Welcome to the second week of discussions for our new 2017 project, #12mos12rals!! Be sure to be watching for a fun little surprise coming later this week!
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: Week Two
Chapters 10-18, Pages 86-170
Before we begin, please note that this conversation only covers the noted chapters/pages above. Please do not share any spoilers beyond this point!
At the end of last week's chapters (through chapter 9), I was not sure if I wanted to keep reading. I was scared to know what would become of dear ol' Ove.
I was not aware when I began this book that a trigger warning may have been warranted. Suicide recurs again and again, or at least attempts too. And, suicide for me can be a difficult topic to come across unexpectedly in a novel. Were you affected by this in any way? How do you tend to react when you experience triggers while reading a book?
Ove's wife, Sonja once said, "You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away" (p. 108). This quote really struck a chord with me. Do you notice it while reading? If not, what are your thoughts reading it outside of the story?
Comment on your reaction to the interaction between Ove and Beppo the Clown. How did this exchange transform the relationship between Ove and the neighbor girls?
Was there anything else significant that you would like to discuss within this latest bout of reading? Anything that stood out for you that I have not yet addressed in my discussion questions.
That's it for this week! Share your thoughts below in the comments section and/or feel free to link up in the linky below. Next week, we will chatting about chapters 19-29, pages 171-257.
In case you missed last week's discussion, click here.
I was not aware when I began this book that a trigger warning may have been warranted. Suicide recurs again and again, or at least attempts too. And, suicide for me can be a difficult topic to come across unexpectedly in a novel. Were you affected by this in any way? How do you tend to react when you experience triggers while reading a book?
Ove's wife, Sonja once said, "You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away" (p. 108). This quote really struck a chord with me. Do you notice it while reading? If not, what are your thoughts reading it outside of the story?
Comment on your reaction to the interaction between Ove and Beppo the Clown. How did this exchange transform the relationship between Ove and the neighbor girls?
Was there anything else significant that you would like to discuss within this latest bout of reading? Anything that stood out for you that I have not yet addressed in my discussion questions.
That's it for this week! Share your thoughts below in the comments section and/or feel free to link up in the linky below. Next week, we will chatting about chapters 19-29, pages 171-257.
In case you missed last week's discussion, click here.
Sorry I'm a week late to the discussion! I liked these chapters much more than the previous set. I felt like I really started to get to know Ove more and care more about him. This section was filled with his back story. The house he built and the fire and all that happened with that was especially powerful and helped to show where he had come from. Then there was the story of the stolen wallet and how he met Sonja on the train. I really enjoyed learning more about his background.
ReplyDeleteI also found this section to really build his relationship with Parvaneh. You can see that she starts to realize what is going on with the suicide attempts at this point. I do see what you mean about there not being any trigger warning for this book. I had no idea it was about a guy who wanted to kill himself. It would probably be good to get that message out there to potential readers.
I love that quote "You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away". I did notice it during my reading. I think it's a wonderfully positive sentiment, which shows how she was such the optimistic and positive one in his life.
I found the episode with the clown to be silly but it was a great way to make him connect with the kids more and you could see the change in their attitude toward him. It was cute.