Buying Options

Kindle Price:	$11.99
	includes tax, if applicable
Sold by:	Hachette Book Group (AU) This price was set by the publisher.

promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible Narration to your purchase for just $10.49

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Redeem a promotion code or gift card

Share <Embed>

A Man Called Ove: Soon to be a major film starring Tom Hanks by [Fredrik Backman, Henning Koch]

Follow the Authors

Henning Koch

Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove: Soon to be a major film starring Tom Hanks Kindle Edition

by Fredrik Backman (Author), Henning Koch (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

51,934 ratings

in Gerontology

See all formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$11.99

—

Hardcover, Large Print

"Please retry"

$65.99

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$12.00

$31.38

Mass Market Paperback

"Please retry"

$27.07

$22.09

—

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$31.43

$29.59

Digital

"Please retry"

—

Perfect for fans of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine; Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things and Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, A Man Called Ove is one of the best-loved and most life-affirming novels of the decade.

This multi-million-copy phenomenon is a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step.

'Warm, funny, and almost unbearably moving' Daily Mail

'Rescued all those men who constantly mean to read novels but never get round to it' Spectator Books of the Year

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.

But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible . . .

ISBN-13

978-1444775815
Publisher

Sceptre
Publication date

3 July 2014
Language

English
File size

1879 KB
See all details

See all supported devices

Product description

Review

"Narrator J.K. Simmons could read the Cheesecake Factory menu and make it entertaining. So taking on Ove, the grumpy but hurting old man in this novel, allows Simmons to mine the vein of deep emotions embedded in this novel. Ove, the epitome of a curmudgeon, is brought out of his grief-induced shell by a colorful cast of lovable neighbors. Simmons imbues this international bestseller with both a playful tone and the pain of heartbreak as circumstances challenge Ove's strict rules and principles. Simmons delivers Ove's emergence from his shell with an arched eyebrow and a knowing tone. Backman's exploration of how one life impacts those of countless others provides insights into the human potential for growth and love."-- "Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Magazine" --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Review

"Narrator J.K. Simmons could read the Cheesecake Factory menu and make it entertaining. So taking on Ove, the grumpy but hurting old man in this novel, allows Simmons to mine the vein of deep emotions embedded in this novel. Ove, the epitome of a curmudgeon, is brought out of his grief-induced shell by a colorful cast of lovable neighbors. Simmons imbues this international bestseller with both a playful tone and the pain of heartbreak as circumstances challenge Ove's strict rules and principles. Simmons delivers Ove's emergence from his shell with an arched eyebrow and a knowing tone. Backman's exploration of how one life impacts those of countless others provides insights into the human potential for growth and love."-- "Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Magazine" --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

About the Author

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk. --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Review

Delightful... there's a bit of Ove in all of us - which makes it the perfect holiday read. - Evening Standard

A MAN CALLED OVE finally rescued all those men who constantly mean to read novels but never get round to it. Crotchety old git Ove argues with neighbours, reluctantly inherits a cat, punches a clown and, by the end of the book, has you wanting to hug him. - Spectator BOOKS OF THE YEAR

It's warm, funny, with the laughs based on a solid grasp of character; and ultimately almost unbearably moving. - Daily Mail

A MAN CALLED OVE is a wonderful novel that will stay with you . . . Ove's story has an underlying sadness which the author tackles with great warmth and humour . . . It's a bittersweet, heartwarming tale which will leave listeners with a restored faith in the power of friendship and perhaps even a love for cats. - Psychologies Magazine

The most charming book you'll read this year. - Kirkus

A warm and tender story about love, loss and second chances, peppered with memorable characters, wonderful set pieces and some beautifully black humour. Ove is a joy from start to finish. - Gavin Extence, author of The Universe versus Alex Woods

"Ove will upset us, cause us to be upset on his behalf and make us laugh till we daren't drink fluids and read simultaneously but by the end we're uplifted and don't want to go." - Bookbag

An uplifting, life-affirming and often comic tale of how kindness, love and happiness can be found in the most unlikely places. - Sunday Express --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

Fredrik Backman is a Swedish blogger, columnist and author. His debut novel A MAN CALLED OVE was a number 1 bestseller across Scandinavia, has sold over one million copies worldwide, was a Richard & Judy summer read in the UK and an instant New York Times paperback bestseller, and has been made into an acclaimed film. Fredrik's subsequent novels, MY GRANDMOTHER SENDS HER REGARDS AND APOLOGISES and BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE, also went straight to number 1 in Sweden on publication. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

The international phenomenon: quirky and bittersweet, heartbreaking yet outrageously funny. Perfect for fans of Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryand Jonas Jonasson's The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IORP664
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sceptre (3 July 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1879 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 1,077 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 1 in Gerontology (Kindle Store)
- 27 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- 31 in Humour Fiction

