An Open Letter to Fredrik Backman

Dear Fredrik Backman,

I can’t help myself but write to you. I have had enough of your books.

Some people want to read a story, and that’s it. A good book, a warm tea, and a soft blanket. But you keep writing these wonderful stories that make people cry and laugh — sometimes simultaneously.

I wish I got an øjre for every time I felt humiliated because I read your work. I felt stupid and probably worried people because of my sudden crying on the train and metro.

Also, if you keep writing these stories (please do!), please use better-quality paper. The salty tears ruin the books. I know I could use e-books, and I did once, but that’s not the same. Every bookworm would agree with me. Right?!

I’m part of some book clubs, so I will definitely tell everyone to buy your e-book instead. Let me know if you don’t want that. I’m a reasonable person.

A Man Called Ove, that’s why I’m writing to you. I started watching it on tv, then realised that it’s based on your book.

So I turned off the TV and irresponsibly purchased your book.

I read it, and here we are.

Thank you for writing about people like Ove. Those people are so misunderstood, and I wish I could help them. I am not sure if you have heard about the term ´highly sensitive person,´ but he seems like a typical one. He is one of those who had no help dealing with being sensitive, so those people hide their sensitivity and channel their compassionate personality elsewhere.

They seem grumpy, perfectionist, and unbearable, and that’s fair.

They can be.

It’s because no one let them be themselves as a kid. Now, those people are all grown-ups and don’t know how to feel free or how to show their sadness in a way everyone understands.

At the book’s end is a fun quiz about ´How Ove Are You?´.

It’s fun, and I know I ask too much, but what if you put a quiz about how HSP (highly sensitive person) are you?

In this case, people could give this book as a present to grumpy old people.

Those grumpy old people would realise that they are just highly sensitive.

When you understand that this is not a flaw in you, your life is about to change. Those people will be able to understand more about why their life is the way it is.

It would make a huge impact.

Those grumpy men and women wear the grumpy mask because they want to hide their true feelings. They don’t want to feel what they feel. They wish to be the person that they are pretending to be.

I’m not sure if you ever get this message.

I know you are short on time sometimes.

Have a lovely day!

Your big fan, 

Noémi Marczell.