A Man Called Ove, Week 4

Welcome to the final discussion of A Man Called Ove. 

Be honest--did you tear up at the end of the book? I was reading at work otherwise I think I would have sobbed openly. What a great ending. 

This section begins with Ove attempting to teach Parvaneh how to drive. She doesn't start off doing very well, but she is able to pick it up once Ove compliments her intellect. He definitely compliments her in a scary way, but it's still nice. What did you think of him going after that man behind them that had all of the tattoos on his neck? That was wild. I couldn't believe that he picked the man up by the collar! I couldn't believe it! Could you believe that Ove was so threatening and dangerous? 

I really liked learning about why Rune's BMW bothered Ove so much. It's interesting how something so simple, like a car, could represent so much. Did you understand why the cars meant so much to Ove? Didn't it make sense that the car represented hopes and dreams for children and a life they weren't leading? I thought that whole chapter was so powerful. 

I liked the addition of Adrian and Mirsad. Of course, I was grateful that they knocked on Ove's door and stopped him from shooting himself. But, I liked them as characters, too. I thought they really helped bring Ove out of his comfort zone. I liked how Adrian's girl troubles made Ove think about how he was when he first met Sonja, and I liked how Mirsad's problems with his dad made Ove act more fatherly. I really enjoyed them as characters. 

Jimmy's story was also a really interesting part of this section. I loved hearing how Rune and Ove worked together to help Jimmy's mom, and I was definitely surprised when Backman revealed that the little boy they helped was Jimmy. That was really cool. 

But, I definitely loved Ove's relationship with Parvaneh's children the most in this section. I loved how he bought the older one an iPad, and I loved how they called him "Grandad" and made him signs when he got out of the hospital. Wasn't that so incredibly cute? Those interactions definitely made me tear up. 

What did you think about the way the neighborhood banded together to save Rune? I thought it was so neat how everyone had a specific set of skills that helped them take down the council man. From the tech guy to the tow guy to the journalist, everyone had a specific role. I was glad they were able to save Rune, and I was glad they were able to do it without resorting to violence. I was kind of afraid that Ove would attempt to kill the man in the white shirt. 

I was really afraid that Ove was going to be killed by those robbers he stopped. I got really upset thinking that was how the book was going to end. I was so thankful when Ove didn't die and was able to make more connections with his neighbors. I loved that he got so close to so many people that he ended up having a huge funeral. That was a sweet detail. 

What was your favorite part of this section? Did you enjoy the whole book? Was there any part that you would have changed? Were you satisfied with the ending? 

If you enjoyed the book this month, make sure to check out this list of similar titles that I created. And, check out the video below to get more ideas. 

I hope you enjoyed reading with us this month! Make sure to leave a comment below to let me know your favorite parts! Join us next month as we read Born A Crime by Trevor Noah.