X-Book

A Man Called Ove

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

The international phenomenon: quirky and bittersweet, heartbreaking yet outrageously funny. Perfect for fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared.

The million-copy bestselling phenomenon: Soon to be a major film starring Tom Hanks.

Fredrik Backman's heartwarming debut is a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step.

'Warm, funny, and almost unbearably moving' Daily Mail

At first sight, Ove 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...

'Rescued all those men who constantly mean to read novels but never get round to it' Spectator Books of the Year

(P)2014 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

Delightful ... the perfect holiday read.
Evening Standard
It's the most enchanting, beautiful tale.
Ben Fogle
A warm and tender story about love, loss and second chances, peppered with memorable characters, wonderful set pieces and some beautifully black humour. Ove is a joy from start to finish.
Gavin Extence, author of The Universe versus Alex Woods
An uplifting, life-affirming and often comic tale of how kindness, love and happiness can be found in the most unlikely places.
Sunday Express
A charming debut.
People

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Fredrik Backman
Narrator Joan Walker
Duration 9 hours and 12 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781444796216
Format x-book®
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Age groups: the elderly, Fiction in translation, Humour, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss
Collections As Seen On Screen
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

About xigxag and the x-book®

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.