A Man Called Ove (novel)
.jpg) First US edition | |
| Author | Fredrik Backman |
|---|---|
| Original title | En man som heter Ove |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Washington Square Press (US) |
Publication date |
2012 Sweden |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 368 pp (US) |
| ISBN | 9781476738024 |
A Man Called Ove (original title in Swedish: En man som heter Ove) is a 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman, a Swedish columnist, blogger and writer.[1] 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 in Stockholm.[2] In addition, it was adapted as a film of the same name, which was premiered on 25 December 2015, with Rolf Lassgård in the leading role.[3]
Plot summary
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.[4]
Characters
- Ove — a grumpy, 59-year-old man who has recently been forced to retire
- Sonja — Ove's deceased wife
- Parvaneh — Ove's neighbor, a pregnant woman of Iranian descent, a mother of two
- Patrick — Parvaneh's husband
- Rune — Ove's friend and neighbor
- Anita — Rune's wife
- Adrian — the neighborhood mailman
- Jimmy — the overweight neighbor
Film and TV adaptations
Audiobook
In July 2014, Dreamscape Media released an audiobook version of this book, read in English by American actor George Newbern.[5]
References
- ↑ "LIBRIS - En man som heter Ove /". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ↑ "TeaterStockholm.se » Din guide i teaterdjungeln". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ↑ "En man som heter Ove (2015)". MovieZine. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ↑ "A Man Called Ove". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ↑ Backman, Fredrik; Newbern, George (2014-07-29). A Man Called Ove (MP3 Una ed.). Dreamscape Media. ISBN 9781629239842. ASIN 1629239844.