A Man Called Ove: A Novel

Fredrik Backman

Simon and Schuster, May 5, 2015 - Fiction - 337 pages

Read the New York Times bestseller that has taken the world by storm

In this "charming debut" (People) from one of Sweden's most successful authors, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon--the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Fredrik Backman's novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. "If there was an award for 'Most Charming Book of the Year, ' this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down" (Booklist, starred review).

About the author

Carl Fredrik Backman is a Swedish columnist who grew up in Helsingborg. He has been writing for Helsingborgs Dagblad and Moore Magazine. He debuted in 2012 with the novel A Man Called Ove. He is also the author of My grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. Both were number one bestsellers in his native Sweden and have been published around the world in more than twenty-five languages. His title's, Beartown and Us Against You, made The New York Times Best Seller List.

Bibliographic information

• Title: A Man Called Ove: A Novel; Volume 1 of 2021 Book Club
• Author: Fredrik Backman
• Translated by: Henning Koch
• Edition: unabridged, reprint
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 2015
• ISBN: 1476738025, 9781476738024
• Length: 337 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Friendship; Fiction / Humorous / General; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / Media Tie-In