Customer Reviews:
51,934 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Henning Koch
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Henning Koch (b. 1962) was born in Uppsala, Sweden but at an early age moved to England, where he was brought up in London and Hampshire. After completing his degree studies in English Literature at Bedford College, London, in 1984, he spent a decade traveling and working in Asia, the United States, Spain and South America. His interest in Mediterranean and Hispanic cultures has been a strong influence in his writing, and continues to be a driving factor. His debut "Love Doesn't Work" (Dzanc, 2011) is a mixed-genre short story collection set in London, Sardinia and Stockholm. His first novel, "The Maggot People" (Dzanc, 2014), takes an irreverent look at religion and the underlying assumptions of immortality.
See more on the author's page
Fredrik Backman
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, as well as one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His books are published in more than forty countries. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September 2020. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @Backmansk.
See more on the author's page

Fredrik Backman
6,598
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $11.99
Fredrik Backman
50,925
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Fredrik Backman
11,058
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Fredrik Backman
2,775
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $11.99
Fredrik Backman
5,144
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Matt Haig
186,918
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $4.58

Customer reviews

5 star		67%
4 star		23%
3 star		8%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Write a customer review

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Mrs. SG

A story like no other

Reviewed in Australia on 18 July 2021

Verified Purchase

This story is about Ove. He is a unique individual with very strong views, a man of action and of very few words. His life has black and white and practically no shades of gray. A few colours sometimes. A man whose dearest thing has been taken away from him. Life had a rhythm until this happened, and then life suddenly wasn’t worth living. This book is about the events that follow and the interesting people who come into his life from here on. This book is about how they change his life and make him look beyond the rigid boundaries he has created for himself.

The story is so beautifully written that it goes right to your heart and touches the core; it makes you want to meet Ove, it makes you value your family and friendships. A story that will stick to you for a very long time.

Reviewed in Australia on 21 October 2019

Verified Purchase

This isn’t the usual type of book I like to read but once I started I couldn’t stop reading. It’s written with such simple honesty, a reminder that we never know what another person has been through. I’d recommend this book to anyone, the old will relate and the young might learn something. It was beautiful. I’ve been sitting here for quite a while after the last few pages with tears still running down my cheeks letting it all sink in. I’m not one to cry over a book, but the truth of these words moved me so much I think I’ll remember this book for a long time to come.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jeanette

Heart-wrenching and heart-warming

Reviewed in Australia on 24 January 2021

Verified Purchase

I chose to read this book partly because, as a septogenarian myself, I've always had an issue in dealing with grumpy old men. The other reason was that I'd just read Backman's novel 'Anxious People' and was enthralled by the interaction of a very unlikely mix of characters.
The character of Ove took me to places I didn't expect to go, and I was hooked by the second chapter where the cat - with its wonderful powers of omniscience - appears.
'A Man called Ove' is a heart-wrenching depiction of one man's grief, and the restorative power of human kindness, beyond the borders of age, sexuality and race.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Feeling mixed

Reviewed in Australia on 11 March 2019

Verified Purchase

Obviously LOTS of people love this book... I struggled to fall totally in love with it. It was nearly as if Ove himself was keeping me at arms length. Perhaps in its original language I would have been more drawn in. I really felt the translation, which I appreciated in some ways as it made me imagine everyone Swedish (or "foreign" as Ove would say), but I felt a bit culturally a drift at times too. In the end I appreciated its quirky nature and well done ending. Rarely do you find a book so well ended, not necessarily happy but complete.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Reader Beaver

Creative but hard to connect with

Reviewed in Australia on 24 August 2021

Verified Purchase

The story was creative but I found it really difficult to connect with the protagonist, Ove. Maybe because I felt like the characters and plot didn't really develop until about three quarters of the way through. However, there are some absolutely beautiful moments in this story that show the best in humanity. I enjoyed Fredrick Bakman's use of humour and dry wit.

Helpful

Sarah Adams

LOVE, Love, love this book

Reviewed in Australia on 7 February 2022

Verified Purchase

I can't rate this book enough. I didn't like it in the first few chapters but I persisted and I am so happy that I did! I have now purchased for a friend. The author has created gorgeous, unique characters that make you giggle and relate. I don't want to give more away.
And once you have read this, continue on this author's catalogue - it's a treasure trove!!

Helpful

RobbieK

Quirky but Well Worth Reading.

Reviewed in Australia on 22 August 2017

Verified Purchase

I loved this book, for its quirkiness and true story-telling. It's not a book for everyone, as Ove is gruff, self-centred and rude. It would be easy to give up on him, but I knew this book would be worth pursuing. I laughed and cried and was sorry when the story ended. A true Scandinavian gem. I'd like to see the film, but am afraid I'd be disappointed.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Colleen M

So very refreshing!

Reviewed in Australia on 5 April 2022

Verified Purchase

It’s been a very long time since a book has made me laugh out load, recognised characters I’ve known in the prose and cried with Parveneh at Ove’s demise. Ove certainly told how it was and found redemption in doing so….. good on him!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Rashida

A bittersweet, compelling, moving to tears story with great character development.

