A Man Called Ove
A Novel
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4.6 • 3.9K Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Now a major motion picture A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks!
#1 New York Times bestseller—more than 3 million copies sold!
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.
Fredrik Backman’s beloved first novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Pretty much everything annoys Ove, a 55-year-old who’s been pushed into early retirement—including Japanese cars, cappuccino, tall people, and cats. But when a lanky man driving a trailer attached to a hybrid crashes into Ove’s immaculate flowerbed and mailbox, his worldview is turned upside down. Like The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, this debut by Fredrik Backman—a word-of-mouth hit in Sweden—is a zany tribute to old-fashioned values. In spite of its bone-dry humor and curmudgeonly rants about modern phenomena like facial hair and jogging, A Man Called Ove is a nostalgic (albeit unconventional) love story with unforgettable characters.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this Swedish bestseller, Ove is a lovably miserable neighborhood curmudgeon think a cross between Up's Carl Fredricksen and Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson who spends his days inspecting his community and criticizing others, judging each by how closely he follows rules and his choice of automobile (Ove cannot reason with BMW drivers). After his handicapped wife dies and he is forced to retire from his job, Ove decides he's ready to leave the world behind. But every time he tries to off himself, he's interrupted first by his new neighbor, the pregnant Parvaneh; then by Parvaneh's clumsy husband, Patrick; Anita, the wife of Ove's former best friend; Jimmy, Ove's overweight neighbor; Adrian, the neighborhood mailman; and finally a mangy feline Ove calls "Cat Annoyance." Ove continuously pushes his demise from one day to the next, and, as time passes, these characters slowly weave themselves into his life, offering Ove a chance at rebirth. The debut novel from journalist Backman is a fuzzy crowd-pleaser that serves up laughs to accompany a thoughtful reflection on loss and love. Though Ove's antics occasionally feel repetitive, the author writes with winning charm.
Customer Reviews
See AllGreat read
This book was one of our better book club picks! It was sad, funny and food for thought.
Loved Ove and all his quirky ways! I would recommend this book.
A Man Called Ove
What a delightful book this was! I found all of the characters so "real" that I was sad to have it come to an end. Will be one I will reread in the future.
A must read!!
Best book I have read since All the light.. And Anne Tyler. Just amazing!! I think I will read it again, I miss the story already.