A Man Called Ove

Main Characters and Their Development

• Ove - an old man living alone in his house. Ove is portrayed as a curmudgeon and misanthrope, but over time, the reader understands that beneath his gruff exterior lies a big heart and deep emotions. He struggles with the death of his beloved wife Sonja and feels out of place in the world. However, encounters with new neighbors and various events around him make Ove feel needed again and change his outlook on life.
• Parvaneh - Ove's new neighbor, a woman of Iranian descent who moves in next door with her young family. Her kindness, persistence, and clumsiness encourage Ove to open up to the world and help her and her family, despite his initial irritation and resistance.
• Rune and Anita - Ove's neighbors who have lived in the area for many years. Rune, once Ove's best friend, suffers from a severe illness in the later chapters of the book, which becomes one of the reasons Ove begins to reassess his life values and the importance of community ties.