The novel explores how loss shapes human behavior, showing through Ove's journey how grief can manifest as strict routines and apparent hostility, while simultaneously demonstrating how healing can occur through unexpected connections and new relationships.

Despite Ove's initial resistance, the story illustrates how community involvement and human connections can transform lives, showing that family isn't always defined by blood but can be created through meaningful relationships with neighbors and friends.

Through flashbacks of Ove's life with his wife Sonja, the narrative demonstrates how love continues to influence and shape us even after loss, suggesting that our capacity to love never truly diminishes but rather evolves and finds new expressions.