A Man Called Ove

In the Chapter 7 opening, it seems Ove is finally going to achieve his mission. He prepares the living room, laying down a plastic tarp, and puts on a nice suit. In the breast pocket he has a letter with instructions for wrapping up his affairs. However, his well-intentioned new neighbors interrupt the task. They arrive with cookies to introduce themselves.

Patrick and Parvaneh get into a silly argument in front of Ove, who again seems to soften towards the woman. She comes across as intelligent compared to her spouse: “If it hadn’t been for her belly, which testified to a willingness on her part to contribute to the survival the Lanky One’s genetic make-up, Ove might have found her almost sympathetic at this point” (54).

When it’s revealed that they also came to ask for a ladder, Ove goes to get his from his shed. In the meantime, another neighbor arrives: Anita, the wife of Rune. Rune and Ove were once friends, but Over dislikes the couple ever since Ove was “deposed” as head of the neighborhood “Residents’ Association”—in what he calls a “coup d’état” (59). Anita asks if Ove can bleed the radiators as a favor because Rune is too ill to do it.