A Man Called Ove

A lovely book to read - both funny and sad about a man with strict principles , zero social skills and massive practical ability. The story is about the love of his life and his interactions with his neighbours. I recommend you try it - and keep going after the first few chapters!

Written with live understanding and humour. .. I guess by an endearing old sod! Thank you for another remarkable read!

I’m always a little anxious when I start reading a much-lauded, and more importantly, a much loved book. In fact, I’m aware many people cite A Man Called Ove as one of their favourite books ever. While I liked a lot about A Man Called Ove – I found parts of it moving, funny and quirky – I can’t say I loved it wholeheartedly. I’m going to start by talking about the elements I did really like and then move on to explain my reservations. I loved the strange and beautiful love story of Ove and Sonja – ‘He was a man of black and white. And she was colour. All the colour he had.’ I thought the picture we get of Ove through Sonja’s love for him and his devotion to her, is the most moving part of the book. Sonja could see beneath the exterior of the shy rather awkward young man she met on a train to the truthful, loyal, heroic and resilient person beneath. If other words, she could see the colour in Ove that others couldn’t. Despite the contrasts between them, they fitted together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to produce a complete picture. There are beautiful lines, such as: ‘But if anyone had asked, he would have told them that he had never lived before he met her.’ ‘He knew better to speak ill of what she loved; after all, he understood very keenly how it was to receive her love when no one else could understand why he was worthy of it.’ Really, I simply loved Sonja and who wouldn’t? She loves books, she loves to laugh, she’s a teacher, she fights for her pupils and inspires them to achieve more than they think they can. In a way, Ove is her most ambitious project and the saddest aspect of the book is that we never get to see what she could have achieved. So what were the aspects I was less enthusiastic about? Well, I got a little bored with all the Saab references and jokes. Perhaps you have to be Swedish or a car owner (and I’m neither) to appreciate them. And although the book was really funny in parts, at times I found the humour rather predictable and the visual and verbal punch lines easy to see coming. However, my main reservation was about the development of the character of Ove himself. The author didn’t completely convince me how the socially awkward but essentially decent and likeable young man that Sonja fell in love with became the anti-social, sexist curmudgeon that we meet at the beginning of the book. I appreciate we learn about tragic events in Ove’s life but they didn’t seem to me to sufficiently explain such a change in his character. Having said this, the author is a skilful writer and although one may not like Ove – and you definitely wouldn’t want to have him as a neighbour – the author makes you care about him. And, in the end, any imperfections in the portrayal of Ove’s character were redeemed for me by the portrait painted of Sonja and their emotional story. That love story, for me, is the beautiful heart of the book.

Ove (pronounced Oover) is a 59 year old man to whom life has dealt some poor hands. Orphaned at 16, he felt little happiness until he met Sonja who was to become his wife. Sadly, while on holiday, Ove and pregnant Sonja were involved in an accident and she lost her baby and the use of her legs. But at least they still had each other. Four years ago Sonja was diagnosed with cancer. Six months ago she died. The taciturn Ove has no family and is all alone and since his wife's death he's become increasingly insular. The Housing Office, who he's dutifully served for a third of a century, has forced him into early retirement. His local Residential Association, who he was a senior part of, no longer need him. He can't come to terms with the loss of Sonja and he feels his life is now surplus to requirements. It's time for Ove to meet her 'up there'. The trouble is, every time he tries to join her, his attempts are constantly thwarted by people needing something from him. And when the crazy foreign couple and their three and seven year old daughters move onto his street, he becomes begrudgingly involved with them on a regular basis. Gradually it dawns on Ove he does have a purpose after all. On reading the synopsis you may think this novel sounds somewhat bleak. I can assure you it is far from it. Though Ove believes he's reached the end of the line and cares little for nobody else, if you stick with him you'll see how a grumpy, grieving man on the verge of his Golden Years, will perform shining acts of selflessness when called upon. This is because, for Ove, there is right and there is wrong. There is black and there is white and one must act accordingly. Written from the third person P.O.V, set in modern day, you're told of Ove's childhood, how he met his wife by simply sitting next to her a train and saying nothing, up to his current life events. This is a Swedish novel which has taken Europe by storm, but even though Ove is from Sweden he displays a lot of traits that are common with the more mature British population. He's easily enraged by minor things, he regards strangers with mistrust and is slightly politically incorrect. I think his appeal is that the author's done an excellent job in creating a character that is so real and one that most of us have known at some point in our lives. Because of that we can relate to Ove. In contrast with his mumbly, moody personality, the few supporting characters add humour to the story especially heavily pregnant, Arabic, Parvaneh, who, despite Ove's reluctance to engage with her finds him very endearing. It's an extremely lovely, poignant, life affirming story about community spirit and no matter what we do, or how small, we all have a purpose. Whether he'll admit or not, the bottom line is Ove cares. By the end of the novel you are guaranteed to love Ove. I recommend 'A Man Called Ove' to all. It's a short, easy read and one that I'm sure you'll remember with much fondness.

