A Man Called Ove (by Fredrik Backman)

(Amazon UK link)

Nearly two years ago I read the book ‘Anxious People’ by the Swedish author Fredrik Backman. In discussion with the local book group, I learned that they had previously read another book by this author, ‘A Man Called Ove’. They had all liked it, and were pleased that it was being made into a film starring Tom Hanks, albeit moving the setting to the United States and the name to ‘Otto’. 

So when I saw the book available inexpensively for download on my Kindle, it was an easy decision to acquire it. I have been reading it for the past few days and finished last night. On the whole I liked it very much.

The time frame is a bit confusing at first, as the story moves backwards and forwards as new details are revealed. But it starts with Ove, a man who must be in his mid-sixties, trying to buy a computer. He has never done so before, and his questions don’t quite make sense. So he becomes increasingly annoyed with the sales staff…

The action then moves a few weeks earlier. We see Ove meeting a stray cat, whom he dislikes on sight. Then he sets out on what is evidently his daily rounds of inspection on the estate where he lives. He’s somewhat obsessive about security, possibly autistic: it’s not clear. His life follows a predictable routine which all seems rather depressing. He has recently retired from his work and is not happy all the extra time he has available.

But Ove has many depths. Through forays into the past, and interactions with his neighbours, we quickly learn that although he is grumpy and technologically challenged, he is kind, altruistic and generous when he feels that people deserve it. He also decides, sometimes, that he will help even if he doesn’t feel like it, since this leads to fewer altercations and less hassle. And, rather against my better judgement, I started liking Ove more and more. 

His life has not been happy; he never knew his mother, and his father was an undemonstrative man of few words. Ove is scrupulously honest and hopes to live up to his father’s memory as far as he can. But he has lost the one bright spark - the love of his life - and he’s really not sure how to live without her. 

I was a bit shocked when I realised, in one of the early chapters, that Ove was planning to end his life. He made his plans scrupulously. It could have been disturbing, but somehow the author manages to introduce some low-key humour in the descriptions. Ove does not want to leave a mess, or make life difficult for whoever discovers him. And despite three or four attempts, via different methods, he can’t quite succeed…

I was a tad confused by the names and descriptions of the various neighbours. But Ove didn’t always know their names anyway. He is thrust into the life of his neighbour Parvati who is heavily pregnant. And despite his lack of comprehension of small children, he is beloved by her three-year-old, and finds almost a kindred spirit in her older child. 

He also becomes involved in a problem experienced by his neighbour Anita whose husband Rune is suffering from Alzheimer’s. There are other neighbours too; those who are important in the story take on more of a character as Ove gets to know them. 

The writing is excellent - at least in its translated form - and the author tells an excellent character-based story. But there are some important issues raised: that of parental expectations, for instance, or of who is responsible when tragedies happen. There are also questions asked about what responsibility the state has in taking adults into care homes if they believe that there is insufficient care in the home. And overall there’s a positive, encouraging theme about the importance of community - even if it has taken Ove a very long time to accept it.

Given the themes, I would not have expected to like this book as much as I did. But I found it almost compulsive reading. The chapters are short with descriptive titles and it's quickly clear which ones are set in the past. I would recommend 'A Man Called Ove' to anyone, with the proviso that there are some descriptions of suicide attempts. They are written in an almost light-hearted way that could be upsetting to those who have lost loved ones. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's Book Reviews