F
Fredrick Backman
Fredrick Backman writes stories that blend humor with thoughtful observations on human nature. His books, like "Niespokojni ludzie," often feature quirky characters and unexpected connections. Readers enjoy his
A Man Called Ove
Synopsis
Ove is a man of strict routine, a retired craftsman who has spent years quietly grieving his wife's death by becoming increasingly bitter and isolated. When a boisterous new neighbor and her family move in next door, his carefully controlled world begins to unravel in unexpected ways. Told through a darkly comic, first-person narrative that alternates between the present and the past, the novel reveals the warmth and love beneath Ove's gruff exterior, and the impact of the people around him on his outlook on life.
Genres
Characters
Ove (A Man Called Ove)Protagonist
A 59-year-old widower who enforces the rules of his housing estate to the letter, and whose careful plans are repeatedly derailed by the neighbours who keep needing him.
Sonja (A Man Called Ove)Supporting
Ove's late wife, a teacher of children with learning difficulties whose warmth and love of books were the counterweight to his rigidity.
Parvaneh (A Man Called Ove)Supporting
The heavily pregnant Iranian woman who moves in across from Ove, refuses to be intimidated by him, and steadily conscripts him into her family's life.
Patrick (A Man Called Ove)Supporting
Parvaneh's husband, an IT consultant who embodies everything Ove distrusts about modern men and who cannot be trusted with a ladder.
Rune (A Man Called Ove)Supporting
Ove's neighbour of decades — first friend, then rival through years of feuding over cars and the housing association — now living with dementia.
Frequently asked questions
Is A Man Called Ove part of a series?
No. It is a standalone novel, and it was Fredrik Backman's debut — first published in Sweden as "En man som heter Ove" in 2012. His later books (My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown) are separate stories, though Britt-Marie Was Here does carry over a character from Backman's second novel rather than from this one.
Is the Tom Hanks film "A Man Called Otto" based on this book?
Yes. "A Man Called Otto" (2022) is the American adaptation of this novel, with the setting moved to the United States and Ove renamed Otto. There is also an earlier Swedish film, "En man som heter Ove" (2015), directed by Hannes Holm and starring Rolf Lassgård, which was nominated for two Academy Awards.
What is the original title, and who translated it into English?
The novel was written in Swedish as "En man som heter Ove" and published by Forum on 27 August 2012. The English translation is by Henning Koch and was published by Atria Books on 15 July 2014.
Is A Man Called Ove a sad book? What should I know going in?