Book · 2012
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
A widower who plans his own death every morning keeps getting interrupted by a pregnant neighbor who needs help backing a trailer into a driveway.
What does Reddit think of A Man Called Ove?
Nobody in the top-upvoted excerpts argues against Fredrik Backman's grumpy-widower novel, which is unusual for this list. The ↑383 r/suggestmeabook comment says simply that it's amazing and will make you cry; the ↑230 r/booksuggestions comment volunteers, almost sheepishly, that they loved it. The recommendation logic runs mostly on comparison rather than argument: Ove gets paired with A Gentleman in Moscow (↑278) without anyone explaining the connection, and it lands on a curated happy-books list (↑276) next to The Princess Bride and The Martian. That's the company Reddit keeps it in, comfort rather than challenge. r/suggestmeabook carries most of the volume and its scored sentiment lands positive, and r/booksuggestions runs even higher. Whether that's because the book earns it or because nobody wants to be the one arguing against a grieving widower and a stray cat is a question the top-upvoted excerpts don't settle. 6527 mentions, seven years, no dissent worth quoting.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Grief processed through a grumpy old man's interrupted suicide attempts
- · An unofficial, unwanted adoption of a neighbor's kids
- · A holdout dragged back into a community he'd written off
- · A default answer whenever Reddit wants a book that earns its tears
Common praise
- + The ↑383 comment says plainly that it's amazing and will make you cry.
- + The ↑230 r/booksuggestions commenter volunteers 'I loved that book' with no prompting.
- + It made someone's personal happy-books list (↑276) alongside The Princess Bride and The Martian.
Common criticism
- − The recommendation threads pair it with A Gentleman in Moscow (↑278) without ever explaining the connection beyond both titles appearing in the same comment.
- − It shows up filed next to comfort reads like Wonder and The Princess Bride, not the heavier literary company a book about grief might otherwise keep.
- − The top-upvoted excerpts argue by comparison, not by evidence; nobody unpacks what actually makes the book work.
Who it's for
Grab this when you want to feel something without paying for it in dread afterward. If you loved A Gentleman in Moscow's slow-burn found-family arc, the pairing shows up often enough in these threads to be worth trusting. Treat it the way the lists treat it, next to Wonder and The Princess Bride, rather than expecting literary-fiction stakes, and it delivers exactly what it promises. The top-upvoted excerpts here don't hedge, which is rare enough in this dataset to notice.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
- r/suggestmeabook 4,494
- r/booksuggestions 1,945
- r/RomanceBooks 36
- r/YAlit 23
- r/Fantasy 18
- r/TrueLit 5
- r/horrorlit 3
- r/printSF 3
Which Reddit comments matter for A Man Called Ove?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. It’s amazing and will make you cry.
“Man called Ove is close to this. He doesn't actually adopt anyone but he becomes very close to his neighbor and her children in a paternal/grandfatherly manner. Top 10 book honestly
“Genuinely it was one of the best books I've read in a long time, it definitely became one of my favourite ones! The only book I can think of that was *somewhat* similar is The man called Ove, it's a very nice read as well!!
“Kinda a man called ove? I loved that book
“Good call on avoiding The Bell Jar for now. It’s a great book, but now isn’t the time. Bossypants by Tina Fey is light. And hilarious. A Man Called Ove is optimistic. The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter is lovely.
“A Man Called Ove is very charming, it may fit.
“A man called Ove- Fredrik Backman It is one of my most favourite books.
“A Man Called Ove All of Backman is great but this one is just far and away his best.
“A Man Called Ove by Freidrick Backman. Absolutely lovely book, somehow heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
“I'm probably the only person on Earth who thinks this, but A Man Called Ove. I just found it unrealistic and saccharine. Substitute: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It has similar themes, and I found it much more relatable.
“**The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry** It's like a warm hug in book form. **A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman** A heartwarming tale about a grumpy old man with a big heart, dealing with loss and unexpected friendships. **When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by …
“Recently it was A Man Called Ove. I decided after traumatically losing two family members that it was logical and okay to leave this world. But things kept popping up and those things would consume time and make me feel okay after. Maybe I will not be missed but I won't be around to solve problems t…
“In that case, I can say that you may like A Man Called Ove. Glad you’re doing ok, dude.
“{{A Man Called Ove}} It takes a while to get there, but dang does it get there.
“I'm very sorry for your loss. A Man Called Ove is a really good book about an elderly man finding meaning in life after the death of his wife. Could be relevant here. But fair warning, the main character does make multiple attempts at suicide (that are hilariously interrupted by his pesky neighbors)…
Convinced? Pick up A Man Called Ove
What else does r/suggestmeabook read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
A Man Called Ove — frequently asked
Is A Man Called Ove worth the hype on r/suggestmeabook?+
Yes, on the numbers that matter here: nobody in the top-upvoted excerpts pushes back on it. The ↑383 comment says simply that it's amazing and will make you cry, and the ↑230 r/booksuggestions comment volunteers 'I loved that book' unprompted. If you want a counterargument, the top-upvoted data doesn't surface one.
Does A Man Called Ove make you cry?+
Yes, repeatedly, according to the displayed excerpts. The top comment says so plainly, and the book turns up on a curated happy-books list (↑276) alongside The Princess Bride and The Martian, which suggests the crying it causes is the good kind, not the miserable kind.
What should I read after A Man Called Ove?+
A Gentleman in Moscow, per the one comparison the top-upvoted data actually makes (↑278), though the comment itself never explains the connection beyond naming both titles together in the same breath. If found-family-around-a-reluctant-loner is what you liked about Ove, that pairing is as far as the evidence goes; nothing else gets named as often.
Is A Man Called Ove similar to Flowers for Algernon?+
Not really, based on what's displayed. One r/suggestmeabook comment (↑222) lists them side by side, but that's a pairing, not an argument for similarity between the two plots. Both get recommended in these threads as books that deliver an emotional gut-punch; that's as far as the top-upvoted data actually goes.