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    A Man Called Ove: A Novel
    A Man Called Ove: A Novel
    A Man Called Ove: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Man Called Ove: A Novel

    Written by Fredrik Backman

    Narrated by J. K. Simmons

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Now a major motion picture A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks!

    #1 New York Times bestseller—more than 3 million copies sold!

    Meet Ove. He’s 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.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

    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.

    Fredrik Backman’s beloved first novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateNov 26, 2019
    ISBN9781797108261
    Author

    Fredrik Backman

    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.

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    Reviews for A Man Called Ove

    4.5/5

    6,790 ratings514 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I don’t know what took me so long to read this. I read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry first, and was so completely charmed by the story telling I couldn’t wait to read his other books. The narration on that one (and its follow up Brit-Marie Was Here) is superb, as is this. I am weeping at the end of this story and found myself crying in little bits throughout, my heart warmed to bits. Love love love this book! Must read!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A wonderful book filled with dark humor, love, loss, grief and moving forward.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Very touching. Have me lots of chuckles and a few years too . Highly enjoyable!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      One the most heartwarming books I have read. You fall in love with all the characters

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      J. K. Simmons as Ove is perfection!
      What a gem! Loved it!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      One of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Fantastic and a must read!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Absolutely wonderful and charming in a curmudgeonly sort of way. Really loved everything about it and JK Simmons did a wonderful job narrating. Perfect choice.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book. I recommend. Its worth the listen.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The best book I’ve read in a long long time!! Backman is one of my new favorite authors..!!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Enjoyed this book very much. It’s obviously fiction but has changed the way I see grumpy people.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      Not sure why this has so many 5 star reviews. This was so boring the entire way through

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Man I loved this book. There’s so much that can be said but I’ll just say this. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and your heart will be full.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Best book I’ve “read” (actually listened to) in a long time. J.K. Simmons is PERFECT for reading this book and does a masterful job. As a 54 year old man, I found this completely relatable. So sad and yet so hysterical at the same time. Bravo!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book made me smile again and again. So very endearing and at the same time sad, but not.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wonderful story that unfolds gradually and in mysterious ways.
      Listening was a pleasure.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Fantastic book! I wish they would have used more in the movie based on it roughly.. but it was a Disney movie so I guess that would not really be appropriate.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Excellent book! Kept me interested the whole time! Would definitely recommend.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Slow start but a fantastic ending. Stick with it, great story.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Heart warming, funny, and family-centered. I feel like I want to know the main character after reading this novel. The author did an amazing job at painting a picture of a crotchety old man with the biggest heart.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Such a lovely story. Even though Ove is only 59 years old, I pictured him like the old man from UP the entire time.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Man, this book was so good. Definitely parts where I cried and others where I laughed. I loved the characters and character development. I could absolutely see myself as Ove when I’ve been so full of anger and didn’t have an appropriate outlet for it; getting hyper focused on specific things that aren’t as important as I’m making them seem (“no parking in the residential area!”). I could also see myself as Parvana knowing this potential friend is struggling and trying to help the best way I know how, by doing life together. I hated that the book was over, but it was tied up pretty beautifully.
      Now that I’ve read the book, I might try to the movie.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A great story about life, love and death. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for Ove. I think we all know someone like him...or sometimes we ARE someone like him.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Great book. Great narration. Perfect ending. Glad I listened to it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Such a sweet touching story about one grumpy man with a heart of gold

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      You will laugh and cry throughout this beautiful story full of rich lovable characters and how their lives become intertwined. Every time I read one of his novels, I’m amazed by his impeccable ability to weave unforgettable stories full of surprises, wonderful analogies and relationships which will touch your heart. Wrapped up in the stories he creates, which aren’t predictable and always captivating, I never want to reach the end of his books. Perhaps that’s why I keep looking forward to the next one.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I thought this book was one of the best I've ever read. I I felt like part of the message could have been you'll never know in your life what experiences have shaped people's personalities. The other thing that I felt like I got from this book was that you will never know in what forms love comes in and kindness can only bring good things.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book is utterly heart-warming. Best read in a long time.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      There were many times I found myself giggling at Ove and his cat "that's not his". This story definitely pulls on your heart. You begin to think of Ove as a stubborn older man (he is). However, you grow to love him.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wonderful narration by J.K. Simmons!
      It started out so grumpy, but I realized it was important to the character development. The story quickly got more complex and very charming. It was sad, funny, suspenseful, and did a great job capturing the tensions in modern society. Most of all it is about the complexity of the human experience, as any good story should be!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Simply beautiful! I loved all the depth of characters and storyline told at such a smooth manner! I believe I will reread this book every year! Narration perfectly set the tone! Can’t wait to see how the movie captures this story in a couple months!!

      1 person found this helpful