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  • A Man Called Ove

  • Written by: Fredrik Backman
  • Narrated by: Joan Walker
  • Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (932 ratings)

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A Man Called Ove

Written by: Fredrik Backman
Narrated by: Joan Walker
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Publisher's Summary

Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He isn't as young as he used to be. He drives a Saab. He points at people he doesn't like the look of. He is described by those around his as 'the neighbour from hell'.Every morning he makes his inspection rounds of the local streets. He moves bicycles and checks the contents of recycling bins, even though it's been years since he was fired as Chairman of the Residents' Association in a vicious 'coup d'état'.

But behind the surly pedant there is a story, and a sadness. And when on a November morning his new (foreign) neighbours in the terraced house opposite accidentally flatten Ove's letterbox, it sets off a comical and heart-warming tale of unexpected friendship which will change one man - and one community - from their very foundations. Quirky and bittersweet, heartbreaking yet outrageously funny, A Man Called Ove is a life-affirming fable for our times.

©2014 Fredrik Backman (P)2014 Hodder & Stoughton

Editorial Review

Under one curmudgeon’s tough and grumpy exterior lies an undercurrent of sadness no one could have predicted. Follow along as an unexpected friendship transforms one grumpy old man’s life in A Man Called Ove.

A bittersweet and heartwarming listen, A Man Called Ove, written by Fredrik Backman, delivers everything you could want in a modern fable. From Ove’s days as a ‘bitter neighbour from hell’ pushed out of his role as Chairman of the Residents’ Association to the life-changing turns his life takes when an Iranian immigrant family moves in next door, this is a hilarious and emotional life-affirming tale. What unfolds is a story about compassion, grief, life, love, and the importance of community.

The tale written by the Swedish author of other beautiful novels such as Anxious People and Britt-Marie Was Here, A Man Called Ove became a New York Times bestselling novel. Now available as an audiobook on Audible, listeners will quickly be inspired to look at those around them with more compassion and understand why countless others worldwide have been transformed by Ove’s moving story. This bestseller has also inspired a new Hollywood film called A Man Called Otto. The film stars Tom Hanks and is set to be released in early 2023.

The A Man Called Ove audiobook is a surprisingly funny and emotional tale of redemption and life’s ever-changing journey that will leave a mark on all who listen. The multiple five-star reviews further cement the beauty and impact of this audiobook. Perfect for a book club selection, once listeners meet Ove, they will never again be the same.

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What listeners say about A Man Called Ove

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, disliked the narrator


Overall a great story but i found the narrator annoying and would have preferred a male voice since the story was about a man.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent book, volume recording inconsistent

The volume was inconsistent, therefore had to turn up and down multiple times throughout (either too loud or too quiet at times).

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7 people found this helpful

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A must read

Excellent novel . The narrator’s English accent was a bit annoying to me but not so much so that it took away from the story. I would still highly recommend.
Brought tears and laughter in equal measure.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Highly Recommend

I’m not going to lie, at first I was annoyed by the sheer grumpiness of Ove but that just shows the brilliance of Fredrik Backman because by the end I was almost in sobs by how much I loved that grumpy old man!
Highly recommend.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Such a beautiful story

I don’t know why people are hating on the narrators voice, I thought she did great. I was engaged the whole time and didn’t want the story to end. This was such a good story that had me laughing and crying and I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

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1 person found this helpful

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I have a new favourite!

I am actually sad that this book is over. Such a wonderful story of an unexpected hero. I laughed, cried and thought endlessly about this character. Narration was spot on. Can't say enough about this book, and am just so glad its in the world.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful

will read this over and over again. This is such a beautiful, heart warming story.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Ses
  • 2024-02-22

book is OK, narration is bad

if not the narration..the book is OK. I knew some people like otto.. other than that that ..it is not the best literature style I ever encountered.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Love this book!

I loved the evolution of the characters and learning the backstory. So good. Bring Kleenex to the party!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story

I really loved the story and the narration was also good. The story was well structured and kept audience engaged at all times. Unlike many other books, it also had a meaningful closure.

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