A Man Called Ove

　　故事的主角是一位以個性古怪聞名的獨居老人Ove，他有著堅不可摧的原則、每天恪守的常規以及隨時發飆的脾性，人們都在背後稱不茍言笑的他為「來自地獄的惡鄰居」，避之惟恐不及。

　　某個冬日清晨，一對和氣的年輕夫婦與兩個活潑的小女孩搬進Ove家隔壁的空屋，而且無意間弄壞了老人的信箱。因為這起小小的事故，讓兩家人開始走入對方的生活，串起了一段意想不到的情誼，老人原本盤算的計劃也在此峰迴路轉。

　　隨著兩戶人家往來越來越頻繁，路邊的街貓也大剌剌地加入Ove的日常生活，老人原本的心防逐漸卸下。這時，人們才漸漸發覺眼前這位惡鄰其實是個不折不扣的暖男，那麼，究竟是什麼原因讓Ove變成一個怪老頭？他的人生，還掖藏著多少秘密？（文／博客來編譯）

　　In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

　　Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

　　Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

　　A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others.

作者簡介

　　Fredrik Backman is a Swedish blogger and columnist. He is author of a work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About Life, and A Man Called Ove, his first novel, which has sold more than 500,000 copies in its native country and will be published in more than twenty-five languages all over the world. He was reported the most successful author in Sweden in 2013.