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Quick answer: If you loved A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, try Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Ove is a 59-year-old man who follows the rules, inspects his street every morning and has no patience for neighbors who don’t. When a loud young family moves in and keeps accidentally destroying his mailbox, his carefully ordered life gets turned upside down. Fredrik Backman’s debut is funny, sad and warm, and it made grumpy old men a favorite character type. The picks below share Ove’s blend of humor and heartbreak, with lovable curmudgeons, found families and communities that heal. Most are adult fiction, and several deal with grief.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love A Man Called Ove
Readers love A Man Called Ove because it hides tenderness behind grumpiness. Backman lets us see Ove’s love for his late wife Sonja through flashbacks, so his anger feels like grief, and the neighbors who force their way into his life become the family he needed. The book is very funny, thanks to Ove’s war on badly parked cars and the cat that adopts him, and it’s also very sad, so many readers cry on public transport. It’s been adapted into a Swedish film and a Hollywood remake, A Man Called Otto.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about A Man Called Ove: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | Comic fiction | More Backman humor |
| Britt-Marie Was Here | Fredrik Backman | Fiction | Rule-following heroines |
| My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry | Fredrik Backman | Fiction | Imagination and family |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Fiction | Lonely, unusual narrators |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Rachel Joyce | Fiction | Quiet journeys |
| The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared | Jonas Jonasson | Comic fiction | Swedish wit |
| Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | Fiction | Unusual friendships |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Romantic comedy | Awkward heroes |
| Beartown | Fredrik Backman | Fiction | Community and hockey |
| The Authenticity Project | Clare Pooley | Fiction | Strangers who become friends |
| The Lost Pianos of Siberia | Sophy Roberts | Nonfiction | Quiet, odd journeys |
| Olive Kitteridge | Elizabeth Strout | Literary fiction | Prickly, human characters |
| The Little Paris Bookshop | Nina George | Fiction | Healing through books |
| Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore | Robin Sloan | Fiction | Cozy mystery and books |
| The Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman | Cozy mystery | Funny, caring older characters |
1. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A failed bank robber takes a group of strangers hostage at an apartment viewing. It’s warm, funny and full of surprises.
2. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
A 63-year-old woman, newly separated, takes a job at a run-down recreation center in a small town. It’s funny and touching.
3. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman
A seven-year-old girl goes on a quest through a fairy-tale world after her grandmother dies. It’s lovely and sad.
4. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A blunt Glasgow office worker slowly learns to connect with others. It’s funny and tender.
5. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
A retired man walks the length of England to see a dying friend. It’s moving and gently funny.
6. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
A man escapes his nursing home on his 100th birthday and has an unlikely adventure. It’s absurd and funny.
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A widowed cleaner befriends a giant Pacific octopus who knows a secret. It’s charming and moving.
8. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A socially awkward geneticist designs a questionnaire to find the perfect wife. It’s funny and sweet.
9. Beartown by Fredrik Backman
A small hockey town is shattered by a shocking event involving its star player. It’s powerful and compassionate. Content note: sexual assault.
10. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
A notebook passed among strangers in a London cafe changes their lives. It’s warm and feel-good.
11. The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts
A travel writer hunts for pianos in remote Siberia. It’s moving and full of history.
12. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Connected stories about a gruff retired teacher in a Maine town. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
13. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
A bookseller prescribes novels for the soul and sets off along French rivers. It’s gentle and bittersweet.
14. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
A job at a strange bookstore leads to a secret society. It’s quirky and fun.
15. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Four retirees solve cold cases for fun. It’s witty, warm and full of heart.
How to Pick Your Next Read After A Man Called Ove
- Want more Backman? Anxious People and Britt-Marie Was Here.
- Want grumpy but lovable? Eleanor Oliphant and Olive Kitteridge.
- Want a quiet journey? The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
- Want older characters? The Thursday Murder Club.
- Want something with books? The Little Paris Bookshop.
- Keep tissues nearby. Several of these books are very moving.
Fredrik Backman Books in Order
Backman’s novels include A Man Called Ove (2012), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (2013), Britt-Marie Was Here (2014), the Beartown trilogy (Beartown, Us Against You and The Winners) and Anxious People (2019). They are all standalones except the Beartown trilogy, which follows one hockey town across three books. If you like warm and funny, start with Anxious People or Britt-Marie Was Here. If you want something heavier, Beartown deals with sexual assault and community loyalty.
Related: A Man Called Ove book club discussion questions and best literary fiction books for book clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like A Man Called Ove?
Anxious People and Britt-Marie Was Here, both by Fredrik Backman, are the closest matches.
Is A Man Called Ove sad?
Yes, it has sad moments, including themes of grief and loss, but it’s also very funny and hopeful.
Is A Man Called Otto the same story?
Yes. It’s the Hollywood remake of the Swedish film adaptation.