A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

My book club recently read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, and I enjoyed it so much that I went and bought a copy of A Man Called Ove. This book brought Backman to the attention of the literati and, remarkably, was his debut novel. It has gone on to have a Swedishlanguage film adaption and, more recently, an English-language version starring Tom Hanks.

Ove is a grumpy older man grieving the recent loss of his beloved wife Sonja. Without Sonja life is not worth living, so Ove has decided to end his. For most of their married life, Ove and Sonja have lived in a complex of townhouses. The townhouses were brand new when they moved in on the same day as Rune and Anita, who became firm friends (that is to say, Sonja and Anita became firm friends). Ove and Rune are both hard-headed pragmatists who find conversation awkward, but they are able to bond over their loyalty to car brands, things in the shed and enforcing the rules of the Resident’s Association which they established. Both have presided over the Association and there have been disagreements but, for the sake of their wives, they have remained cordial. That is until the “coup”.

Ove is fastidious in all things and no less so in preparing to end his life. The floor has been carefully covered with plastic and he has left envelopes in prominent positions with all the details necessary to wind up his estate efficiently. Unfortunately, and irritatingly, the other residents keep interfering with his plans, and it transpires that there are pressing matters requiring his attention which will mean delaying his plans.

Backman creates wonderful characters and the English translation made for very easy reading of this delightful novel which doesn’t shy away from dealing with some tragic issues.

In Backman’s most recent novel, Anxious People, there is a cast of disagreeable characters who are being held hostage by a bank robber. This is a novel worth reading to the end as Backman succeeds in building a more nuanced and suspenseful plot whilst still providing many laughs.

Good Reads rating 4.4 stars - Published by Simon & Schuster

Carolyn Adams