Summary of A Man Called Ove: by Fredrik Backman | Includes Analysis

By Instaread Summaries

Summary of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman | Includes Analysis

 

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A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a novel titled after its cranky but quietly heroic protagonist. A heart condition has forced Ove, a 59-year-old widower, into early retirement. Now lac

• Language: English
• Publisher: Instaread, Inc
• Release date: Feb 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683785002

Book preview

Summary

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a novel titled after its cranky but quietly heroic protagonist. A heart condition has forced Ove, a 59-year-old widower, into early retirement. Now lacking purpose and overwhelmed by grief for his late wife, Ove finds himself contemplating suicide. Flashing back and forth between his interactions with his quirky neighbors in the present day and the story of his past, readers learn what makes this colorful character tick.

Somewhere in Sweden, a man called Ove has lived in a row house for nearly 40 years. Until six months ago, his beloved wife Sonja lived there with him, but she has died after a four-year battle with cancer. Now Ove’s life consists mostly of picking arguments with people and visiting Sonja’s grave. He feels very alone.

Before this row house, Ove lived in one other home: the one he shared with his father. His mom died when he was just seven. Ove and his dad never talked much, but they had a good relationship; that’s where Ove got his love for cars, and how he developed his moral code and his work ethic. When his father died, 16-year-old Ove took a job with the railway where his dad had worked and he tried to emulate the man as much as possible.

Two years later, local bureaucrats began to encourage Ove to move out of his dilapidated house, which was