Yesterday I called the book I was reading interesting. Today I finished it and was blubbering like a baby. I haven't read a book as good as this in such a long, long time. I don't want to spoil it for you but here is a brief summary.
In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon - the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
It's an easy book to read. I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down. It would make the most marvelous movie. I HIGHLY recommend it! It would be great for a book club. Run right out and get this one!
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I've read this one, too! It's wonderful. We had a chance to see the movie (a film with subtitles) at the Art Theater in Richmond and it was funny and real and heartbreaking. The parts where he kept trying, unsuccessfully, to kill himself were so well acted - a rare combination of humor and pain.
ReplyDeleteI am delighted that it was a movie...but not surprised. Maybe it will come to Hollywod. I will try to find it anyway.
DeleteSounds wonderful, Peggy. I've added it to my list of books to read!
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