Ove had, as usual, gotten up ten minutes earlier. He could not make head nor tail of people who overslept and blamed it on “the alarm clock not ringing.” One had never owned an alarm clock in his entire life. He woke up at quarter to six and that was when he got up.
Every morning for the almost four decades they had lived in this house, Over had put on the coffee percolator, using exactly the same amount of coffee as on any other morning, and then drank a cup with his wife. One measure for each cup, and one extra for the pot— no more, no less. People didn’t know how to do that anymore, brew some proper coffee. In the same way as now-a- days nobody could write with a pen. Because now it was all computers and expresso machines. And where was the world going if people couldn’t even write or brew a pot of coffee?
This book surprised me, it captured me from the very first paragraph. There was something about this character, Ove and what. a character. I could not understand him but I could not stop peering into his idiosyncratic way of doing most anything. He was a man of systems and rituals, now that I understand by living with my sweet husband Hugh all those years. In an adult version of the movie Up, this stuck in his ways, quiet man was far more than he appeared on the surface. Although I was drawn to the book I almost quit just because it was so very sad to me but then I got it and I got him. Because of the love he had for his wife and his attraction to always doing what he thought was right I just had to keep following his adventure.
I don’t want to give too much away but just please read this book and see how people who you least expect to CRASH into your life (literally) become simultaneously a pain in your butt and at the same time life savers over and over again. A man called Ove is a great story about love and sometimes the stupid things that we leave relationships over. It is about loyalty and sameness and the ability for the love of strangers to give our life meaning.
Ove had to grow on me but the story sucked me in right away. It is a little sad, but a lot of love!!! Read it and tell me what you think of Ove and his strange band of friends. Seriously he is very particular about a hook he puts in the center of his ceiling and careful to lay down plastic as to not make a mess… .that is all I will tell you!!! Read it!!! People needed him and loved him and that was enough to save him!!!!
ps. He would most likely NOT be the guy you wanted on your townhouse or condo HOA!!!!
pps. This is suicide awareness month so please be loving to all of God’s kids especially those that are different than you.