"A MAN CALLED OVE", by Fredrik Backman.


A Man Called Ove (original title in Swedish: En man som heter Ove) is a 2012 novel by Swedish columnist, blogger and writer Fredrik Backman. It was published in English in 2013. In January 2015 a stage version of the book with Johan Rheborg in the leading role as Ove had its premiere.

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 neighbor 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 heartwarming 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.

 A film version of the book and play had its premiere on 25 December 2015, this time with Rolf Lassgård in the leading role.

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