A Man Called Ove

Chapter 4 confirms the suspicion that Sonja is dead—but only at the very end. The chapter opens with Ove presenting her with two plants. He meant to only get one but ended up with two. He relays the story to her:

He unwittingly presented a coupon for “two plants for 50 crowns” (29), however, he intended to buy one plant for 25 crowns. The “brain-dead SMS-tapping nineteen-year-old shop assistant” (29) insisted this coupon was only for buying two plants. After calling over the manager and finally getting his way, Ove tried to pay for his 25-crown purchase with a card—only to learn that there was a three-crown surcharge for card purchases under 50 crowns. He then chose to buy a second plant so that he wouldn’t have to pay the three crowns on “a matter of principle” (30).

This isn’t the only confrontation during Ove’s trip to the florist. He also gets in a tiff with a Mercedes-driver on the way there. The driver tails him and then, as revenge, Ove blocks the Mercedes from getting a parking spot at the shopping center. In the process, however, he inadvertently blocks off this space for his new neighbors,

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