Sweden

This is the country / culture in which the novel is set. Swedish is the novel's original language, the translation (which is primarily British in its vocabulary) still retains aspects of its original Swedish context: the currency with which the characters operate, for example is the "crown", rather than the British pound or the North American dollar. Being a northern country and having a northern (i.e. colder) climate weather, and particularly snow, plays a significant role in defining the circumstances of the narrative.

Ove's "Terrace"

Throughout the narrative, the word "terrace" is used to describe the small community / sub-division / suburb in which his home is located. The "terrace" is the setting for many of the novel's confrontations, in both past and present: there is the strong sense that, at least in Ove's mind, the "terrace" is a community within a community, the sense of connection, relationship, and respect...