I have a soft spot for Ove--he reminds me of my grandfather, and I remember my grandmother bringing up that point shortly after my grandfather passed away. Backman has a gift for making readers love his characters, even when they are prickly and outwardly uninviting--he pulls out their pathos and makes them relatable.

I think this is a marmite book. I could not get on with it but I have several friends who have rated it 5 stars.

I loved Ove. He was such a quirky character and it was fun to read his interactions with others. This is the perfect example of how to write an “unlikable” character in a way that makes him compelling and readable. Highly recommended.

This book received a lot of positive press, awards and reviews so I must have missed something. It was laborious to read and slow. Hopefully it is one of those things were it just wasn't the right time.

I loved this story! I could empathize with Ove and I experienced many emotions while reading his story. The cast of characters were very colorful, including the cat.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

While I thought this book was an emotional read, I believe that it has been overhyped and is not nearly as spectacular as everyone has made it out to be. I much prefer books like The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. They have a much more fantastical approach to "curmudgeonly" characters.

Although I was unable to provide a timely review of this book, I loved it! How much did I love this book? Well, I've recommended it to all five of my local books and even purchased a copy for my elderly mother to read. (She loved it as well.)

I had a really hard time connecting with the main character and also getting invested in this story. I tried to keep reading but ended up stopping and moving on to another book. I did enjoy Anxious People by this author, but his writing style is very different from typical authors, and it causes me to really slow down when reading. Thank you for the review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Books about grouchy old men just make me smile. Maybe because I'm married to one! ;-) But really, I loved seeing Ove grow.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is one of my favorites of all time. Ove is so curmudgeonly in the best of ways! I've recommended this one over and over. Frederik Backman is one of my favorite authors.

This is a heartwarming, funny and moving story which I absolutely loved.

Ove is a marvellous character and I think most readers will identify in him someone they know who has some of his curmudgeonly characteristics. The author has done a marvellous job in making Ove so appealing in spite of himself, and the more we learn about him as we read through the book, the more lovable he becomes. Ove is a character who makes swift judgements of others and in doing so encourages people to respond similarly. However, we soon learn in this book that if we just scratch a little beneath the surface we find a soul who is desperately in need of love and acceptance, mixed up with hurt, anger and loneliness.

This proved to be one of those books that I simultaneously wanted to gobble up quickly yet did not want it to end. In fact, I am rather missing Ove and his neighbours. It is also a book that I could see myself re-reading when I need a little pick me up.

The atmosphere in this book is marvellous and the author describes the snowy Swedish environment perfectly. I almost found myself reaching for a cardigan to combat the cold. I love a book that is so immersive.

Charmingly written, this book is a little gem. Mr. Backman has written several other novels and I intend to read them all.

This was very sweet.

Ove is the most curmudgeonly curmudgeon Sweden has ever seen. He grumps at everyone. He takes down license plate numbers for cars parked overnight and has them towed. He hates people who drive anything except Saabs. He walks the neighborhood every morning to make sure no burglaries have happened (none yet, but surely it will happen some day). He yells at cats and dogs.

In alternating chapters, we see Ove's past and see him interact with his neighbors. The gradual reveals in the book are quite well done, and my fondness for Ove grew in unison with his connections to his neighbors.

The book is lovely. I found it particularly touching to read the same week my grandmother died. Mr. Backman, thank you for such a poignant work.

Amazing read, makes u thinking about grieving and family, Fredrik have the most beautiful writting I ever see and I strongly recommend this title to everyone.

I think I would have given this 4 stars if not for the superb narration. George Newbern (Father of the Bride, Scandal) does an amazing job bringing this curmudgeonly character and all of his friends to life. Can't wait to read more by this very talented author.

Ove is very interesting, and I found him to be a great character study, which is something I really enjoy in books. I don't read a lot of adult fiction, and I need to change that because I often miss out on great books like this.

A bit unrealistic, but a feel-good story about community. I enjoyed the story of Ove’s transformation & his community was wonderful.

This story and its characters are developed beautifully. The story is meaningful and each character adds to the emotional journey. I love a book that will move me to tears!

Just wasn't for me unfortunately. Was a bit of a repetitive story.

This book was very hard for me to get into. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the connection to the characters but I came close to giving up. Once Ove finally grew on me, I thought the book was perfectly delightful. This isn't a book I would re-read but I would recommend it to fans of literary fiction.

I had not expected to love either this book or its title character so much. But Ove, so cantankerous, so full of disdain for practically everyone around him, quickly became beloved because elements of him are so very real. He is truly a man that isn't made anymore. A product of his time and place as all of us are in one way or another, but he is not a relic.