A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Backman

295 pages

English language

Published 2016

ISBN:: 978-1-4447-7581-5

(125 reviews)

A Man Called Ove (Swedish: En man som heter Ove, pronounced [ɛn ˈmanː sɔm ˈhěːtɛr ˈǔːvɛ]) is a debut novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman published in Swedish by Forum in 2012. The novel was published in English in 2013 and reached the New York Times Best Seller list 18 months after its publication and stayed on the list for 42 weeks. It has been adapted into two films: A Man Called Ove, which premiered in Sweden on 25 December 2015, with Rolf Lassgård in the leading role, and A Man Called Otto, released on 30 December 2022, with Tom Hanks in the leading role.

187 editions

Mickey reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

5/5

I read this book while on a plane and I must say it was very difficult to explain why I switched between laughing and crying every chapter. Such a beautiful emotional rollercoaster and so well written.
At first Ove feels like a rather unemotional older man who wants nothing to do with the world, and in layers it peels into a heartfelt backstory of why he has become who he is. Facing betrayal and one sadness after another Ove closed himself off from the world until that shell is finally peeled back revealing a rather kind and loving man.
It was such a beautiful story and one of my favorites!

Jonathan Arnold reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Amazing as usual. Review coming. I need to blow my nose and wipe away the tears first.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Bachman did it again to me. I absolutely adored [b:Beartown|33413128|Beartown (Beartown, #1)|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482108618l/33413128.SY75.jpg|54171514] and its sequel, [b:Us Against You|36373463|Us Against You (Beartown, #2)|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516019348l/36373463.SY75.jpg|56772779], although they did wreck me emotionally. And yup, he does it again with Ove.

Ove is an old grump of a man who tries to minimize the interactions he has with his neighbors or being sure to yell at them or grump at them if he has to interact at all. Stiff, unbending and unyielding, he knows there is a right way (his way, of course) and a wrong way (every other way, of course) and he cannot stand when things are done the wrong way. When his new neighbors run over his mailbox, he is forced to park the trailer himself.

And then a cat adopts him (he would never admit it the other way around), and an old frenemy is threatened with being put in a home, and someone needs help to learn how to drive (gasp!) and someone needs their radiator fixed... You get it, he helps out, as grumpily as he possibly can.

So the character Ove is only just barely relatable. I almost gave up early on, because he seemed like such a caricature and a bore. But my undying love for the writer of Beartown made me press on and I am glad I did. Ove is surrounded by multi dimensional characters, who give him dimension as well.

And holy cow, was I crying often while reading! His neighbors saw thru him and adored him for his crustiness and their love melted my heart. I could barely read the final chapter thru the tears. How Bachman makes things so sad and endearing without sinking into trite maudlin words is beyond me. It took me hours to recover after finishing this book. I am choking up just writing this and thinking about it again.

I'm giving it 4.5 stars because Ove is such a tough love but rounding it up to 5 because, really, you should read this. You won't regret and maybe your heart too will grow 3 times bigger by the end.

Dragna reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I cried, a lot. Ove would have been very disappointed with me.

tgt reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

I absolutely loved the first half of the book. I was continuously amazed at how the author could have me laughing and crying within a single paragraph. Ove's recounting of his early life and falling in love with Sonja was especially moving. Ove strongly reminded me of several older people I've known, although they were typically closer to 70. I really think the author should've made the character older as I don't know anyone quite so curmudgeonly in their 50s.

The second half worked less well for me. I began to find the similes grating and things felt a touch repetitive. The overly neat tying up in the last two chapters was especially bad, although I suppose a happy ending is nice. I'd have preferred the author to end the book just after Ove's heart attack, which was a beautifully sad moment lightened by Ove's last thought about the ambulance …

AliCorbin reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Fluff. A pleasant, and predictable, read, in which everything turns out well in the end. Ove is a type - the strong man who doesn't want to talk about his feelings, and is more at home with a screwdriver than with people. And one that we all know, in our family or friends.

govmarley reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I truly loved this book. I thought, at the beginning, that I was going to hate it. Ove was crotchy and a real grump about everything. Very unloveable, right? But this book was such a gift. Highly recommend!

