A MAN CALLED OVE.

A MAN CALLED OVE by FREDRIK BACKMAN.

BACK COVER BLURB: AT FIRST SIGHT ..

Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - joggers, neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly and shop assistants who talk in code.

But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible ...

FIRST SENTENCE {1: A man called Ove buys a computer that is not a computer}: Ove is fifty-nine.

MEMORABLE MOMENT{Page 242}: From a purely objective point of view, the fact Ove was wielding a gun was something two other hooligans, Adrian and Mirsad, would ideally have been aware of before they unconcernedly trotted up to Ove's front door a few seconds later. They would then quite likely have understood that when Ove heard their creaking steps in the snow he would not immediately think to himself, 'Guests, how nice!' but rather, ' Well I'll be damned!' And they'd probably, also know that Ove, wearing nothing but socks and underpants, with a three-quarter-century-old hunting rifle in his hands, would kick the door open like an ageing, half naked, suburban Rambo.

SOURCE: A library book read for Kelly's Arkansas Book Club (see her review here) - good evening ladies - of which I'm honoured and delighted to be an honourary member. 

MY THOUGHTS: A Pen and Paper review that has the potential to be the shortest ever. Of the 83 books I have read this year, my favourite ... so far. How I long to tell you all to go out and buy a copy, to see for yourselves but as it is ...

'In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible ...' concludes the synopsis.

In the end? 

Right from the beginning I was captivated by the delightfully grouchy, querulous and yet lovable character that is Ove.

Not that he's the only captivating character. Human or feline, major or secondary, all are wonderful well observed.

And as for the plot?

I laughed, I cried, I railed against the injustice of it all. I laughed, I cried, I railed against the injustice of it all some more. 

With a house fit to burst for want of space for yet more books, it isn't very often that I buy a book but without a doubt I simply have to have a copy of this.