A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

AMAZON UK
AMAZON US

This is an absolutely delightful story about Ove, a man touching sixty, about to lose his job, who lives on his own with a cat and a Saab.

He is many things: grumpy, exasperating, pathetic, irritating, wise, pedantic, curmudgeonly, loyal, endearing, gentle, committed, generous even. He is complex and multi-layered. Oh, I don't know, maybe he isn't; maybe he's just very straightforward and uncomplicated. But, of all the things he is, every reader will recognise at least one of his or her own traits in him. Or in someone very close by. Whatever Ove is to you, whether you like him or not, he is compelling and utterly memorable.

This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry. Ove sucks you in from the very first page and doesn’t let you go until the very end. Although he needs absolutely no help to keep you turning the pages (with a tissue from time to time), there is a wonderful array of colourful, original characters in the supporting cast.

Superbly written, it's probably my favourite book of the year. It’s heartwarming, touching and uplifting, and stays with you like the bloom of your favourite scent.

To anyone who hasn’t read it, I’d go as far as to say it’s obligatory.