A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is a man of few words, and strong opinions.  He was never good at academics, but is a natural at working with his hands and figuring out how physical objects, like motors, and building projects, work.  When the light of his life, his wife, dies, he just keeps going to work, but when he was given early retirement, he figures his life was pretty much over. All that there is left to do is plan his own death with the littlest possible bother to anyone else.  Unfortunely, in Ove's mind, the new neighbors keep interfering.  As he puts off his own moribund plans to help them back up their car or fix a radiator, his old heart gradually finds something in this world to hold on to. 

I had seen this book before, but the title kind of put me off. I knew it had been hugely popular when it came out in 2014, and that they even made a movie of it.  When I mentioned I hadn't read it to my co-workers there was a chorus of people saying, "Oh, you have to read it.  It will make you laugh and cry."  They were absolutely right.  I think it is my new favorite book I have read this year.  I think everyone knows an Ove type person, crusty on the outside, and true blue on the inside.  The writer is brilliant in his characterizations of not only Ove but all the different people in the book.  The book was orginally written in Swedish, but the translater did a brilliant job.  The same author just came out with a new book.  We will see if it lives up to the first. (337 p. 2014)

P.S.  If you are bothered by swearing, you may want to give this one a by.