What did you make of Ove's ongoing battle with the bureaucracies that persist in getting in his way? Is Ove's true fight with the various ruling bodies, or are they stand-ins, scapegoats, for something else?ġ2. Which of the supporting cast (Parveneh, Jimmy, the Lanky One, Anita) did you find yourself identifying with most?ġ1. Although we all identify with Ove to some extent, especially by the end of the story, we certainly also have our differences with him. How does the eclectic cast of posers, suits, deadbeats, and teens each help Ove in their own way?ġ0. The truism 'it takes a village to raise a child' has some resonance with A Man Called Ove. Ove is a believer in the value of routine-how can following a routine be both comforting and stultifying? How can we balance routine and spontaneity? Should we? Or is there sense in eating sausage and potatoes your whole life?ĩ. What are some of the ways that Ove grows into a new way of thinking over the course of the book?Ĩ. Ove strives to be 'as little unlike his father as possible.' Although this emulation provides much of the strength that helps Ove persevere through a difficult life, it also has some disadvantages. How does her brash, extroverted attitude manage to somehow be both rude and helpful?ħ. Parveneh's perspective on life, as radically different from Ove's as it is, eventually succeeds in breaking Ove out of his shell, even if she can't change his feelings about Saabs.

How do these advantages improve Ove's life, even if he can't admit it?Ħ. Although Ove has some major 'disagreements' with the way the world turned out, there are some undeniable advantages to the modernization he finds so hollow. How do Ove's core values lead him to appear as such a cranky old coot, when he is in fact nothing of the sort? Which of these values do you agree or disagree with?ĥ. What surprised you about Ove's past? Why do you think the author revealed Ove's past the way that he did?Ĥ. As readers, we get to know Ove slowly, with his past only being revealed piece by piece. How does this worldview fail him when he believes himself to be useless? How is he convinced that he can still be useful?ģ. Ove loves things that have a purpose, that are useful. How does the opening scene, in which Ove attempts to purchase a computer, succinctly express the main points of Ove's ongoing battle with the stupidities of the modern world?Ģ.

A man called book