People call him 'the bitter neighbour from hell.' However, behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. 'Ove is a curmudgeon-the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. Eventually, he realized that his writing had potential for the creation of an interesting fictional character. He started writing blogposts under the heading, 'I am a Man Called Ove', where he wrote about his pet peeves and annoyances. Backman instantly related to this man as he claims to be 'not great at talking to people'. Inspiration īackman got his inspiration for this book after reading an article about a man named Ove who had a fit while buying tickets at an art museum. It has been adapted into two films: A Man Called Ove, which premiered in Sweden on 25 December 2015, with Rolf Lassgård in the leading role, and A Man Called Otto, released on 30 December 2022, with Tom Hanks in the leading role. The novel was published in English in 2013 and reached the New York Times Best Seller list 18 months after its publication and stayed on the list for 42 weeks. ( From the publisher.A Man Called Ove ( Swedish: En man som heter Ove, pronounced ) is a novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman published in Swedish by Forum in 2012. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.Ī feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. 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.

People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?īehind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. He’s a curmudgeon-the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Backman a man called ove