Reviewed in India on 24 August 2018

Verified Purchase

A Man Called Ove, takes you to the Swedish town and makes you laugh and cry and sometimes both. The book is about an old man and his journey from his simple childhood to a struggling life. The man who lost his wife, Sonja to cancer, and wants nothing more than to kill himself in peace. First, he keeps getting interrupted by his neighbors and later, he fixes everything right. The trouble is all these people need his help. Ove can’t turn his back and annoy his wife. As he helps the neighbors, he reflects his memories of his time living with Sonja.

In the opening scenes, he is yelling at an iPad sales clerk, like an irate elder man who can’t get with times. But when you learn everything that led to it, you’ll find so many connections. Ove has so many levels to him you will lose count trying to guess what he might do in any given situation. His reactions will annoy you, irritate you beyond belief. But gradually you’ll see the stones turning. OVE is a man of order of life. A man of very few relationships, but the very few he loved, he can build an empire for them. He liked to understand, learn and create things by himself. Like what he thought, he could do. The anecdotes and flashbacks spread throughout the story tell us how he came to be the man he is; wonderful yet complex.

It’s not what the story is about, but what it leaves with you that makes you love the book.

283 people found this helpful

S. Evans

Oh dearie me!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2018

Verified Purchase

Uneasy as I am about giving a one star review to a book abandoned after only 40 pages, I do so anyway to alert readers like myself who will be bitterly disappointed by this book. I bought it on bad advice from several friends who knew how much I had enjoyed both episodes of "The hundred years old man who climbed ……" also from Sweden. Talk of chalk and cheese! So far as I got before sheer boredom said "Enough!", this book appears to be the about the shambolic activities and state of mind of a man whose wife has just died and who is (presumably, because he wants to fit a hook to a ceiling) contemplating joining her. We have heard a lot about misunderstandings because of his racial bigotry (he hates anybody not Swedish, especially his nice new Indian neighbours), and have read much of his fastidious and repetitive habits, his ability to reverse a trailer and to indulge in some convoluted parking activities in his Saab to upset a Mercedes driver. Takes one to know one. Sorry guys. I am sure some great epiphany is on the way in which Ove will redeem himself, but I will not be accompanying him on this odyssey. Mainly because if he turns out to be the slightest bit interesting, this will directly contradict what I have endured of him so far. I cannot be bothered to read on, and A Man Called Ove is already in the bin. As readers of my reviews know, I a generous critic, but this one is, for me anyway, a turkey. (PS - I will be 79 next month, and look forward to birthday greetings on FB. Last year I got 75!)

149 people found this helpful

Karen P Book Lover

Laugh, cry, love this book!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 July 2017

Verified Purchase

This book is just so lovely, so sad, so touching and so funny that I can't believe it took me so long to get round to reading it. I have never cried so much at a book - nor laughed so much. It's the touching tale of a grumpy miserable man who can't understand modern technology and doesn't want to. He's rude to everyone, intolerant and awful but the book takes the reader along on a journey with Ove that little by little shows us who he is, why he is the way he is and what he becomes.

No spoilers but this is the most touching and lovely heart warming book I have ever read - I loved it!!

110 people found this helpful

Peter - The Reading Desk

Rollercoaster of sadness and humour

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2017

Verified Purchase

Mix grumpy old man, OCD, and a desire to join his dead wife in the afterlife – what you get is “a man called Ove”. Ove has a plan to commit suicide and with such clarity of thought and reasoning he has it planned to a tee. Unfortunately for his plans, he is joined by a new family next door and a stray cat, and belligerently finds himself periodically postponing his suicide as he does just one more favour for them.

There are many times throughout the book I laughed out loud, especially at Ove’s conviction of how things should be and his tetchiness with those who don’t see things his way. It is also a very sad and heart-warming story as Ove deals with the loss of his wife, loneliness and just how communities can be socially uplifting and rewarding.

66 people found this helpful

lorry

Everyone knows an Ove.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2019

Verified Purchase

After ignoring the hype around this book, as well as some seriously dubious reviews regarding the character being a bigot/racist, which i did NOT find to be the case, i bought it for a quid in kindle deals in July and forgot all about it. Five months later, i gave it a go and read it in one day. It was as compulsive reading as a really compulsive, compulsive thing, on national be more compulsive than usual day.
So without spoilers, Ove is a grumpy old rhymes with odd, and with good reason.
From an era when pride in a job well done and not blowing your own trumpet, Ove was raised in a house of few words, without much in life, but what he had always seemed to be taken from him.
Long story short, he moans, but is a good guy, trying to get by in a worldgonemad. Misunderstood by most, but neverone to not help, as long as he can moan about it.
This is my first book from the author, but certainly won't be the last.
One of those rare books you mourn it ending, but will read again and again over the years.
What you waiting for? Buy it now!

Buying Options

Follow the Authors

A Man Called Ove: Soon to be a major film starring Tom Hanks Kindle Edition

Product description

Review

Review

About the Author

Review

From the Publisher

Book Description

Product details

About the authors

Henning Koch

Fredrik Backman

Customers who read this book also read

Customer reviews

Review this product

Read reviews that mention

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries