“He was a man of black and white. And she was color. All the color he had.”
This is Ove who sees his life in black and white. He is grumpy, doesn’t talk much, doesn’t have any friends like everyone else. He is someone you don’t want to mess with. But also because life never gives him the chance to be something else.
His life changed when he met his wife, Sonja; a lovely woman, who believes in destiny. Someone who can bring the light at the end of the tunnel. “You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away.” She used to say this. She believes in good and fights for it. She is everything Ove has.
His life changed drastically again. But this time, when a young couple and their children come to the neighborhood, it becomes that ray of sunshine in his life.
It is strange how we think about some people. Again, it’s strange how some others find the difference in those people. You see, some days I am not afraid of loneliness. And again, some days I get terrified. This book shows how even a bitter or broken life can be worth living if shared with others.
Death and grief are very strange. It changes people. We deny it, hide it, fear it, run from it, fight with it; but they are there always. And when it takes the most important thing from your life, you never heal from that wound.
Though death and taking life have come often in the book, I still would recommend this to everyone. It won’t trigger you. Maybe it would break you, make you sad. I cried again while taking notes. But it will make you laugh, smile. Most importantly after finishing the book, you will hug it tightly. It’s a warm book. It will make you kinder, more compassionate to others and hopeful to live this bittersweet thing called life.
This is my first @backmansk book. Now I am going to read everything he wrote. And also watch ‘After Life,’ you can relate to this book even more.
📸 @thoughtsoftisha
Did you read the book? Please share your experiences.