A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove (2012), by Swedish author Fredrik Backman (Anxious People, Beartown), tells the darkly humorous story of Ove, a 59-year-old Swedish man struggling to find purpose in his life. When the book opens, Ove’s wife Sonja has recently died. After losing his job, Ove plans to kill himself. Ove seems at odds with the world, constantly angry at the people around him and getting into altercations with shop workers, neighbors, and even other drivers on the road. Through Ove’s neurotic worldview, themes of distrusting technology and the fear of the “other” emerge.

Ove’s plans for suicide derail when some meddling new neighbors move in: Parvaneh, an Iranian woman, her husband Patrick, and their two daughters. Parvaneh comes to recognize that Ove, despite his gruff exterior, may be suffering internally. She sets out to keep him occupied and give him the purpose he’s lacking, asking him for help with small tasks like bleeding radiators, caring for a stray cat, and teaching her how to drive. As the book progresses, Ove repeatedly attempts to commit suicide, but outside forces consistently interrupt him.