I picked this up to read after my husband saw A Man Called Otto at the cinema and said he cried multiple times. I can’t get to the cinema myself owing to a little 8 month old, and I always prefer to read the book before seeing the film anyway, so here we are - and wow. This book is funny, moving, life-affirming, charming, delightful and all associated synonyms. It tells the story of Ove, who on the surface is just a grumpy old man who’s had enough of life. As the book progresses, we find out more and more about why Ove is the way he is, all while a wonderful cast of characters make their impact on him, forcing him to reassess the life he thought he was done with. Ove is a character who will go down in literary history. I fell in love with him. I also particularly enjoyed his new neighbour Parvaneh and her kids. There isn’t a single wasted or badly drawn character - everyone teaches Ove something, and vice versa. The way all of their story arcs were concluded at the end brought a tear to my eye; the denouement was my favourite part of the book. I can see why so many people have fallen in love with Fredrik Backman’s writing style after reading this. He manages to make you laugh out loud in the same breath as teaching you something profound about life. There are a few paragraphs near the end about ageing and grief which everyone needs to read. It did take a little while for me to get into this simply because it’s such a different sort of book to my normal reads (psychological thrillers), but that’s just me - once I got going I couldn’t put it down. It’s so well rounded as a story that I couldn’t stop smiling at it once I’d closed the back cover. I can’t wait to see what Hollywood and Tom Hanks have done with it. Do not hesitate to read this. Thank you Fredrik Backman, and thank you Ove.

I had always thought that this was not a book for me. Then I saw a trailer for the film, and thought that I'd like to see it, not realising that it was based on this book. When it appeared in my book recommendations, I had to have it. I am so glad that I've finally discovered it. The story resonates with me. I'm older than Ove, but have only recently become a Grumpy Old G..let's just say geriatric. Again and again I found myself agreeing with Ove's view on life. I also gained an insight into my dad. Mum was the love of his life, and when she died he was lost, within twelve weeks he died, and even the doctor said it was a broken heart. More than once I cried, cried for Ove, cried for my dad, and cried for myself. Despite these tears, the book is not sad. It is joyous, and there are many laugh out loud moments. There is also annoyance with officialdom, and anger with some of the characters. This is a well crafted book. The characters are well rounded and believable, more than believable because several times I found myself saying to myself, "that's just like...". If I were to be stranded on a desert island, and was allowed ten books, I think that this would be one of them. When I felt down it would be one that I'd turn to in order to cheer myself up. I thoroughly recommend it. It's un-put-downable.

