A Man Called Ove

After watching the movie based on the novel A Man Called Otto, I read the book. The story of an angry, grumpy old man who wants to end his life after his wife’s death caught my attention.

Ove is the neighborhood busybody. He watches over the housing, tries to insist others do the same and is thoroughly obnoxious most of the time.

Yet, as the story unfolds, he finds himself drawn into life, becoming involved with a young couple and their children. He teaches the young woman how to drive and ends up driving her to the hospital when… show more.

At first glance, Ove, the grumpy old man, is a misanthropist who has grown disillusioned with the world.

However, as the story unfolds, it reveals the underlying kindness in the man as he undergoes an unexpected transformation. The book’s greatest strength lies in the author's ability to write in a manner that transcends language barriers.

Originally penned in Swedish, the translation allows English readers to feel entirely at home within its pages.

As with The Midnight Library, this book features a miserable protagonist. But Ove is more than a grumpy stick-in-the-mud. The more you learn about what shaped him, the more endearing he becomes.

When you realize he’s grieving over the recent death of his dear wife, your empathy swells, and you start to root for him, especially when you glimpse a little goodness in him. I love this book (and the movie) because it conveys a truth about the human condition: We are not meant to live in isolation.

If Ove can become a treasured part of his community and… show more.

A Man Called Ove was recommended to me by my husband. He is a voracious reader who has no qualms in casting a book to one side if it doesn’t immediately grab him – so I take his recommendations seriously. 

Ove is a grumpy old man who doesn’t want to continue living after the death of his wife. It sounds depressing and I nearly didn’t bother. But Backman’s skill as an author turns Ove’s story into an absolute delight. Ove may be grumpy, intolerant, and set in his ways but he is unable to turn his back on anyone in… show more.

I love this book because I once had a neighbor like Ove.

I was young and pregnant, and frankly a little frightened by him. Instead of having a cat, he had an old dog. The old dog got stuck in the mud in my backyard. I had to go over and knock on this neighbor’s door. Together, we wrestled to save the dog.

The man’s name was Charles and over the course of two years he taught me everything I know about gardening. When I read this book, I cried. Ove reminded me of Charles. 

This laugh-out-loud funny book is also a charming exploration of some of the assumptions we tend to make about older people, particularly those with challenging quirks and personalities. 

It is told in a light and engaging way, but really packs a punch with some insightful and thought-provoking messages.

The character of Ove will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book and it has the power to change the way you think not only about the older people in your life, but also your own future.

Ove is a grumpy, taciturn man, old before his time. The story starts with him plotting his imminent demise - because what’s the point of living when the love of your life is no longer around?

But a combination of annoying new neighbors and equally annoying old friends slowly draws him out of his cantankerous shell, and he realizes there is still fun to be had. This novel is about hope and the triumph of the human spirit, but it’s written in a very accessible and often acerbic style. It deals with very dark and difficult topics (suicide, bereavement, loneliness)… show more.

I would have skipped this book, but my wife told me it was a must-read. It took a couple of chapters to hook me, but hook me, it did. Ove is the kind of guy who dives others crazy. However, his efforts at suicide fail because of friendships he doesn’t want, and his loving, caring nature surfaces big time. Ove reminds me that no man of any worth is an island. It would be great if more of us followed his example of loving and caring for neighbors—especially those who annoy us.

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. It was a bit slower than I enjoy and I knew it had been translated which often puts me off.

We first meet a grumpy horror of a man who no one would enjoy being friends with. But gradually you come to understand this poor soul has lost the love of his life and the way he behaves is spilling out from his deep inner despair. No one can help him and he wants to join his beloved wife in death.

But gradually, with the help of his… show more.

Oh, I know this novel has likely appeared on countless lists, but I loved it. Grumpy, lonely, widowed Ove lives a rigid and structured life. He acts like an old man but is only 59. He has little tolerance for people and is annoyed when new neighbors move in and upset his carefully ordered world and its carefully ordered rhythms. What I loved about this novel was how Ove allowed his heart to grow, sort of like the Grinch, to accommodate new people in his life, to create a new family.