A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Backman

Perfect for fans of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine; Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things and Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, A Man Called Ove is one of the best-loved and most life-affirming novels of the decade.

This multi-million-copy phenomenon is a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step.

'Warm, funny, and almost unbearably moving' Daily Mail

'Rescued all those men who constantly mean to read novels but never get round to it' Spectator Books of the Year

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.

But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible . . .

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

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Reasons to Read A Man Called Ove

  • If you love character-driven, heart-warming reads A Man Called Ove is a must

  • Ove is a rarity as he is a loveable curmudgeon and his story is like an onion, with each layer invoking more emotion.

  • Fredrik Backman has a very subtle sense of humor that could bring a smile to the most heart-wrenching moments in the novel.

  • I loved reading of the backstories of Ove's neighbors and how he inadvertently affected their lives.

  • Of course I also enjoyed learning about Ove's past and what molded his personality and outlook on life.

  • A Man Called Ove is an unexpected gem.  I closed the book happy to have made the journey, yet sad that it was over.


This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 24 July, 2018: Finished reading
  • 24 July, 2018: Reviewed