BOOK SHELF

A MAN CALLED OVE

A Man Called Ove (original title in Swedish: En man som heter Ove) is a novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman published by Forum in 2012. The novel was published in English in 2014 and reached the New York Times Best Seller list 18 months after its publication and stayed on the list for 42 weeks.

“Ove is 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 neighbour from hell.’ However, 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 heart-warming 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.”