Book Club: A Man Called Ove

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine invited me to join a book club. In my new quest to get out of the house and be with other people more, I said yes. I've never been part of a book club before. I love reading but don't often talk about what I'm reading. I was excited (I love when others tell me what books to read!) and a little nervous (because this was a new group and a new thing for me). My first time meeting with these women was last night and it was a lot of fun.

The book we read was A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bakman. I probably wouldn't have picked this up on my own, so I'm glad they chose it to read. I really enjoyed the story. It takes place in Sweden and and shares Ove's story as he nears the end of us life . . . by his own choosing.

The author does an excellent job of connecting his past experiences to his present state and develops the character very well. He is a "curmudgeonly" man who can't seem to find joy in anything anymore -- you know the type -- the person who grumbles under his breath that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, and everyone is an idiot, and everything is always wrong.

I don't want to give anything away because it is written in a somewhat suspenseful way, but it had a very pleasing ending and gave me much to think about. The relationships he develops near the end of his life are interesting and gave me pause in how I cultivate my own relationships (or don't) and how I treat people that are different than myself. I also couldn't help but wonder how often I let a relationship slip by me because I'm often too in my head to notice the other person. I may need to write more on that topic later. Relationships in general have been on my heart lately.

If you read the book, I hope you'll tell me what you think! (Leave a comment!)

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine invited me to join a book club. In my new quest to get out of the house and be with other people more, I said yes. I've never been part of a book club before. I love reading but don't often talk about what I'm reading. I was excited (I love when others tell me what books to read!) and a little nervous (because this was a new group and a new thing for me). My first time meeting with these women was last night and it was a lot of fun.

The book we read was A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bakman. I probably wouldn't have picked this up on my own, so I'm glad they chose it to read. I really enjoyed the story. It takes place in Sweden and and shares Ove's story as he nears the end of us life . . . by his own choosing.

The author does an excellent job of connecting his past experiences to his present state and develops the character very well. He is a "curmudgeonly" man who can't seem to find joy in anything anymore -- you know the type -- the person who grumbles under his breath that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, and everyone is an idiot, and everything is always wrong.

I don't want to give anything away because it is written in a somewhat suspenseful way, but it had a very pleasing ending and gave me much to think about. The relationships he develops near the end of his life are interesting and gave me pause in how I cultivate my own relationships (or don't) and how I treat people that are different than myself. I also couldn't help but wonder how often I let a relationship slip by me because I'm often too in my head to notice the other person. I may need to write more on that topic later. Relationships in general have been on my heart lately.

If you read the book, I hope you'll tell me what you think! (Leave a comment!)