Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Gail Honeyman
Like Ove, Eleanor clings to rigid routines and blunt opinions, and an unlikely friendship slowly cracks open her loneliness and the painful history behind her odd manner.
12 books to read next
Books Like A Man Called Ove
If you loved A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Readers love A Man Called Ove for its prickly, rule-bound hero whose gruff exterior slowly gives way to reveal grief, loyalty and a deep sense of decency. The novel balances laugh-out-loud comedy with genuine heartbreak, moving between present-day neighbourly chaos and flashbacks that explain who Ove is. Its pleasures are warmth without sentimentality, an eccentric community that refuses to leave a lonely man alone, and the quiet idea that ordinary lives touch many others.
Lovable curmudgeons
Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout, Rosa Perez Perez
A sharp-tongued, difficult retired teacher seen through linked stories; readers who warmed to Ove's hidden tenderness will appreciate Olive's flinty complexity and moments of grace.
The storied life of A. J. Fikry
Gabrielle Zevin, Scott Brick
A grieving, grumpy bookshop owner has his isolated life upended by an unexpected arrival, echoing Ove's journey from bitterness to belonging with similar humour and heart.
Gentle journeys late in life
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Joyce
A quiet retired man sets out on an impulsive walk across England, and like Ove's story it uncovers regret, marriage and grief beneath an unassuming surface.
Major Pettigrew's last stand
Helen Simonson
A proper, set-in-his-ways widower in an English village finds unexpected connection, offering the same wry comedy about stubborn principles and late-blooming change.
Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
Jonas Jonasson
Another Swedish bestseller with an elderly hero who defies expectations; it leans more absurd and caper-like but shares Ove's deadpan humour and flashback-rich storytelling.
Found family and neighbours
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt
A widow working night shifts at an aquarium befriends a grumpy octopus and a drifting young man, delivering the same warm mix of grief, humour and unlikely companionship.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
TJ Klune
A rule-following, solitary caseworker is changed by a household of unusual children, much as Ove is transformed by the chaotic family next door.
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Retirement-village residents with strong personalities team up to solve crimes; fans of Ove's feuding residents' association will enjoy this witty, affectionate portrait of older lives.
More from Backman's world
Anxious People
Fredrik Backman
Backman's later novel about strangers trapped in a botched hostage situation offers the same blend of comedy and compassion, revealing the private sorrows behind irritating people.
The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion
A socially awkward, schedule-obsessed professor's literal-minded outlook drives the comedy, much like Ove's exacting rules, while the story builds toward genuine emotional warmth.
Britt-Marie was here
Fredrik Backman
Wait—this would be a second Backman pick, so instead try Frederick Backman's peers.
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