Each chapter helped you solve the mystery that is Ove. I kept thinking, Sonya was a saint to live with him for so long. But then the pieces start to fall into place. You see why she loved him. You better understand why he is the way he is. You see him through Parvaneh's eyes, and the eyes of his neighbors, and you are left with a character who is complex, yet exceeding simple at his core. A paradox? Yes, but a good one.

The ending wasn't what I expected, and it made me cry. The real star of the show was the cat annoyance, which is no surprise if you know …

Lynn reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I always sort of meant to read this, but probably would never have got round to it had a colleague not made me aware of Backman's novella, which I loved. I loved this even more. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much.

Pentapod reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This seems to be the "book everybody is reading right now" book of the moment, so I picked up the audiobook. It's a simply written, sweet little story set in a small town in Sweden, where Ove is a grouchy old "get of my lawn" type curmudgeon. Still reeling from the sudden and recent loss of his wife of many years, Ove's grouching and mourning is invaded by new neighbours moving in and backing their truck into his property, and against his will he finds himself sucked into their lives and troubles also. It's a little predictable, a little cliche, but if you can get past that and just enjoy the story it's a cozy little feel-good story that could have been set in any small town in the world.

ToadyNerd reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The first half of the book or so, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading. It seemed like it was basically, a grumpy old guy, getting into random situations that just made him grumpier. But I continued, and I really enjoyed the rest of the story.

Kyrylys reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Reseña completa: markapaginas.blogspot.com.es/2014/06/un-hombre-llamado-ove-fredrik-backman.html

Durante la novela hay frecuentes flashbacks que nos relatan episodios de la vida de Ove que hace que entendamos por qué es así y por qué actúa cómo actúa. Y que, incluso hacen que le cojamos simpatía y que veamos como virtudes la mayor parte de sus defectos.

Es una novela bastante divertida, aunque tiene su toque agridulce en algunas ocasiones. Y sinceramente ese toque me gustó mucho, porque "Un hombre llamado Ove" es más que su argumento y su desarrollo. Es una de esas novelas que parece que no son gran cosa (ligera, divertida, corta, etc…), pero que cuando terminas te dejan reflexionando.

unicorndeburgh reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Enjoyed the book, but it's a bit over the sentimental line for me.
The cat's behavior is so not typical of cats that it was a bit annoying.

JoeClu reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Ove is a miserable, rotten SOB. I hate him already and I just started the book. He's such a negative, self-centered, cynical, intolerant person, I am starting to think something might be wrong with his mind.

As he meets his new neighbors for the first time, I get the feeling the author is intending him to be a lovable, miserable SOB. Kind of like a Mr. Magoo [N. American cartoon character] who is always complaining and insults everyone yet people see past that and find it cute.

Now that I have finished reading this book, I sympathize with Ove and understand him a lot better. He still is, however, a cold, cynical, anal curmudgeon in my opinion. He looks down his nose at people if they don't have similar likes and opinions as he does. The author helps us to understand why, on a certain level, he is like this. And luckily the author shows this Ove character has a heart, deep, deep, deep, deep down for his very close friends.

The author did a tremendous job at telling his story, showing his personality, and sharing with us the life of this SOB. Very good job to the talented author! The author made me FEEL and for that, it was a very good book. Thank you Mr. Backman for spending the time and hard work to write this novel.

I hear a movie is coming out soon and I intend to see it.

pithypants reviewed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Review of 'A Man Called Ove' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I really enjoyed this. Ove has nothing left to live for - so he doesn't. Each day he rises with one goal: to end it all. And yet, somehow he's always interrupted, forced to continue this miserable life of his. This book is well-written and - despite the seemingly dark premise - touching. I especially liked how cranky he was - we all know someone like that, and some of his thoughts/sentences made me laugh out loud.