What are your feelings towards a 60 year old grumpy neighbour who is living by himself. Nightmare right?
I felt a chill down my spine just reading the description about the book. About this man called Ove. So who is Ove? He lives in Sweden and he is an introvert. He would have probably spoken 5,000 words in the whole of his lifetime. He believes taking care of his neighbourhood is his responsibility as a citizen. He believes real men drive vintage cars and not French made ones.
Why do you need an iPhone and an Audi? How is typing into a computer all day is fun? Rubbish!
Real men create something with their hands. You need to touch and feel something and get your hands greasy. Thats the way to earn your apple everyday! Ive lived with this man for a month until now and to be honest, he is good company. Ove, when he was younger was not a very different man either.
He hates his neighbours, he hates the city council, he hates the postal services. He hates everything about the world. Pretty much like us, right? We take pleasure in complaining about everyone and everything. He goes about his day kicking bicycles that are not parked correctly, smelling his fences to check if his neighbour’s dog peed on it and hating all somebodies who buy iPhones for no reason.
What makes Ove the way he is? A perfectionist will find joy spotting errors. No, Ove isn’t one. He honestly finds the pop culture deplorable. Everything needed to be 90 degrees straight with no scope for curves. We would have met someone like him atleast once in our life. And probably cursed him under a muffled breath.
The man lived alone for most part of his life. And the minute he decides to take his own life, the universe gives him a second chance, a third chance and a fourth chance. Opportunities never stand like a man in a Gucci suit in your doorway. They end up being burglars in the night, in stealth. You know they are there even when you close your eyes.
A lot of people to hide their empathy under cold stares. They hide their bravery under indifference. They walk like they own everything but come back to an empty house with no one to give a Good Night kiss. They hide their sorrow with long silences. They express their happiness with a brief nod. And sometimes, they even forget how to smile. If you have met someone like Ove or next time if you meet someone like him, give him a warm hug. Cause what you see is just the tip of the iceberg.
So meet Ove. And he will be ending his life today.
Buy your copy here.
Trust me, this book will not disappoint you.
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