A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove certainly deserves a content warning for attempted suicide, but its insight about the pain of grief, the unexpected delight of cross-generational connection, and the meaning of community tugs at the heartstrings. Here Backman, with the simultaneous pathos and comforting warmth that are his custom, provides a window into the life of a crotchety old man certain he has exhausted all joy life could ever have to offer him—until new neighbors arrive to seriously disrupt his routine. Despite his bleak outlook, Ove is one of the funniest characters I have encountered in fiction; his shameless frankness is endearing and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I found myself rooting for him despite every effort he made to convince his neighbors, and the reader, to the contrary. Taking inspiration from Ove, I will bluntly say that this is the most uplifting story about an old guy constantly trying and failing to kill himself I have ever read.