This is an astonishing book. I began reading it knowing only the barest of plots. The first few pages made me laugh out loud. And I laughed out loud many more times throughout. But as I was reading the beginning and laughing and thinking how hilariously grouchy Ove is, the book took a sharp, swift turn and suddenly I was crying. As another reviewer put it, it is full of "sucker punches to the gut." 
 The story is unfolded beautifully and, while not surprising, still manages to catch you off guard, where you know something big is coming, and yet you still go from snorting to having your heart in your throat in 10 seconds flat. It's hard to review without giving too much away and it really is best for each reader to discover for themselves the life of Ove, told through flashbacks, and how he turned into such a persnickety and snarky man who has a mostly spot-on, though pessimistic, view of people and society. 
 The book takes place in Sweden and is translated from Swedish (I can't imagine the power of this book in its original language) and centers on Ove, a 59 year old man recently "retired" from his job. He is surrounded by neighbors, each a character in his or her own right, who make up the colorful cast. And there's a cat. And yes, the cat is its own character. 
 The book was not perfect and at one point I felt like the author's clever language and writing style started to grate and get repetitive, but the range of emotions it wrought in me overcame any weakness. 
 This book truly drives home that old quote, "Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."