I think i've been generous giving this book 3/5 because sadly this book didn't connect with me in the way it seems to have done for the many thousands of other reviewers. At the underbelly it is the typically generic story of a grumpy old man who underneath has a heart of gold, it does go a little deeper than the usual tropes though as it covers themes such as suicide and grief. Personally I could see the direction the book was going to take within a couple of chapters, it was predictable. It was a book that took a bit of getting in to for the first third of the book I felt as though I was plodding through it for necessity of getting to the end rather than enjoying it but I did begin to become invested in the story eventually. I felt the characters of Ove and his Wife Sonia were well written and their backstory was engaging, I liked how the backstory slowly unfolded allowing the reader to make sense of the reasons behind Ove's current behaviour and personality. This was done well and I found myself shedding a tear at points throughout their backstory as it was emotional and devastating. However, I thought the supporting characters particularly the family next door were two-dimensional and unbelievable. It felt as though all Ove's interactions with them until the last 50 pages of the book were over-exaggerated and badly written, it was as though the Author was obviously shoe-horning these interactions in to progress the story. For example when Ove was very rude to his neighbours Parvaneh and Patrick at the beginning of the book yet minutes later they have sent food around to his house and are asking to borrow things from him. It felt unbelievable, if someone was that rude to you, you wouldn't knock their door minutes later with a food parcel. Additionally, the journalist and council worker characters were at best caricatures of their job roles, in particular when the journalist was jogging around and following Ove for an interview - she worked for the local newspaper not a national newspaper yet she was behaving as though he was an A-list celebrity. Aside from these large annoyances there were many minor ones that irritated me such as the way Ove was written about at times like he was old, old man - he's 59. Or how the cat that was literally moments from freezing to death yet warmed up within literal seconds and how conveniently both of the other neighbours from different households were allergic to cats meaning Ove needed to look after the cat (another example of things being clunkily shoe-horned in so that the story can progress). Furthermore how the man from social services happily told a neighbour the confidential business of another neighbour. There were just too many unbelievable aspects to the story. I really liked the backstory of Ove and Sonia but the current timeline story was in my opinion poor. I'm not sure who i'd recommend this book to but the book has many 5 star reviews so maybe I don't see what everyone else does.

I really enjoyed this book, it made me laugh and cry and the protagonist, Ove, was believable and lovable (but don't tell him I said that). Some reviews below do give away spoilers, so I won't say too much but Ove is 59 years old and has been widowed for 6 months. He likes things just so and comes across as a grumpy old man, though he's been through a lot so it's no wonder. A cat decides to adopt Ove, who grudgingly tolerates it but he comes to mean the world not just to the cat, but to his neighbours too, who see he really does have a heart. Ove is a little Grinch like, with less green but this book is so well written and I found I really came to care for Ove and engage in his story. This is a slow burner, not a pacy read, but it is truely remarkable

Was a great read

I loved this book! Ove is a typical, grumpy old man with his own unique perspective on life that will leave you crying with laughter while tearing your hair out in frustration! It's heartbreakingly sad but also hilariously funny at the same time. A beautiful story of a good man trying to make sense of a crazy world, and finding his place in the end. Highly recommend.

I read this book in a very short time and went through a whirlpool of emotions while reading it. Definitely opened my eyes on the the curmudgeons in my life.

If there were a scale that allowed for more than perfection, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman would transcend it. This book is a profound, heartwarming, and unexpectedly hilarious tale that takes the seemingly mundane life of a curmudgeonly man and turns it into a symphony of laughter, tears, and triumphs. Ove, the titular character, is the grump we all recognize—the kind of man who yells at stray cats and meticulously measures parking spaces. But as Backman peels back the layers of his life, we discover a man of profound love, loss, and resilience. It's in these small, intricately woven moments that the story truly shines. Backman’s genius lies in his ability to mix dry wit with deeply emotional storytelling. One minute you're laughing out loud at Ove's cantankerous antics; the next, you're wiping tears as his past is revealed. Every character is wonderfully drawn, from Ove's persistent neighbors to the stray cat that becomes his reluctant companion. This book isn’t just about one man—it’s about life itself, in all its messy, beautiful complexity. It’s a celebration of community, compassion, and the connections we make when we least expect them. Backman’s prose is deceptively simple, yet every word carries weight, resonating with a truth that hits home. Few authors can make you feel as though you've lived an entire life within the span of a few hundred pages, but Backman does it effortlessly. A Man Called Ove is more than a book—it’s an experience. It will break your heart and put it back together in a way that makes you see the world a little brighter. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out on one of the greatest literary gifts of our time. Final Verdict: 6/5 stars. A must-read for anyone with a pulse.

5/5 على جوده الكتاب مره جميله لكن ماقريت الكتاب لكن مايحتاج لان متاكده انه راح يكون مره ممتع