1. Ove has a pessimistic mindset – what do you think contributed to this? What made him so cynical?

2. Ove loves things that have a purpose, that are useful. How does this worldview fail him when he believes himself to be useless? How is he convinced that he can still be useful?

3. We see Ove’s personality emerge slowly piece by piece. Did you think that the author intended it this way and why? How does this make you feel towards Ove as we find out his life history in small bits?

4. 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. What are some of the ways that Ove grows into a new way of thinking over the course of the book?

5. Ove says he doesn’t know why Sonja chose him as they are like night and day. Ove realizes he is night. What did Sonja see in Ove? Do you think their relationship is typical? And what is the key to their romance in your opinion?

6. Why do you think Parveneh sought a friendship with Ove? What do you think she saw in him?

7. Ove seems to be a different person when he was with Sonja and later on with Parvanah. What is the reason for that in your opinion?

8. 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? And what do you think is the cause of Ove’s dislike of modernization?

9. 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?

10. Why does Ove “inspect” the neighborhood every morning? What do you think he hopes to learn from his inspections?

11. Describe Ove’s relationship with the cat he adopts. Why do you think he was able to share a part of himself with his feline companion that he couldn’t share with the humans in his life?

12. Ove believes different types of cars reflect the values of the driver. What does the Saab represent to Ove? What does it mean to Ove when Rune buys a BMW?

13. Let’s talk about Ove’s perception of his life. He has tried to take his own life on more than one occasion. What do you think his thought process was for this? Why do you think he chose life over death?

14. Do you think Ove was coping with his grief or ignoring it?

15. Ove says that there is a time in your life when you decide what sort of person you are going to be: one that gets walked on or not. After the fire of his house, Ove decides what sort of man he is. Is there a point in our life where we decide what sort of person we will be, or is this a gradual process?

16. 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?

17. Though death is pervasive in the book, there is also a lot of laughter. Does the book reflect real life in that way? Why?

18. How do you think the story compares to day-to-day life? Do you think people perceive grief in the same way as Ove?

19. Towards the end of the book, the author muses that when people don’t share sorrow, it can drive them apart. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?