A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 30 June.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
A Man Called Ove
There is something about Ove. At first sight, he is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d’etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents’ Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
But isn’t it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible!
Selection panel review
This is what our selection panel thought of A Man Called Ove:
“People call him ‘the bitter neighbour from hell.’ A Swedish Victor Meldrew! He doesn’t like his neighbours (or their cats) or their ways. However, beneath this grumpy exterior lies a story of pathos and sadness which gradually unfolds throughout the book. A well written and enjoyable novel.”
About the author
Fredrik Backman is a well-known blogger and columnist. His debut novel’s protagonist was born on his blog, where over 1000 readers voted for him to write a novel about Ove. In 2011 he became an overnight success when one of his blog entries, Personal message to stressed blond woman in Volkswagen, about reckless driving and parental love, became the most linked to entry ever on Facebook. A Man Called Ove has been a number 1 bestseller across Scandinavia where it has sold over half a million copies. Fredrik’s second novel, My Grandmother Says Hello and Sends Her Apologies, will be published in English in 2015.
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s "Drivetime ":http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p2dfq show on Monday 30 June to hear a live interview with Fredrik Backman talking about his book.
Have you read A Man Called Ove? You can share your thoughts on "Twitter ":www.twitter.com/readingagency using #R2BookClub, and you can post a comment in the space below.
Want to find out more? The Radio 2 Book Club now has a dedicated Twitter feed, and you can also follow the author Fredrik Backman.
Find out more about the Radio 2 Book Club.
