A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

As life changes one must always remember that life has purpose.  Ove thought his life was over and he had no reason to continue. Enter so many characters who need him! First the cat, then the new neighbors, then folks from the neighborhood. Each new person brings consternation and rebirth to Ove.

Ove wants to die. However, Ove is a meticulous person so everything has to be done just right.  He has routines. He is the self-proclaimed neighborhood watch for the community.  Not a man of many words, he still offers assistance to anyone who needs it, all the while continuing his curmudgeonly ways. He goes to his wife’s grave to visit and talks with her about all the things going on and how awful things are. She “tells” him how to continue living.

Ove is a man who has always done the right thing and helping others is the right thing. I love how he offers to teach Parvaneh to drive, help Patrick fix things, works with Jimmy to get him some exercise, helps Anita and Rune stay together in the house and restores the relationship between Mirsad and his father.  And the cat!  He hates the cat but feeds it because Sonya would want him to do so. He and the cat become inseparable. 

Each new person and each new day brings more and more reasons why Ove needs to live.  Just like for most of us, we need to know that we matter. We need to have someone who needs us. He becomes Granddad to Patrick and Parvaneh’s children.  Children often bring out the best in someone and this is true here. 

I love the community that exists here.  Everyone relies on each other and looks out for each other.  In the end, folks were still doing things their way despite his instructions to the contrary. The fact that so many pay their respects to the old, “bitter” man is a testament to the life he lived and the value he had. A true feel good story!

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

This historic novel tells the story of the conflict and competition between Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison.  It does not make Edison look good! It is based on the actual legal battles between Westinghouse and Edison.  It is from the perspective of Westinghouse’s attorney, Paul Cravath. It has a bit of everything from espionage to attempted murder and one is always guessing who is responsible for each.

Tesla is at the center of all things. His work with electricity and the light bulb are central to the conflict. Edison was the first to patent the light bulb but according to the story actually got the patent prior to completing his light bulb. Tesla could care less about the patent as he was much more interested in creating a better product. Westinghouse wanted the patent for the better light bulb and was willing to go to great lengths to get it. Edison was backed by JP Morgan and benefited greatly for that relationship.

There was a court case over the patent of the light bulb and Westinghouse eventually won the right to produce his own light bulb without having to pay Edison for each one he produced.  Tesla would go on the produce many electrical improvements. Those are facts and the book makes the facts come alive by adding the elements of legal competition to the story.  Cravath has to run back and forth between Pittsburgh and New York to serve his client.  He focuses on his one client while letting other things slide and is taken advantage of in the process. His relationships with colleagues, with his socialite girlfriend and others have many ups and downs giving the reader a reason to continue.

I liked the book and feel it was even more interesting than The Sherlockain we read earlier by Graham Moore.