Why it’s essential
Ove is the ultimate lovable curmudgeon, whose story is a must-listen for anyone with a heart. Performed with the perfect amount of gruff by J.K. Simmons.
Featured in The Audible Essentials Top 100.
What is A Man Called Ove about?
Set in Sweden, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is about a bitter, bereaved aging man who, thanks to freak twists of fate, the kindness of strangers, and the determination of his new neighbors, learns to embrace life again.
Editor’s review
Mysia is a book person who loves escaping into twisty mysteries and contemporary fiction driven by complicated characters.
A few summers ago, I was looking for an uplifting fiction listen and found Anxious People—a story about a hapless bank robber who accidentally creates a hostage situation and becomes embraced by a bunch of quirky characters. Performed by the always outstanding Marin Ireland, it made me laugh and left me feeling hopeful about the basic goodness of people, even complete strangers in a strange circumstance. Several months later, when my book club picked A Man Called Ove, I was delighted and looked forward to reading another funny, feel-good book by Fredrik Backman. Though Anxious People marked my introduction to the talented Swedish novelist, Backman made his debut with Ove and wrote five other books, including the acclaimed Beartown, before crafting the bungled crime caper that captivated me. In Ove, I expected to meet more quirky characters and laugh at their antics—and it did not disappoint. But I wasn’t prepared for how the saga of A Man Called Ove would move me to tears, soften my heart towards the curmudgeons I know, and inspire me to try to be more tolerant of and kinder to cranky people.
When we first meet Ove, at age 59 in the midst of the exasperating endeavor of purchasing a computer, he comes across as an old fart. My first thought was, "Whoa! This guy’s not even 60, and he sounds at least 80." (My dad is 81, so I’m familiar with what a frustrated-by-technology 80-year-old man sounds like.) Set like concrete in his ways, Ove is a stickler for rules and has zero tolerance for fools, which, in his opinion, include pretty much everyone. He lives alone, he has no friends, and it’s not hard to understand why the people in his housing complex call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." Oh, and he wants to end his life. Ove is, to put it mildly, hard to like. So, why should anyone, including the reader, care about him? The answer is what makes this book quite wonderful and well worth your time.
Over the course of the novel, Backman reveals Ove’s past piece by piece, and as we slowly get to know this cantankerous man, it’s impossible not to have sympathy for him. Avoiding spoilers, I’ll simply say that in his 59 years, Ove has endured hardship, isolation, and loneliness; been taken advantage of, taken for granted, and bullied; and suffered cruel and tragic losses. In fact, the more I learned about Ove’s life, the more I marveled at his resilience. I came to care about Ove through understanding what made him the way he is—forged by hard knocks and heartbreak, his grumpiness was grounded in grief.
But A Man Called Ove isn’t simply the story of a pitiful geezer. I came to care about Ove on the strength of a character who makes it her mission to befriend him, whether he likes it or not—Parvaneh. We first meet Parvaneh, along with her laidback, lanky husband and their two chatty young daughters, when they move in next door to Ove and accidentally flatten his mailbox. She’s Iranian, an outspoken extrovert, and very pregnant—all qualities way out of Ove’s comfort zone. She sees something in Ove that makes her keep trying and pushing until she breaks Ove out of his shell. And when that happens, life changes in wonderful ways for not only Ove but also for Parvaneh and her family, for their complex’s residents, for a couple of teenage outcasts, and, last but far from least, for a scruffy cat whom Ove begrudgingly takes in. Parvaneh saves Ove from the grips of despair—and himself—by giving his life purpose. To my mind, she’s the novel’s heroine and true heart.
In my book club, we had a lively discussion about what in the world drew Parvaneh to Ove and why she persisted when he kept shutting her out. I’m still a bit mystified—and amazed—by her. We also had a debate over the correct pronunciation of "Ove." For the answer, I turned to an expert narrator, as well as an outstanding character actor, J.K. Simmons. After I had read the paperback, I went back to listen to the audiobook, initially to hear the right way to say that Swedish name. But Simmons is so, so good—he nails Ove’s snarky remarks and Parvaneh’s brash upbeat attitude and all the hilarity, sadness, and surprises packed in the plot—that I wound up listening to the whole book, and laughing and crying, again. And it’s pronounced "oo-vuh."
Did you know?
Backman got the idea for the character of Ove from a blog post for a Swedish men’s magazine—recounting how a man named Ove exploded with rage while buying tickets at an art museum, until his wife intervened. Upon reading the post, Backman’s wife told him, "This is what life is like with you." After conceding her point, Backman decided to make it work for him. In 2009, he started a blog about his pet peeves and outbursts, under the heading, "I Am a Man Called Ove." Inspired by Ove’s popularity, Backman asked his blog followers if he should write a novel about him. More than 1,000 voted yes.
Backman’s debut novel was rejected by several publishers for its focus on death and lack of commercial potential before it found a home. To date, A Man Called Ove has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide, making it one of Sweden’s most popular literary exports since Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Content warnings in A Man Called Ove
Attempted suicide
What listeners said
"I laughed, I cried, I LOVED this book. J.K. Simmons was the perfect narrator. What a lovely story, the heartfelt moments snuck up on me and brought me to tears and then there would be a snarky comment from Ove that would then move me to laughter. Highly recommend this book!!" –Audible listener
"Powerful novel In its own right, but the narrator elevates it a notch further. Absolutely beautiful." –Kayla, Audible listener
"Lovely story. Beautifully written and performed. Ove is an amazing soul in a gruff exterior. Miss these characters already!" –Bookworm, Audible listener
"J.K. Simmons’s narration is perfect for the story. A beautifully written tale with identifiable characters who you will fall in love with." –Wesley, Audible listener
Quotes from A Man Called Ove
"All people at root are time optimists. We always think there's enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like 'if.'"
"He misses her so much that sometimes he can’t bear existing in his own body."
"It is difficult to admit that one is wrong. Particularly when one has been wrong for a very long time."
"Many people find it difficult living with someone who likes to be alone."
"All roads lead to something you were predestined to do."
Adaptations
A Man Called Ove has been adapted into two films—a 2015 Swedish film, A Man Called Ove, written and directed by Hannes Holm, with Rolf Lassgård in the leading role, and a 2022 American film, A Man Called Otto, directed by Marc Foster from a screenplay by David Magee, starring Tom Hanks as the curmudgeonly main character.
About the author
Fredrik Backman is a Swedish writer and #1 New York Times bestselling author. His books include A Man Called Ove (2012), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (2013), Britt-Marie Was Here (2014), Beartown (2017), Us Against You (2018), Anxious People (2020), and The Winners (2022), as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World (2012). His books have been translated into more than 25 languages and published in more than 40 countries. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and two sons.
About the performer
J.K. Simmons is an acclaimed American character actor and voice artist. Over his career, he has appeared in more than 200 films and television roles and received prestigious accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a British Academy Film Award. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the sadistic music instructor Terrence Fletcher in Whiplash (2014) and was nominated for the same award for his portrayal of William Frawley in Being the Ricardos (2021). On television, he is known for roles as varied as Dr. Emil Skoda on NBC’s Law & Order, white supremacist prisoner Vernon Schillinger on HBO’s Oz, and Assistant Police Chief Will Pope on TNT’s The Closer. Along with A Man Called Ove, his audiobook performances include thrillers by Tom Clancy, Chuck Logan, and Dale Brown. He is also the voice of Kai in Kung Fu Panda (2016), J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), and, since 1996, the Yellow M&M.
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