I’m Booked: “A Man Called Ove”
Written by Ally Abruscato. Photo courtesy of Sally Flint.
Welcome to “I’m Booked,” a series of book reviews by me, Ally Abruscato. I’m an avid reader of a variety of books and genres. Throughout this series, I’ll suggest some of my favorite recent reads.
If you like the movie “Up,” I suggest you read “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman. Okay, okay, even if you’re not a Disney fan, you will probably enjoy this book. I just couldn’t help but notice the similarities.
“A Man Called Ove” describes the life of a grumpy older man named Ove who was recently widowed (sounds like “Up,” right?!). The book switches between past and present to show why Ove is the way he is. At first, I thought that this book was sweet but nothing special. Then, again, I couldn’t get the “Up” comparison out of my head. But, as I read on, I started to fall in love with this book and its characters. In the end, this book definitely made me feel some type of way.
Upon further research, I discovered that “A Man Called Ove” was turned into a movie. Maybe I’m the only one who didn’t know this, but Tom Hanks is in it! Although I can’t speak about the film, I suggest the book. To give you a taste of the writing, one of my favorite quotes was, “We always think there’s enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like ‘if.’”
Overall, I enjoyed “A Man Called Ove” and found it heartwarming and charming. It’s funny at times but does discuss some heavy topics (TW: suicide.) For fiction readers looking for a sweet and emotional book, this one’s for you. I’ll be back next week with another suggestion, but until then, I’m booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
