A Man Called Ove

I read the first few chapters and put away this book. Around a month later, when a friend shared a beautiful quote from the book, I willed myself into giving it another go. The book grows on you, like Ove.

The quote -
“‘Loving someone is like moving into a house,' Sonja used to say. ‘At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.'”

The language is quite simple and the concept so straightforward, that it can go on the Books for beginners list. Yet,(although slightly repetitive), it's captivating till the end.

Ove is man who likes things to be a certain way. This inflexible man might rub you the wrong way, in the initial few chapters, but on reading you'll travel through Ove's life in segments; you learn what made him the way he is, what he is capable of, and that he has a really big heart.
As a bonus, you have a severely(yet pleasantly) extroverted pregnant Iranian woman, who pokes Ove out of his hole every now and then, unintentionally saving his life.

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A misunderstood well-meaning man, and technically challenged loving neighbors, create a heartwarming story featuring love, routine, and Saab.

Must read.