husband and strikes out on her own.

Even though this book deals with serious subjects—like divorce and orphaned children—it’s still really funny. After a series of somewhat ridiculous events, Britt-Marie accidentally becomes the coach of the worst youth soccer team in Sweden. Britt-Marie is useless as a coach, but coaching gives her the opportunity to learn who she is as a single woman. At the beginning of the book, she’s embarrassed about her divorce and constantly spouts Kent’s ideas at people. She’s basically just a mini-me version of her husband. Over the course of the story, she becomes independent. She develops her own ideas about who she wants to be.

Also, Britt-Marie taught me that my cutlery drawer is improperly organized. Sorry, Britt-Marie, I don’t feel bad about it.

“An unreasonable amount of paperwork is required these days just to be a human being.” – Britt-Marie Was Here

The Bad: I think I would have appreciated this book more if I knew something about soccer. I was just as lost as Britt-Marie with all the soccer talk. I feel like there were inside jokes that I missed.

I have a problem with most of Backman’s books: I think his humor goes too far sometimes. It crosses the line from funny to stupid. There are a few scenes in this book (and in other Backman books) where I thought he could dial it down.

If you don’t like open-ended novels, then you should avoid this one. I was hoping for more resolution at the end. I understand why it was open-ended. Britt-Marie is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life. But, there are important questions left unanswered.

The Bottom Line: It’s never too late to change everything. I liked Britt-Marie Was Here less than My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, but more than A Man Called Ove.