A Man Called Ove

Fredrik Backman's debut novel A Man Called Ove is the story of a curmudgeonly and obnoxious old man, one that begins as a humorous collection of scenes but builds to a complex character study. The story is sometimes too sentimental, but it has enough narrative momentum and humor to carry it through. And only the most cynical and grouchy will fail to be moved as the story reaches its conclusion.